Chapter 487: How Can Someone Be So Clueless?
Chapter 487: Chapter 487: How Can Someone Be So Clueless?
"What?" Amanda Lynn’s expression changed. "Melody," she said in disbelief, "are you joking with Mom? How could your Uncle Paul..."
"Why couldn’t he?" Michelle Fuller couldn’t help but snap at her. "Because you trusted some bullshit best friend you’ve known for thirty years, your daughter almost paid the price!"
"I..." Amanda Lynn frowned, her heart filled with unease. Her voice trembled as she asked, "What... what exactly happened?"
"What happened is what I told you on the phone last night," Renee Jennings said flatly. "Your good friend of thirty years wanted to ruin your daughter."
Amanda Lynn’s face turned deathly pale. Her eyes widened in terror as she looked desperately at her daughter. "Melody, is this true? You all must be joking with me, right?"
Melody Marsh frowned. She was just now realizing that Renee Jennings had told her mother about this yesterday, but her mother hadn’t believed her.
"It’s not a joke," she said, her voice serious. "Mom, what Renee said is true. Yesterday, Susan Roth intentionally got you drunk, and Jasper Yates drugged Dad. After that..."
Hearing her daughter’s words, Amanda Lynn’s eyes instantly reddened. She scrambled out of bed and gripped her daughter’s hand, her heart aching. "Melody, I’m sorry," she choked out. "I’m so, so sorry. Mom almost got you hurt."
Melody Marsh pressed her lips together, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the two words, "It’s okay."
She was silent for two seconds before speaking. "If Renee hadn’t shown up in time, I might... I might not even be here to see you right now."
"Melody, I’m sorry..." Amanda Lynn just kept crying and apologizing. "It’s Mom’s fault. I was so foolish!"
"Mom, please don’t cry." Melody Marsh felt terrible too. "I’m going to go check if Dad is awake."
"I’ll go with you," Amanda Lynn said quickly.
The group went to the adjacent hospital room to find Jenson Marsh.
The head of his hospital bed was raised, and he was reclining with his eyes closed, resting.
"Dad," Melody Marsh called softly.
"Jevin," Amanda Lynn rushed to the bedside, looking at him with tear-filled eyes. "Jevin, I’ve failed you, and I’ve failed Melody. I was wrong."
Jenson Marsh opened his eyes and looked at his wife, then raised a hand to stroke her hair. He turned to his daughter, a worried expression instantly clouding his features. "Melody, are you all right?"
"Dad," Melody Marsh came to the bedside and said softly, "I wasn’t harmed. Renee rescued me just in time. If it weren’t for her, I might have..."
She didn’t finish her sentence, but Jenson Marsh understood what she meant.
He turned his head to look at the others, his gaze landing on Renee Jennings. "Host Jennings."
He got out of bed, walked over to Renee Jennings, and gave her a deep bow. "Host Jennings, thank you for saving Melody. The Marsh family will be forever in your debt for this immense kindness."
Seeing this, Renee Jennings reached out to help him up. "Please, don’t," she said slowly. "It seems Melody and I were fated to meet."
Melody Marsh chimed in at the right moment. "Dad, I already told Renee. By saving me, she’s given me a second life. From now on, I will honor her just as I honor you and Mom."
Renee: "..."
Jenson Marsh nodded emphatically. "Exactly. You’re right, Melody. Host Jennings saved you, and we must repay her kindness."
Watching this scene, Amanda Lynn felt a sudden pang in her heart, and her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into tight fists.
Michelle Fuller watched her and couldn’t resist leaning over to whisper in Hilary’s ear, "Melody’s dad thanked Renee right away, but her mom is just standing there in a daze."
"Yeah," Hilary whispered back. "Her mom looks smart enough. How can her judgment be so bad?"
Although the two of them were whispering, Melody Marsh still overheard them.
She glanced up at Amanda Lynn, a sudden wave of disappointment washing over her.
The observation room fell silent. Zachary Conway broke the quiet. "Mr. Marsh, Mrs. Marsh, if you’re both feeling up to it, we’ll need you to come to the station later to give a statement."
"Okay," Jenson Marsh said, looking at Zachary Conway. "Are you the detective from Zenvia that Host Jennings mentioned?"
Zachary Conway gave a slight nod. "Yes, I’m Zachary Conway."
"Hello, Officer Conway."
"Mr. Marsh."
Michelle Fuller blinked, sneaking a glance at Zachary Conway out of the corner of her eye.
’Officer Conway,’ she thought. ’Sounds pretty cool.’
**
「Draken Police Station.」
As soon as Renee Jennings and her group arrived, Shaw came up to greet them. "Consultant Jennings, Officer Conway, these guys are really tight-lipped. They still refuse to admit to their crimes."
Hearing Shaw’s title for Renee Jennings, surprised expressions flickered across the faces of both Jenson Marsh and his wife.
’Why are the police here calling Renee Jennings ’Consultant Jennings’? Isn’t she an online host?’
After hearing Shaw’s report, Zachary Conway frowned and turned to Renee Jennings. "Should we go?"
’They can’t even get a confession for something this simple? I bet something’s fishy.’
Renee Jennings nodded. "Sure."
Hilary watched the backs of Renee Jennings and Zachary Conway as they walked toward the interrogation room, her face a mask of shock. "Ms. Jennings is that amazing? She can even help the police interrogate criminals?"
"That’s right." Michelle Fuller lifted her chin like a proud peacock. "Renee is incredible!"
"That’s so badass!" Hilary said, filled with admiration.
Shaw poured them some tea and said with a smile, "Sorry to make you two wait. Please have a seat."
"It’s no trouble," Michelle Fuller said, waving her hand. "We’ll keep ourselves busy."
Half an hour later, Renee Jennings and Zachary Conway came out of one interrogation room and entered another.
Jenson Marsh and Amanda Lynn had finished giving their statements and were sitting together in the waiting area.
Amanda’s expression was awful, likely because she had never imagined that the ’best friend’ she trusted would try to harm her own daughter.
Seeing this, Melody Marsh asked quietly, "Mom, are you okay?"
"I’m fine." Amanda Lynn shook her head, forcing a smile that looked worse than tears. "Melody."
Melody Marsh blinked in confusion. "What is it?"
"Melody," Amanda Lynn’s voice was once again on the verge of tears. "Do you... Do you hate me?"
Hearing this, Melody Marsh froze for a few seconds before shaking her head. "I don’t hate you."
"Then... do you blame me?"
"I don’t blame you."
Hearing her daughter’s answer, Amanda Lynn felt her heart clench. Her shoulders trembled slightly, then began to shake violently as she covered her face and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
Jenson Marsh looked at his wife, his heart filled with a sense of helplessness.
In the past, whenever Amanda Lynn was sad or upset, he would do everything in his power to comfort her and coax her into a better mood.
But this time, he didn’t.
Michelle Fuller looked at Melody Marsh, unable to hold her tongue. "Melody, the luckiest thing you have is a father with a clear head on his shoulders."
If Jenson Marsh hadn’t been willing to believe Renee Jennings and provide the villa’s exact address in time, then no matter how hard everyone else had tried, it likely would have all been for nothing. The tragedy would have happened anyway.
"Yes," Melody Marsh nodded emphatically. "I’m very grateful to my dad, too."
Jenson Marsh met his daughter’s gaze, a gentle smile touching his lips. "There’s no need to thank me. I didn’t really do anything. In fact, I was too careless. I let Jasper Yates drug me and couldn’t even protect you. I left you to face that fear all by yourself."
He let out a long sigh and looked at Michelle Fuller and Hilary, his tone solemn. "The ones we should be thanking are Host Jennings and her friends."