Chapter 4

Yoseph smilingly nodded, readily agreeing.

No one at the dinner table mentioned my disappearance to keep Sonia happy.

Just then, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.

Yoseph's previously dim eyes lit up instantly. He rushed to the door ahead of everyone else to open it.

He was full of hope, thinking that after learning Sonia was pregnant, I would let go of the past and come home so the whole family could celebrate joyfully together.

But when he opened the door, the person standing there was not who he expected.

It was my best friend, Rebecca South.

Rebecca stood with her arms crossed, eyes sharply scanning Yoseph from head to toe. She asked bluntly, "Where's Freya?"

Rebecca and I grew up together. She had a rough childhood. After her mom divorced and remarried, she was left to live with her alcoholic dad.

That environment made her grow up like a tough boy, blunt and fiery. But with me, she was always gentle. She never hesitated to charge ahead and shield me from harm whenever it came to me.

"She's not here. If you're looking for her, try somewhere else." Sonia stepped out from behind Yoseph and spoke, trying to shut the door.

But Rebecca was quick. She stopped the door with one hand, then shoved aside the people in front of her and barged into the house, calling out loudly as she walked, "Frey? Are you home?"

"Get out! That idiot isn't even here!" Sonia screamed and rushed at her, trying to push Rebecca out of the house.

The two of them started fighting, creating chaos.

"Rebecca, calm down! Freya isn't home!" Yoseph pushed Rebecca hard as he tried to shield Sonia.

Seeing Yoseph still defending Sonia ignited Rebecca's rage. She suddenly raised her hand and landed a heavy slap across Yoseph's face.

The forceful slap turned Yoseph's head to the side and instantly left a visible handprint.

"Yoseph, have you no shame? You ditched Freya on your wedding day and married Sonia instead. Freya loved you wholeheartedly, and this is what you did in return!

"You and Sonia are filthy scums! And her biased parents! I hope karma finds all of you soon!"

Trembling with anger, Rebecca continued to roar, "If anything happens to Freya, I swear on my life I'll drag you all to prison!"

Everyone in the room was stunned by her outburst and crazed actions.

No one dared to stop her. They could only watch as she slammed the door and stormed out.

That night, Yoseph finally managed to coax Sonia to sleep. He then sat in the living room with my parents.

Still worried, he uttered, "Mom, Dad, Freya's been missing for days. Could something bad have happened?"

My parents kept their heads down in silence. They knew deep down how unfair everything had been to me. But with things having gone this far, all they could hope for was that I'd come home soon, and they'd try to make it up to me later.

What they didn't know was that I no longer needed any kind of apology.

My corpse had been decomposing in the rented apartment, reeking, until a neighbor finally discovered it.

At dawn, Yoseph received a call from the police.

"Hello, is this a relative of Freya Quade? She was found dead in a rented apartment a month ago. Please come to the station to identify the body."