Chapter 84 Chapter 84
Benjamin stared at Grace for a long moment before a faint sneer touched his lips. He asked softly, "So this is your scheme, huh?"
Two police units arrived—one responding to Nathan's call and the other from the homicide division. In her panic, Mrs. Meyer had called her deceased son's colleagues for help. Upon learning that the captain's orphaned child was in trouble, they immediately stepped forward, disregarding regulations. Using the phone number Mrs. Meyer provided for Grace, they tracked her location and rushed over.
The living room downstairs wasn't small, but it felt crowded with all these people.
Benjamin remained calm, but Wendy, brought in by Michael, grew tense and flustered at the scene. After hearing the police's purpose, she glanced at Benjamin's impassive face and offered an explanation. "I believe this is just a misunderstanding. Nothing actually happened. Mr. Norman didn't detain or harm me."
Her words stunned everyone present, especially Nathan. After a moment, he angrily demanded, "Are you out of your mind? Ms. Hill risked her life to save you, and you're saying you're fine? How despicable!"
But she truly was fine.
Benjamin had mistakenly believed that she had climbed into his bed willingly. After she explained, he felt a surge of desire but controlled himself. Like a true gentleman, he released her without doing anything to her. Did she really have to lie and falsely accuse him?
Though she hated him, she could never do such a thing! After being scolded by Nathan, Wendy felt humiliated and wronged. "I don't know what you're talking about!" she snapped.
Nathan was about to argue further when Grace gently interrupted. Lowering her eyes, she said softly, "Enough."
Among the plainclothes officers who arrived was a close friend of the late Officer Meyer. Suspecting that Benjamin had threatened Wendy, he discreetly pulled her aside and asked gently, "Wendy, what exactly happened? Ms. Hill called your grandmother. She was nearly beside herself when she learned you were with Mr. Norman.”
Upon hearing that her grandmother knew, Wendy felt both panic and fear. She resented Grace for messing things up and feared Benjamin might uncover her identity. Hurriedly, she explained, "I'm really fine. I work here. There was a misunderstanding with Mr. Norman. He didn't do anything to me. Just before you arrived, he was about to have someone drive me home.”
This story matched the club staff's account perfectly. Wendy, a waitress who already knew Benjamin, was working that evening. They met that evening and hit it off, chatting happily. Some meddlesome person, wanting to bring them together, ended up escorting the two drunk individuals into a house.
As for Grace, everyone's accounts were consistent. At best, she was Benjamin's girlfriend, and at worst, his mistress. Multiple witnesses confirmed that she had stormed over specifically to catch Benjamin in the act.
By this point, nearly all the evidence pointed to Grace orchestrating tonight's events—nothing more than a farce over romantic entanglements.
The officers who responded to Nathan's call frowned and reprimanded him. "What kind of nonsense is this? Do you realize this is a false alarm? Deliberately reporting a false incident disrupts legitimate police operations. We could arrest both of you for this!"
Nathan flushed and was about to protest when Grace tugged him aside. She bowed her head and told the officers, "I’m sorry, Officer. We made a mistake. It wasn't intentional."
Hardly anyone believed her, but since Benjamin showed no intention of pursuing the matter, the officers didn't want to make a fuss. They lectured Grace and Nathan a bit more before letting it go.
Benjamin simply watched the scene unfold with a smile. Only after the detectives led Wendy away did he suddenly ask her, "Your name is Wendy, right?"
With her lie exposed, Wendy felt embarrassed and nodded. "Yes."
To her surprise, Benjamin merely smiled faintly. "It's a lovely name. Why did you lie?"
Wendy flushed and murmured, "I didn't mean to."
The farce seemed poised to conclude. Grace and Nathan followed the officers out. Benjamin didn't stop her. In fact, as he escorted them to the door, he said, "Goodbye, Ms. Hill," in a polite and courteous manner.
When Wendy insisted that tonight's events were merely a misunderstanding, Grace knew she had lost everything. She was utterly defeated. She'd held on this long purely out of pride. Hearing this, Grace gave a numb smile. She stopped in her tracks, turned back to face Benjamin, and said, "Benjamin, you're quite the strategist. I'm thoroughly impressed."
"Is that so? To receive such praise from Ms. Hill is truly rare.” He tugged slightly at the corner of his lips before asking, "I wonder what Ms. Hill's next plans might be."
