Whispers of the Innocent

22

"After all, my father never committed another crime, and I didn't need to play the role of the scapegoat."

"The suspect in the original murder case was declared dead. It was as if nothing had ever happened."

As I concluded the story, the atmosphere became laden with a heavy silence, the police officers' expressions turned grave, and Sarah seemed on the verge of fainting. It took me a moment to realize the gravity of what I'd shared, and with a sudden slap to my thigh, I fell silent.

The next day, the police initiated an investigation into my past. They delved into my background, took new blood samples for testing, and methodically examined the soil from the terrarium, conducting a thorough week-long inquiry that ultimately revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

Because, in the end, it was all fabricated, merely a story.

Even if there had been a shred of truth to it, proving such a convoluted tale would be near impossible at this point—not that I was admitting any truth to it.

I felt guilty for wasting police resources, but the investigation wasn't entirely fruitless.