It was one in the afternoon, but the sky was as dark as a devil's eyes, and thunder was rumbling like the rhythm of a horror theme, enough to make anyone's heart tremble. Still, that wasn't enough to stop the curious crowd from gathering in front of Snyder Villa, because the news was big.

Mr. Leo Snyder, the heir of L.S. Corporation and the only son of the late Mr. Liam Snyder, was murdered by his wife, Mrs. Olivia Snyder.

Additionally, another man was found in a severely wounded condition inside the villa at the same time.

The police arrived half an hour ago with their forensic team and sent the injured man to the hospital. They then sealed the entire bungalow and a surrounding area of up to one and a half miles to prevent anyone from destroying evidence or complicating the case. Reporters, media, neighbors, and other curious people were eagerly waiting outside the villa to see the murderer.

The atmosphere outside the villa was suffocating. Although the rumbling thunder and flashing lightning persisted, there was still no trace of a cooling breeze to refresh their puzzled minds.

But there was one significant matter noticeable about the ambiance outside the villa. Despite all the natural obstacles, no one uttered a single word to express their physical discomfort. All the curious people, including reporters and neighbors, kept their mouths sealed for an unknown reason, which was quite unexpected according to the situation. They were glancing into each other's eyes from time to time. It seemed as if they were exchanging their internal thoughts about the incident through their gazes.

All of a sudden, thunder roared like an angry tiger, and heavy rain began pouring down with force. Those who had umbrellas quickly opened them, while others sought shelter beneath borrowed umbrellas without hesitation. Despite this, they shared them with a small smile. On the other hand, a few people who had luckily brought raincoats with them wore them after seeing the dark clouds in the sky to keep themselves dry.

"My goodness, hey, everyone, look! The police are coming with the murderer!" a teenage girl shouted in a voice filled with shock and excitement, breaking the silence. As a result, most of the people flinched and turned their gazes toward the villa, their minds filled with various questions and curiosity.

They saw police officers coming out of the villa with Olivia Snyder, her hands handcuffed, blood dripping from the left side of her head. As a result, bloodstains spread from her hands to her clothes. A female police officer held an umbrella over their heads so that they would not get wet while walking toward the police vans.

"Mrs. Snyder, please tell us, is it true that you killed your husband and then called the police to surrender yourself?" one of the reporters asked in one breath, causing a high-voltage shock to those who didn't know that Olivia was the one who called the police.

"Why did you kill your husband?"

"Why did you decide to surrender yourself to the police? Why didn't you run away?"

"Who is the man found earlier wounded in your house? What was he doing at that time?"

"Are you feeling guilty? Is that why you're surrendering yourself to the police instead of running away?"

"Was he your lover or ex-boyfriend?"

"Please, don't stay quiet. Answer our questions. We want to hear the truth from you. Tell us, why did you kill your husband?"

Journalists started to throw their questions at her like arrows, but she didn't utter a single word. It seemed she felt no need to answer to anyone for her actions.

"Please move out of our way!" the female police officer requested everyone, especially, to the reporters, in gentle but firm tone while frowning in frustration.

"Oh my God! She's terrible! How could she have killed her husband?"

"I heard that they were childhood friends and loved each other, which is why they got married after their graduation. What happened between them after that?"

"Nowadays, we can't trust anyone. Who would have thought that a killer was hiding behind an innocent face?"

"I think she's having an affair with that person; that's why her hands didn't shake when she killed her husband."

Olivia received a lot of criticism from her neighbors as she approached the police van, looking down. But she stopped walking when she heard a familiar voice.

"Oli, why? Why, Oli?" a middle-aged man asked her in a cracked voice as he stood in front of her, wearing a black raincoat. For the first time, Olivia slowly lifted her face and looked straight into his eyes.

A blood drop fell from her left eyelash, causing her to blink twice. Afterward, she replied to him without showing any emotion, "Because he deserves it."

The person shook his head in disbelief, his eyes teary. Subsequently, he commanded one of his junior police officers, "Take her to the van; we will investigate her at the police station."

"Yes, sir," the junior officer replied, signaling to the female officer with his eyes. Without hesitation, the female officer grabbed Olivia's right arm, and they both entered the police van together.

The senior officer was about to get into his car when reporters gathered beside it and began asking him irrational questions, fueled by their wild imaginations to sensationalize the news and spread it like wildfire.

"Sir, could you please tell us why your daughter killed her husband?"

"In the past, did your daughter ever mention anything about her unhappy married life?"

"Did she want a divorce, and Mr. Snyder didn't approve, leading to this unexpected incident?"

"Tell us which side you are going to take now: your one and only daughter, who killed her husband, or your deceased son-in-law, who is the victim?"

"Are the neighbors' suspicions about the relationship between your daughter and that mysterious guy true?"

"Is it true that your daughter loves the person who was previously found wounded, and she married Mr. Leo Snyder solely for his property?"

The last question caused Olivia's father to lose his temper, and he responded in a furious tone, "Everything will be revealed in due time! Until then, please restrain your curiosity, refrain from inappropriate words, and cease imagining things about anyone!"

After saying that, he got into his car and started the engine. Within a few minutes, all the cars, including those of the reporters, headed toward the police station.

                                  ***

"Never judge a book by its cover," the people gathered in front of Snyder Villa, including the reporters, were familiar with this saying. However, not once did they consider its meaning. Naturally, they didn't hesitate to express their negative thoughts sarcastically in front of a helpless father.

On one side, he was a famous police officer who never compromised on his duties. On the other hand, he was a father who knew his daughter so well that he believed she had never done anything wrong in the past and would never act without reason.

He noticed the power of truth in his daughter's eyes. On one hand, he was certain that her perspective was correct. However, his heart trembled with fear; even if she was right, he believed she had no right to take someone's life as punishment. Therefore, he considered her actions entirely wrong, perhaps the worst decision of her life.

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