Chapter 11: He Tortures Me in the Most Humiliating Way

Olivia stumbled back a couple of steps.

"This can't be right. The surveillance footage must've been tampered with. Let's keep looking. There's no way he could've messed with all of it."

"Ms. Smith," the police officer's face showed clear impatience, "I get that you're in pain and dealing with a lot, which is why my colleagues and I have been helping you over and over. But you can't just act recklessly."

"Ms. Smith, have you seen a therapist?" The officer tried to control his emotions. "Maybe you should have your family take you to see one. It might help you a lot."

"We're the police. If you encounter any problems, we'll solve them. But we deal with real issues, not psychological ones."

"It's getting late, Ms. Smith. You should go home. I still need to visit the funeral home to see Philip."

The officer left.

Olivia, undeterred, used the excuse of a lost pet dog to check all the surveillance cameras that might have captured her.

But there was nothing on the footage.

Back home, Olivia sat on the carpet, leaning against the sofa, clutching her hair.

She couldn't help but wonder if she was really losing her mind.

Had Charles's reappearance worsened her mental state?

Her phone rang, displaying an unknown number.

Olivia answered in a daze, and the voice on the other end made her tremble.

She bit her lip hard and started recording the call.

"Ms. Smith, you're being naughty. Your stubbornness cost Philip his life."

"Robert, so you did kill Philip. You've killed another person. How do you keep doing this?"

"And who was the person who died three years ago? How did you change the fingerprints and blood samples? Aren't you afraid of the law?"

"Ms. Smith," Charles's cold, deep voice came through, "I can have the surveillance footage altered. Don't you think I can handle the recording on your phone?"

"This is your third SIM card, right? Do you still have your original phone? Your family can't reach you."

Family...

Olivia quickly found her old phone and saw that David and her parents had called while she was at the police station.

She wanted to call them back to reassure them, but held back, thinking of Philip's fate.

Olivia bit her finger hard. "Robert, please, leave my family alone."

She knew begging was useless.

She had tried everything. The police didn't believe her, and she was starting to doubt her own sanity.

Robert had proven time and again that the only way out was to listen to him.

"That depends on whether Ms. Smith behaves."

"If I listen to you, will you leave my family alone?"

Olivia's voice was devoid of emotion and strength.

"Ms. Smith, you have no choice but to trust me."

Olivia closed her eyes in despair. "I trust you."

She didn't ask when this nightmare would end.

It was clear that it would end when he was done playing and decided she should die.

She just hoped her family would be safe by then.

"Ms. Smith is so obedient," Charles chuckled, like a cat toying with a mouse. "As a reward, I'll give you some free info. Your husband, David, almost drowned while walking by the lake last night."

"Robert!"

Olivia screamed, her voice choked with terror. "Three years ago, I killed your friend alone. I've been behind everything recently. David has nothing to do with it. Leave him out of this."

"Ms. Smith, you and your husband have a great relationship. Don't worry, I'm not interested in him. I'm only interested in you. One last thing, Robert died three years ago. I'm Charles, your boss's partner."

After hanging up on Charles, Olivia immediately called David with her old phone.

It rang for a while before he answered.

She didn't ask about the lake incident directly, as it would require explaining how she knew, involving Charles.

She just asked about his recent days. David, always optimistic, said everything was great, meeting people he only read about in medical journals and learning a lot.

"Olivia, how are you? Is Charles still scaring you?"

Hearing his name made Olivia's heart tremble.

She tried to control her emotions.

"I haven't seen him much lately. I'm not as scared when I do. And I haven't had many nightmares."

Because the nightmares had become reality.

And reality was more terrifying than dreams.

"I believe things will get better. Olivia, you sound off. Is someone bothering you?"

David asked, sensing something was wrong from her first words.

But her tone was calm, and he had confirmed Charles's identity before leaving, so he didn't think much of it.

Olivia grabbed her throat, tears streaming down.

She composed herself and coughed lightly before answering. "It's been hot, and I set the AC too low at night. I caught a cold."

"You, always not taking care of yourself when I'm not around. Be careful. If it's hot, lower the temperature a bit, but also lower the fan speed, especially when you're sweating. Don't let the AC blow directly on you..."

David gave detailed instructions.

Olivia's tears fell faster, her emotions more intense. She finally lay on the carpet, silently screaming inside.

'David, Charles is Robert.'

'He's back to get revenge on me.'

'He's torturing me in the most humiliating way.

'I went to the police, but they found no evidence. They think I'm crazy.'

'David, I'm in so much pain, so desperate.'

'I wish you were here with me.'

'You said to wait for you to come home, but I don't even know if I'll survive until then.'

"Olivia, are you still there? Did you hear what I said?"

David asked, worried after a long silence.

"I'm here..."

Olivia wiped her tears.

She wanted to tell him everything.

She knew he would protect her, even if it meant dying.

But Charles was too powerful; even the police couldn't fight him. She couldn't risk David's life.

"I'm listening. Work has been busy, and I'm so tired. I almost fell asleep."

This excuse, even with her odd tone, wouldn't make David suspicious.

Sure enough, David immediately said, "Then get some rest. Call me if you need anything."