Chapter 131

"I watched this old black-and-white movie from the last century. It was about these young girls who, trying to escape the miserable lives waiting for them after marriage, found this beautiful legend. It said that after death, they could go to a place where there was no forced matchmaking, and no pressure to have kids. Everyone could get an education and be respected. In the end, they all died on the same day, hoping to reach that beautiful place together and leave this world behind."

"Honestly, I think it's just a movie. Whether in the past or now, how could such a wonderful place exist? But when I saw them crying about how unfair life was, I couldn't help but tell them about the movie. I even told them that a lot of what I said before was true."

"I didn't expect my words to actually stop their crying. They kept asking me if it was true. Seeing the hope in their eyes, I didn't know what to say. Should I tell them it was fake and let them keep living without hope? Or should I watch them fall into despair, becoming the next Ava or other women in the village? Those poor, clueless souls?"

Robert took a deep breath and couldn't help but jump in, "But if they stay alive, there's a chance they could change their lives in the future. If they die, then it's all over."

"All over?" Rilla didn't see it that way. "Sir, let me ask you, what do you think they lose after they die?"

"Good food? Or the feeling of love, like friendship? Family?" Robert instinctively placed family last.

Rilla laughed again. "They can't even leave the village. What do you think they can eat? You've seen the village store, right? What's in there? And feeling love? If they really had parents who loved them dearly, I wouldn't be here. Friendship, sure, they agreed to die together. Maybe they really can go to that beautiful land."

"Death is indeed a form of release, but people need to be alive to have hope."

"Hope? Who gives hope? An uncertain future?" Rilla said. "Janet's mother didn't shed a single tear after Janet's suicide, right? She even thought Janet's death meant she wouldn't get any money. If there was real hope, they wouldn't be so desperate. It's the elusive hope that tortures people the most."

Robert found himself at a loss for words.

Rilla's twisted logic, he found himself somewhat agreeing with it internally.

But he was a cop; he couldn't agree with her perspective.

He glanced at Zoey beside him. Zoey seemed deep in thought, not noticing Robert's expression.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Seeing that neither of them refuted her, Rilla sneered and continued, "I told them that fate might be different for everyone, but there's one fair thing: whether rich or poor, everyone can't avoid death. Only death is fair."

"Janet asked me if the world after death was a place where you could go wherever you wanted. I gave her an affirmative."

"She said she just wanted to go to a place with girls her age. I told her there is such a place. As long as she wants to go, she can go. People are just bodies carrying souls. When the body is gone, the soul only needs a thought to go anywhere. Not even a bus fare is needed."

"After hearing me, they looked at each other and wanted to die quickly, as if only by dying could they live the life they wanted. I told them that once they died, they would never see their living relatives again. Did they still want to die? I told them to go home and ask if their families were willing to let them go."

"They really went back and asked. Janet told me her mom said she hadn't gotten anything good from her. Her brother hadn't married yet, and even if Janet died, she would still be a slave to their family. She even cursed Janet with vicious words, saying she would be a wandering ghost forever, never to be reborn."

"And Cinda? After Faye told Cinda about Chad, Cinda still wanted her to marry Chad. All her attention was on Finn, completely ignoring Faye. Faye told me she felt Cinda might really marry her and Sadie off to Chad."

"From then on, they were disheartened with their families and wanted to leave together. I even asked Faye, 'Sadie is so young, why not wait a couple of years?' Faye told me Chad wouldn't give them the chance to wait. She wanted to die with Sadie, or else she didn't know how Chad would treat her after she died. She would grow up hating me for not taking her with me."

"So, I set a date for them. I really tried to persuade them to think it over or wait. But they seemed determined, not caring about anything anymore. They even tried to persuade me to go with them. I didn't have the courage and didn't think they would really have the courage to commit suicide. I told them to dress nicely and go with the sunrise. It would be a good omen."

"They told me they didn't like the daytime because daylight meant they had to work. So they set the time for midnight, tidied their rooms, put on what they thought were their prettiest clothes, and said goodbye to their families in their hearts."

"But I really didn't expect them to actually commit suicide! I didn't expect the people of Willowbrook Village to be so perverse, not even sparing the dead! They were already corpses, yet they still had to be violated. They all deserve to die, to go to hell! Especially Hugh, he's a scumbag. Don't believe a word he says. He's not to be trusted!"

Seeing Rilla getting agitated again, Robert took a deep breath, wanting to tell her that Hugh really had nothing to do with this.

Zoey, however, spoke up directly, "This really has nothing to do with Hugh. The mastermind is Olivia. Surprised? Olivia did all this to get Hugh imprisoned. And to make you even angrier, Olivia was driven to this by Hugh and his family."

Rilla was speechless.