chapter 3
Lydia clearly didn't expect them to come up the stairs.
She didn't have time to react before Ashton grabbed her hair and dragged her to the hallway stained with Julia's blood. The intense pain made her scream repeatedly.
Ashton roared angrily, "Bitch! Think being an influencer makes you special? You killed my wife and child, and today I'll kill you!"
"We waited so many years for this child, and you destroyed it. Why wasn't it you who died?"
The others joined in, dragging Lydia, punching and kicking her as a group.
Their commotion was so loud that people from the same floor and upstairs and downstairs came to watch.
Lydia usually acted arrogant, and the neighbors all disliked her.
Hearing she caused someone's death, the neighbors cheered as they watched her get beaten.
"This bitch is usually so arrogant, she deserves this karma!"
"In the six months she's been here, we've lost so many deliveries. Finally caught her!"
"Poor woman was seven months pregnant, now both she and the baby are gone. Truly heartbreaking."
"These influencers really think having money makes them special!"
Lydia was beaten black and blue, left curled up on the ground, crying out repeatedly, "I'm not the one who caused the death. I'm Lena's sister, Lydia Welch!"
In a brief pause from the crowd, she trembled as she took out her ID card and an expired teaching certificate, then opened the real-name verification on my short video account.
She said, "The big influencer you're looking for is Lena. I'm her twin sister, Lydia. This has nothing to do with me."
Ashton took the phone to watch my livestream, comparing it with the outfit his wife wore yesterday, which was exactly the same as in my video, and only then did he let her go for now.
He still stared suspiciously at Lydia. Seeing this, Lydia immediately got up and called me.
She said, "I'll call the real culprit over right now!"
After saying that, she called me. Seeing that I didn't answer, a look of impatience flashed across her face, and she muttered curses under her breath.
I just found it funny.
I thought, "How vicious must my own sister be to go so far as to force me to die for her?"
Seeing her anxious look, I finally stepped out.
Looking at Lydia with a bruised and swollen face, I pretended to be shocked and concerned as I asked her, "What happened? Who did you offend?"
She didn't answer, her gaze filled with resentment. "Lena, I heard you stole someone's delivery yesterday and knocked over a pregnant woman, causing a miscarriage. Two lives gone! Now her husband has come looking for you! You're so vicious!"
"Why are you still wearing a mask? Are you afraid of being recognized?"
Ashton, upon hearing that I was the culprit, grabbed a knife with bloodshot eyes and charged at me. "You're the murderer! Today, Ill make you pay with your life!"
I was already prepared and swiftly dodged to the side the moment he swung the knife, moving cleanly and decisively.
I asked with a puzzled look, "What are you talking about? I'm a livestream seller and have been out of town selecting products all week. Did you mistake me for someone else?"
Ashton thought I was lying and cursed, "You shameless woman, stop pretending! I have surveillance footage of your crime. You call yourself the big influencer Lena, acting all high and mighty. Who else could it be but you?"
Lydia chimed in, "Lena, admit it if you did something wrong! Stop pretending!"
Seeing that everyone had already decided I was the murderer, I looked at Lydia, who was gloating on the side, and asked, "Lydia, what are you talking about? You've been living in this apartment all along. What does this have to do with me?"