Dead Girl’s Secrets: Now You Regret Everything

Vanessa clicked on the second memory fragment.

The screen trembled violently, accompanied by the sound of my desperate, gut-wrenching screams.

“Let her go! Help! Somebody help!”

Rounding a corner, the camera captured a group of vicious-looking men trying to shove a little girl into a van. The child was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

As she struggled, her tear-streaked face came into view.

It was unmistakably a young Selene Slater.

The scene rushed forward. Just before the van door slammed shut, I wedged my leg in the gap.

“You’re not taking my little sister!”

My voice—clear and youthful—trembled with fear.

The men snarled, trying to drag me into the van as well. But I fought back with everything I had, slashing at them with a knife. Blood was drawn. They couldn’t get near me, and the van couldn’t drive off.

“You fucking bitch! Mind your own business!” one of them spat. “The Slaters owe us money. We’re selling his daughter to get it back. Debts of the father—paid by the daughter!”

“What her father did has nothing to do with her!” I shouted, my voice thick with tears. “She’s just a child. She’s innocent!”

Terror surged through me, but I didn’t back down.

Eventually, though, I lost.

The furious men pinned me to the ground, kicking me over and over.

Inside the van, Selene curled into herself, trembling.

The commotion finally drew a crowd. Then—sirens.

As the wail of the police approached, the men slammed my head into the pavement and fled.

Selene burst into sobs, while I—bruised and broken—still tried to comfort her.

“Don’t… don’t be scared. The police… they’re here now. They’ll… they’ll protect us…”

The video ended.

Kenneth, who had been rhythmically tapping the table, froze. His hand stopped midair, and he sat still as stone.

The comment stream exploded.

“Holy shit, it was all a misunderstanding again?”

“That poor kid… I’m crying. Little Leona was so brave.”

“It’s tragic. The dragon slayer became the dragon. Leona was a hero as a child, but she grew up cruel and venomous.”

Vanessa finally seemed to breathe again. Her eyes glistened, and she murmured to herself,

“I wasn’t wrong about her. Leona used to be my idol.”

“Justice means this—if she did wrong, she has to pay. But if she didn’t, then she shouldn’t bear the blame.”

Kenneth broke his long silence with a mocking snort.

“That doesn’t excuse what she did later.”

“What if it was all a misunderstanding?” Vanessa asked softly.

Kenneth’s eyes flickered.

Then he spoke firmly. “No. What happened after… I saw it all with my own eyes.”

The comment section split into two camps.

Some believed I had truly gone bad.

Others said a girl willing to risk her life to save someone couldn’t be all evil.

Kenneth’s voice was cold.

“She spread rumors online over and over again. She drove Selene into depression. She nearly destroyed her.”

“Is that true?” Vanessa challenged. “Was it really all slander? I don’t buy it.”

Kenneth slammed his hand on the table.

“Selene and I were innocent. We never did anything. But the second Leona saw us talking—just talking—she’d lose her damn mind!”

Vanessa laughed softly, shaking her head.

“Innocent? Are you really so sure?”

Then, she tapped on the next file.

The screen lit up.

Through the crack of a barely open door, Selene was seen playfully covering Kenneth’s eyes from behind, giggling sweetly.

“Kenneth, guess who?” she whispered, her voice sugary and coy.