What plans? All her previous efforts had been wasted. Now, she faced his relentless retaliation. What plans could she possibly have?
Grace gave a bitter smile; it was the first time she'd ever considered giving up. "To go back and make arrangements for my funeral," she replied. "Is that acceptable?”
Benjamin's eyes darkened momentarily, but he quickly smiled and shook his head. "You wouldn't, Grace. You wouldn't."
"Yes, I wouldn't. Not someone as strong as me.” Grace laughed self-mockingly, turned to Nathan, who had been waiting nearby, and said calmly, "Let's go."
Outside, all kinds of cars were parked, but the police cars stood out the most. Mrs. Meyer had also arrived and was just stepping down from her car with her cane. Spotting her granddaughter, she staggered toward them. Wendy hurried forward and explained, "Grandma, I'm fine. Really, I'm fine."
Mrs. Meyer's eyes were red as she scrutinized Wendy from head to toe. Only after confirming that her granddaughter was unharmed did Mrs. Meyer collapse, as if drained of all strength. Wendy hurriedly caught her, calling urgently, "Grandma! Grandma!”
Mrs. Meyer gripped her cane tightly and forced herself to stand up straight. Her voice was heavy as she said, "Let go of me."
Confused but obedient, Wendy cautiously released her. Mrs. Meyer stood watching her, then suddenly raised her hand and struck Wendy across the face. Stunned by the unexpected blow, Wendy clutched her stinging cheek and stared at her grandmother in disbelief. "Grandma!" she cried, her voice trembling.
Everyone rushed to intervene. Some helped the elderly woman while others pulled Wendy aside. They turned to Mrs. Meyer and urged, "Please calm down. The child is unharmed—that's what matters most. She's still young. Whatever happened, you can address it calmly at home.”
Trembling with anger and guilt toward Grace, Mrs. Meyer could barely stand. Ignoring their pleas, she stared at Grace, who had come out from the back. In a quivering voice, she said, "Ms. Hill, I'm sorry. I failed to raise my granddaughter properly. I let her come out and cause you trouble."
Grace naturally harbored resentment toward Wendy, but what good would dwelling on it do at this point? She gave a helpless smile and said to Mrs. Meyer, "Mrs. Meyer, I've done my best. After tonight, I don't know what will happen to me. You and Wendy, just take care of yourselves."
The others were baffled, but those two understood Grace's meaning. Mrs. Meyer flushed with shame. Wendy, enraged, shouted, "If you hadn't meddled, Benjamin would never have known who I was! You barged in uninvited, caused this whole mess, and now you dare to blame others?"
Grace paused, then chuckled involuntarily.
Mrs. Meyer, however, was so enraged that she could barely speak. Pointing at her granddaughter, she stammered, "You...you..." several times before fainting from shock and fury. Wendy panicked and frantically apologized to her grandmother while rushing her to the hospital with her father's colleagues. Only Grace remained composed. After watching for a moment, she turned to Nathan and said, "Let's go. I'll drive you back."
She drove him back to school. On the way, Nathan hesitated several times before finally whispering, "Ms. Hill?"
Grace seemed prepared for this. She smiled faintly and said, "Nathan, I'm very grateful for what you did for me today. I know you have questions, but I can't answer them yet. Go back first. If I get through this crisis, I'll answer all your questions.”
Nathan fell silent. After a moment, he spoke again. "Ms. Hill, I want to help you."
Grace still smiled. “I’d appreciate it. But right now, I can only rely on myself."
Yes, this time she could only rely on herself.
She dropped Nathan off at school and returned home as dawn approached. After bathing, changing clothes, and organizing everything, she sat quietly on the sofa, staring blankly at her phone. All her previous efforts had been in vain. She was back at square one, and things were worse than ever. But so what? She couldn't give up. Even if she were dying, she would fight.
She sent Benjamin a brief message: Will my death mark the end of your game? A gambler must honor his wager. I offer my life as payment, as long as my family is spared. Thank you very much.
After sending the message, she turned off her phone. She took a razor blade from the coffee table, closed her eyes, and slashed her wrist with brutal resolve. With nowhere left to retreat, she might as well grit her teeth and push forward. She was gambling—betting that Benjamin didn't want her dead just yet. She knew that using her own life as leverage was foolish, but she had no other choice.