Leslie had never felt so embarrassed in her life. She tried to swallow her panic, yanking the nket up to her chin and wrapping it tightly around herself. "Ma''am, what are you even talking about? I think you''ve got the wrong idea.


    "When have I ever done anything to hurt Mr. Ratcliff?


    "And I really was in a car ident today. My leg''s broken. I can''t even get out of bed right now..."


    "Mistaken?" Jane barked out a coldugh and stormed over, grabbing Leslie by the cor and yanking, trying to haul her out of bed. "He said it himself. Did you really think your little tricks could fool us all?


    "If it wasn''t for you, why would my daughter-inw be so desperate to divorce my son?


    "You''re nothing but a jinx. You lost your own mother, sent your father to prison, and now you can''t stand to see anyone else happy!"


    Jane''s grip made it hard for Leslie to breathe. She tried to fight back, but the casts on her arms and legs, which she''d insisted on just to make her story seem real, left herpletely helpless.


    “Please, ma''am, let me go. I honestly don''t know what you''re talking about...


    “Sebastian and I are just friends. I would never ruin his family, and I would never hurt his grandfather.


    "Yeah, my dad did go to prison for drunk driving, but that wasn''t my fault. He answered to thew.


    "My mom only got sick because she was taking care of me. How can you say things like that..."


    Leslie looked so pale and fragile that a few bystanders began to whisper.


    "Isn''t that olddy going overboard? The girl''s badly hurt. How could she have killed anyone?"


    "Seriously, maybe it really is just a misunderstanding. This is getting ugly."


    "Look how pitiful she is. How could anyone go after her like that?"


    Jane spun around and snapped at the crowd, her voice sharp. "What do you know? My father-inw said it was her, with his own mouth!"


    "Then call the police and have her arrested!" someone in the crowd shot back.


    "If you''re not calling the cops and just yelling like this, it probably means you''ve got no proof."


    Leslie froze, ncing at the person who spoke, silently cursing them for making things worse.


    Jane caught the flicker of fear in Leslie''s eyes and felt even more certain she was right.


    "Fine! I''ll call the police!" She whipped out her phone and dialed.


    "Hello? Is this the police? I want to report a crime!"


    "I''m at Constance Hospital, orthopedic ward. There''s a woman here named Leslie-she killed my father inw. "I''m using her of murder! Pleasee and arrest her"


    The room went dead silent. Everyone stared at Leslie.


    People who''d just been feeling sorry for her now watched her with suspicion.


    If this was all a misunderstanding, would she really call the police and use her of murder?


    Leslie''s hands shook as she clung to the nket. Her face was tight with effort; she hadn''t thought Jane would actually make the call.


    Jane hung up and red coldly at her. "Still keeping up the act? Let''s see how long you can keep pretending when the police get here I swear, you''re going to pay for this."


    It wasn''t long before the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the


    hallway followed by the off


    voices. "Who made the call?


    Someone reported a murder?”


    Jane rushed to meet them, pointing straight at Leslie in her hospital bed.


    "Officers, it''s her! Leslie! She killed my father-inw. Please, arrest her right now!"