Chapter 219

The officer put the phone on speaker and pretended to know the caller: “Simon, sorry man. We were partying so hard last night I forgot to grind you the video.”

The man on the other end took the bait. “Hurry up! I want that bitch Lucia Schulz completely ruined! Did you get six guys to do her like I asked?”

The officer played along: “Of course, I’ll send the video right now.”

“Make it quick!”

He hung up immediately.

Thalia and Lucia exchanged glances. The caller likely wasn’t well-acquainted with the phone’s owner—just a temporary accomplice—which explained why he didn’t notice the different voice answering the phone. What an idiot.

The police quickly identified the caller through their system. The officer asked Lucia, “The phone owner is Simon Vance. Do you know him?”

“Simon Vance!” Lucia’s eyes widened. “He was the assistant manager in my company’s project department. I fired him a few days ago.”

Thalia spoke seriously: “That explains everything. Those men who drugged you were hired by Simon to harm you. Your friend was probably involved too.”

“How could this happen…” Lucia mumbled, looking lost. “How could Annika do this to me? I was so good to her, how could she…”

Simon Vance was sitting on his couch waiting impatiently, but instead of receiving the video of Lucia, he was greeted by police officers at his door.

With the mastermind caught, solving the case became simple. Simon Vance and Paul Yang were the primary culprits. They harbored resentment toward Lucia for firing them and plotted revenge. Simon approached Lucia’s fake friend, Annika Weiss, paying her three hundred thousand to help lure Lucia out for drinks. Paul Yang, a project manager at the company for many years with an annual salary of over eight hundred thousand, contributed two hundred thousand to Annika’s payoff, while Simon contributed one hundred thousand.

At the police station, the normally confident Lucia couldn’t hold back her tears. “Annika, why did you help them hurt me? Wasn’t I good enough to you?” Lucia choked out.

Annika sobbed uncontrollably: “Lucia, I’m so sorry, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. I really needed that money—my son needs surgery.”

Tears streaming down her face, Lucia looked utterly disillusioned. “Annika, we’ve been friends for so many years. If you needed money, why didn’t you tell me? Did you think I wouldn’t help you if you were in trouble?”

Annika became highly emotional, crying bitterly. “I was wrong! I should have asked you for help. Lucia, please, I’m begging you not to press charges. Please drop the case! My son is only five years old. He just had surgery and is still in the hospital. He can’t lose his mother! Please, Lucia, I’m begging you to let me go!”

Lucia’s face turned cold. “What’s the point of saying all this now?”

Annika dropped to her knees in front of Lucia. “I’m kneeling before you! Please drop the charges, Lucia! I’m truly begging you. I know I was wrong, it was all my fault.” With that, Annika pressed her forehead to the ground, banging her head repeatedly.

Annika, attempted rape is prosecuted by the state. It’s not up to me whether charges are dropped. The evidence is conclusive, and the police have already referred the case to the prosecutor’s office. There’s nothing I can do.”

After a pause, Lucia looked down coldly at the woman kowtowing on the ground, her voice as frigid as winter ice. “Even if I could drop the charges, I wouldn’t. I’m not a saint. You tried to destroy me and you expect me to let you off? Dream on!”

Drugging her. Arranging for six men to rape her and film it. It was absolutely depraved! Lucia trembled with anger. She never imagined that the woman she considered a good friend would help others harm her like this!

When Annika heard that Lucia couldn’t—and wouldn’t—drop the charges, she suddenly stopped kowtowing. She jerked her head up, her eyes flashing with hatred and venom.

“Can’t drop them, huh?” Annika’s expression darkened, completely different from her previous pitiful demeanor. “Lucia, stop with this fake sympathy!” Annika’s eyes gleamed with loathing. “Did you ever really consider me a good friend? All these years, you’ve given me your leftover food, clothes you wouldn’t wear, used handbags and makeup. What did you take me for? A garbage can? Or a dog you kept?”

Lucia’s expression froze, her brows furrowing as she stared at Annika in disbelief. “How could you think that? I knew your family struggled financially, so I always looked out for you. I deliberately bought extra snacks to share with you, and you call them leftovers? Those clothes—I intentionally bought them in your size and said they didn’t fit me. They were brand new! And those bags and cosmetics were new too. I just said I didn’t like them because I didn’t want you to feel obligated. I bought them specifically for you, I just didn’t want you to feel pressured to reciprocate.”

“Annika, I always considered you a dear friend.” Lucia’s eyes reflected deep pain, tears flowing uncontrollably. “I never thought my kindness would be interpreted this way.”

Annika laughed coldly: “Ha! Lucia, stop acting like the good person here. Yes, you’re the wealthy heiress, and I’m too poor to be your friend. You think you’ve been good to me? Do you know what our classmates used to say about me?”

“They called me your maid, your dog, the plain backdrop that made you shine. Don’t tell me you never heard those comments. You knew perfectly well but pretended not to, right? You enjoyed that feeling, didn’t you? Having an ugly duckling like me beside you only highlighted what a beautiful swan you were. Lucia, you’re nothing but a fake, manipulative bitch!”

Lucia took two stunned steps backward, her eyes lifeless. A dull pain shot through her chest. She felt dizzy, almost losing her balance. Thalia caught her. “Ms. Schulz, are you alright?”

Lucia’s expression remained wooden as she shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Chapter 219

Leaving the police station, Lucia’s eyes were vacant, her expression numb, like a puppet with cut strings. Thalia helped her into her car and told Alana at the wheel, “Alana, please take Ms. Schulz home.” Thalia and Lucia sat in the back. Throughout the ride, Lucia remained silent; Thalia glanced at her several times with concern. Perhaps noticing Thalia’s worried gaze, or perhaps needing to unburden herself, after a period of silence, Lucia finally spoke.

“It wasn’t like that,” Lucia said softly, her voice fragile and broken.