I Killed My Brother... Or So They Say

Maureen pulled a photograph out of her pocket.

"I found this photo among the belongings of the heart donor. Kathleen, you know Lana Dyer, this little girl in the photo, don't you?"

In the photo, Lana and I stood hand in hand at the entrance of an amusement park, smiling blissfully.

The various media outlets all turned their cameras on that photo.

The crowd, which had been seething with righteous indignation, immediately calmed down.

"Could it be that Dr. Wilcox really had some unspeakable reason she couldn't reveal?"

"What exactly is this little girl's relationship with Kathleen? Why do they look so close?"

"So, Kathleen walked out mid-surgery because she found out who the donor was?"

"But even if that's true, as a doctor, she can't just leave a patient on the operating table."

The reporters all thrust their microphones toward me.

"Kathleen, what is your relationship with the donor?"

I opened my mouth. But before I could speak, Mom suddenly rushed forward and snatched the photo from Maureen's hand.

"Kathleen, haven't you caused enough trouble? Everyone, don't be fooled by her! The woman in this photo isn't her at all. This is a photoshopped image!"

She pointed to the date printed on the bottom right corner.

"At the time, Kathleen was studying abroad. But this amusement park is located here, so how could she have taken this photo?

"Kathleen, I know you don't want to go to prison and that's why you're trying every possible way to clear your name, but you can't just go around and slander the kind soul who donated her heart to Douglas."

Someone found my Facebook account online. During that specific period of time, my Facebook location check-ins were indeed abroad.

That person held up their phone screen to show everyone.

"Look, everyone! Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox are telling the truth. Kathleen was clearly abroad at the time. She must've deliberately planted this fake photo among the donor's belongings."

Leaning on Dad for support, Mom walked up to me and looked at me with such sorrow in her eyes.

"In our hearts, you will always be our daughter. But when you make a mistake, you must face the consequences. Kathleen, we've given you many chances to apologize and admit your mistake, yet time and again, you've hurt those of us who love you.

"At first, your dad and I were going to write a letter of leniency for you. But to prevent you from hurting anyone else in the future, we think you'd better stay in there and reflect on what you've done.

"Once you've truly repented and turned over a new leaf, we will personally come to bring you home."

Mom suddenly stepped forward and hugged me tightly. Then, she pressed close to my ear and said in a voice only the two of us could hear, "Kathleen, if you still want to save Christy, you'd better keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, I can't guarantee she'll still be around when you get out."

At those words, I forcefully shoved her away.

Caught completely off guard, Mom fell backward onto the ground, her arm scraped bloody by the gravel beneath her.

My actions thoroughly enraged everyone present.

Even the police officers who had been protecting me couldn't stand to watch anymore and decided to stop intervening.

The crowd surged forward, punching and kicking me.

I fell to the ground and shielded my head with both hands.

Maureen tried to protect me but was pushed aside by the agitated mob.

In the end, the police only stepped in to stop them because they were afraid I'd actually be beaten to death. Then, they took me back to the detention center.

Mom and Dad had already publicly refused to write the letter of leniency.

After the police led me away this time, all that awaited me was the judgment of the law. Yet, in the face of Mom's threat, I had no choice but to stay silent.

I stopped in my tracks and looked back over my shoulder at Maureen. Making sure no one else was watching, I silently mouthed a word to her.

She froze on the spot.

Just as the door of the police car was about to close, she shouted, "I've figured out the truth!"