Chapter 4

After a long time, I finally stood up trembling and took out my phone to call Mr. Reed.

"Mr. Reed, hello! There's something I'd like to discuss with you..."

Lauren received IV drips for three consecutive days. When she finally felt better and had some energy, she came to settle accounts with me.

She was an influencer with a modest online following. To gain streaming traffic, she rubbed her eyes red and cried pitifully online.

She accused me---a widow whose husband had died---of being jealous that she had a son, deliberately sending her contaminated food that nearly cost her her life.

My mother-in-law also appeared on camera to corroborate, saying I was extremely jealous and couldn't stand seeing the female neighbor living better than me.

The two sang in harmony, and the livestream's popularity skyrocketed with comments flying by rapidly.

"I was skeptical at first, but with the mother-in-law testifying, I believe it!"

"Shocking inside story---the widow neighbor is the murderer who personally pushed her husband downstairs to his death on Valentine's Day five years ago."

"A woman's heart is the most poisonous. She could even lay hands on her own husband, let alone a neighbor."

"Scum!"

The information was so explosive it immediately shot to the top of trending topics.

I became a rat everyone wanted to beat.

Many netizens threatened from afar to be careful, saying if they found me, they would teach me a good lesson on how to be human.

Everyone thought I would hide in fear, cowering at home and not daring to appear before the public again.

But I looked at the steadily climbing popularity and smiled with satisfaction, dialing the number for the city channel's hottest show, "Neighbor to Neighbor."

This was a program specializing in mediating neighborhood disputes, with a massive viewer base.

The show's director, recognizing my current high topic value, immediately agreed, wanting to ride this wave of traffic.

After I set a time with the director, I went to Lauren's place to clean.

I secretly used her phone to send a message to Sebastian.

"Honey, I'm feeling better. This afternoon is my last IV session. I should be home around 3:00. Bring the baby back then!"

Sebastian, who was nearly driven crazy by childcare, replied almost instantly.

"Okay."

I deleted the sent and received messages, put the phone back where it was, and sat back to wait for the show to begin.

At 3:00 PM, just as Sebastian was holding the baby in one arm and grasping the door handle with the other, I blocked him with the "Neighbor to Neighbor" production team.

I looked at him in full disguise, a flash of amusement quickly crossing my eyes, but my mouth cried out in panic:

"Catch him quickly! He's a thief! Stealing a child!"

A neighborhood mediation colliding with child theft?

This was heaven gifting them traffic!

The director was so excited all the wrinkles on his face smoothed out. He led the production team to quickly surround Sebastian, encircling him completely.

Sebastian was so frightened he trembled, shaking his head like a rattle drum, stammering:

"It wasn't me... I'm not a thief... didn't steal... didn't steal a child..."

I immediately refuted: "Sneaking around like that, anyone can see you're not a good person. If you weren't trying to steal the baby, why are you covered up so much you won't even show your eyes?"

"If you're not guilty, do you dare show your face?"

Of course Sebastian didn't dare show his face in front of me. He stammered, trying to find an excuse.

"My face is allergic... can't be exposed to light..."

The production team wasn't stupid either. No one believed his lie.

The director moved like lightning to snatch the baby from his arms, while others worked in perfect coordination to restrain him, removing his hat, sunglasses, and mask.

My voice rang out loud enough to be deafening: "Sebastian..."

The director's pupils contracted sharply upon hearing this. A husband who faked his death, a female neighbor who had a child out of wedlock---with his keen journalistic instincts, he knew God was determined to make this episode explode globally!