They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 242 - 242 You Committed a Crime

Chapter 242: You Committed a Crime Chapter 242: You Committed a Crime “I’m not going to say I put it there and forgot to take it out because I remember my actions clearly!

It was less than ten minutes ago, how could I possibly forget something like that?” The crowd’s murmuring didn’t stop.

If anything, it grew.

Some still looked uncertain, but others shook their heads as if her defense was nothing more than a desperate excuse.

Chineye clenched her fists, struggling to keep her composure.

“Evelyn, are you defending me, or are you making things worse for me?” For the first time, Evelyn truly looked at Chineye, not as a friend, not as an ally, but as someone caught between two opposing forces.

There was something almost calculating in her gaze, hidden behind that innocent, nervous expression.

Evelyn felt the weight of Chineye’s words, but something deeper inside her stirred, hatred.

Intense hatred.

Chineye’s intelligence… That sharp, undeniable intelligence that had always outshone her.

It had always been an issue, one that, in the past, she had tried to live with.

Chineye, the perfect one.

Chineye, the flawless daughter of a Duke.

Chineye, always one step ahead.

How annoying!

For once, Chineye wasn’t ahead.

And now?

She wanted to totally embarrass this cocky princess.

But she also didn’t want to lose… this friendship filled with benefits.

Evelyn swallowed, her mind racing.

How should I play this to get the maximum benefits?

On the other hand, Chineye was panicking as she urged her friend to say something.

“Sister Chineye, I completely believe you,” Evelyn said, her voice laced with emotion as she dramatically placed a hand over her chest.

“I’m the one who has been with you from day one!

That day you fell into the ditch in the forest, who was the one that found help for you?

Who brought you food and comforted you?

Me!

I ran through the woods to find the people who could rescue you.

You would have been stuck there for days, maybe even died, if not for me!” Her voice wavered slightly, as if she was on the verge of tears, and the crowd watched in fascination.

A few onlookers even nodded, as if her words added credibility to her sincerity.

But beneath her theatrical display, there was something…

off.

Chineye, usually quick to brush off suspicions, felt a strange sense of unease.

She had known Evelyn for years, had trusted her, defended her, shared secrets with her, but now, something wasn’t adding up.

Evelyn continued, her tone shifting slightly.

“I believe you never put the dress in your bag, but the rest of these people don’t.

And the only explanation that makes sense to them is that you put it in there and forgot about it.

That’s why I said what I did, to help you!” The words hit Chineye like a slap.

The logic Evelyn presented seemed airtight, but the more Chineye thought about it, the more something felt wrong.

It wasn’t just what she was saying, but how she was saying it.

The way she was subtly reinforcing the idea that Chineye was at fault.

The way she painted herself as the only one standing by her side.

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.

Some people glanced at each other, their expressions shifting as they started to form their own conclusions.

“She forgot it was in her bag?” someone whispered skeptically.

“But why would she forget something like that?

It was just a few minutes ago.” “Exactly!

And why is her own friend the one saying it instead of her?” The weight of the crowd’s scrutiny pressed heavily on Chineye.

Her heart pounded as she stared at Evelyn, realization creeping in.

For years, she had always brushed aside small, nagging doubts about her friend.

The times Evelyn subtly took credit for things Chineye did.

The times she made small, almost invisible manipulations in conversations, twisting facts just enough to suit her.

The times she played the victim in ways that made Chineye feel guilty for even questioning her.

Chineye’s mind raced.

She was smart, very smart, but she had always chosen to trust Evelyn because of their history.

Because she thought Evelyn truly cared for her.

But now… “Evelyn,” Chineye said slowly, her voice trembling slightly, not with fear but with dawning realization.

“I think you’re trying to put me in trouble even more.” A hush fell over the crowd.

Evelyn’s eyes widened, a flash of something, shock?

Panic?

crossing her face before she quickly masked it with an expression of pure innocence.

“Sister Chineye,” she said, forcing a shaky smile.

“Why would I ever do that?” But Chineye wasn’t sure she could believe her anymore.

At this point, Evelyn knew she could no longer keep up her act.

The friendship she shared with Lady Chineye had brought her many benefits, privileges, connections, and a higher social standing, but somewhere along the way, her envy had grown stronger than her desire to maintain the façade.

She had always hidden behind the mask of a loyal friend, playing the part well.

But now, with her back against the wall, that mask began to crack.

A slow, deliberate smile tugged at her lips, one that sent a shiver down Chineye’s spine.

“Sister Chineye,” Evelyn said, her voice laced with a mockery that hadn’t been there before.

“Why are you trying to shift all the blame onto me?

You committed a crime, and I was trying to help you, going against my own morals, even, and yet, here you are, accusing me?” Chineye’s eyes widened.

The crowd’s murmurs grew louder.

This was taking a dramatic turn no one had expected.

Evelyn continued, stepping closer to Chineye with a look of exaggerated disappointment.

“You’re so ungrateful.

You know what?

I suddenly believe that you did steal that dress.

I believe you took the white dress, despite having all the money in the world to buy it.” Gasps echoed through the shop.

“I can’t believe this!” Evelyn pressed a hand to her chest, shaking her head as if she had just uncovered the greatest betrayal of her life.

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