Chapter 4

The unexpected voice brought the chaos to an instant halt.

The fists, kicks, and curses all stopped.

Everyone turned toward the speaker in shock.

My elderly father stumbled into view. He walked unsteadily toward the middle of the crowd.

"I'm the one who killed Matthew."

Under everyone's stunned gaze, he repeated himself.

His voice wasn't loud, but his words hit the crowd like a thunderclap.

The entire scene fell silent.

Then an even louder uproar broke out.

"What? He killed Matthew?"

"No wonder Joanna refused to tell the truth. She's been protecting her own father!"

"But why would he kill his own son-in-law?"

While everyone argued in confusion, my mother hurried after my father and grabbed his arm.

"Jonathan, stop! Don't say things like that!"

She shook her head, her voice trembling.

"You're not even capable of hurting someone. How could you possibly kill a man?"

At her words, the people who had just begun to suspect my father slowly came to their senses.

"She's right. He can barely walk without shaking. How could he have the strength to kill someone?"

"I think he's just desperate to take some of the blame off his daughter."

"Jonathan, we know you love your daughter, but you can't make up something like this for her!"

"Exactly! You almost had me believing you for a second!"

"Joanna has really brought shame on herself. She's driven her own father to this!"

When my father saw that everyone was still blaming me, tears of anguish filled his eyes.

"Please don't talk about Joanna like that. She's not that kind of person."

"If you need to blame someone, blame me. This is all my fault!"

"I'm begging you. Please don't hurt Joanna."

My father had lived a simple, honest life.

He had always been upright. He had never told a lie or deceived anyone.

But now, for my sake, he was telling a lie that could destroy the reputation he'd spent his entire life protecting.

My mother looked at him, then at me.

In the end, she swallowed her tears and said nothing more.

Margaret gave my father a long look, then turned to me, her voice trembling.

"Joanna, do you see what's happening?"

"You refused to tell us who the killer was, and Aurora died. Now even your own father has come forward to take the blame for you."

"Are you really going to let an old man be treated like a murderer and condemned by everyone just to protect the killer?"

Chloe chimed in, her eyes red.

"Mom's right, Joanna. Is that deranged killer really so important to you?"

"Are you willing to destroy everyone who loves you just to protect him?"

"Can you really stand by and let your parents spend the rest of their lives being hated and cursed because you covered for a murderer?"

After hearing them, I fell silent.

I looked deeply at my parents.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, I took out my phone and called the police.

"Hello. I'd like to turn myself in."

"I killed someone. His name was Matthew Harrison."