Chapter 4 The Tragic Fate of Ms Sander

• I glared at him with disdain.
• Did Luke finally remember what I said when I called him?
• I was reaching out for help!
• Why didn't he come to my rescue?!
• And now he was acting like this—who was he trying to deceive?
• "It's impossible!" Anna immediately dismissed the suggestion. "If Chloe had been murdered, there would be a motive. If it were about money, the killer would have kept the wedding dress—it's worth millions, with real diamonds. Why would they just discard it?
• "If it were out of jealousy, the killer would have destroyed the dress, not thrown it into the water. And who would go through the trouble of removing the dress and leaving the body to float away? It doesn't make sense."
• "Exactly." Luke's eyes brightened. "Didn't you find any other evidence at the scene? For instance, her phone, shoes, or any personal items? Or maybe the weapon used or traces of blood?"
• "Not at this time."
• Anna concluded, "I believe Chloe purposely removed the dress, used a knife to cut it, and then sprinkled some of her own blood on it before tossing it into the water for dramatic effect."
• "That rebellious girl is completely outrageous. It was bad enough when she used petty tricks for attention, but now she's taken it all the way to the police station."
• It was my mom speaking. The Sanders had been summoned to the police station for questioning and arrived just in time to overhear the conversation.
• As soon as the Sanders arrived, from my parents to my older brother, their responses were consistent.
• Nelson interrupted, "Mrs. Sanders, please try to stay calm."
• "Calm? Officer, considering your age, you should be settled with a family of your own by now. If your own daughter turned out to be so ungrateful and cruel, harming her own sibling, would you remain composed?"
• My brother, Ethan Sander, glanced at his watch. "Officer, we're very busy. We came here to inform you not to waste our time with these childish antics."
• I stood there, feeling numb and heartbroken.
• Looking at my parents and brother, who had caused me so much pain over the years, I felt an unsettling distance. Despite their unchanged faces, they felt unfamiliar to me now.
• What had I done to make them hate me so intensely?
• The officers around looked skeptical. One of them remarked, "She's your family. Now she's missing—she could be in danger or harmed. Aren't you at least a little worried about her?"
• "I know my daughter well. She's so thick-skinned that she would sacrifice her own dignity. How could she possibly be suicidal? Besides, she's Mrs. Bolton. Who would dare harm her? Don't waste your resources. That rebellious girl is probably somewhere laughing at us."
• "I have a meeting soon, so I'll be leaving."
• My family hastily went through the motions and left. I even overheard my mother saying, "D*mn it. I haven't even finished my manicure. I was dragged here for such trivial matters."
• "Mom, where did you get your nails done? They look fantastic," Anna said, sidling up to her.
• "I'll take you later. We'll also get some beauty treatments. If Chloe were as obedient as you, I wouldn't have been so stressed that I've developed two more wrinkles."
• With most people gone, only the silent Luke remained.
• "Mr. Bolton, did Ms. Sander reach out to you before she disappeared? We heard you left the wedding abruptly yesterday. Ms. Sander, feeling deeply hurt, might have been in a vulnerable state and committed suicide. If you have any information, please cooperate ... "
• At these words, Luke's irritation flared. Even though no crime had been confirmed, it felt as though the officer was accusing him of driving me to my death. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Mr. Tucker, you haven't found a body or a crime scene, so how can you be so certain she's dead?"
• "She's your wife!"
• Luke, now visibly frustrated, stood up to leave. "Then wait until you find the body before jumping to conclusions!"