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I never expected Lily to actually purchase a car and register it under my name!
Ethan stood up. “I knew it.”
Lily's eyes glittered with self-satisfaction. “Ready to pay now, Zoe?”
The officer stated that the evidence was incomplete and it required further investigation.
But Ethan and the relatives were already convinced of my guilt. If the police hadn't intervened, they would have seized my phone to force the money transfer.
I was not good at handling their verbal assaults or the chaos they created, so I called my lawyer, snapping, “Where are you?!”
We’d known each other since school. He used to be late for classes. And now he was even late for clients.
But just when I was about to drop my phone jogged in a well-dressed, handsome man. “Here I am! Sorry everyone, traffic nightmare!”
“I’m Lucas Hayes, Zoe’s lawyer, here regarding her identity theft and defamation case!”
Lucas played the video, then handed the police a stack of documents.
"Surveillance footage and screenshots showing Lily stealing the bank card.
ATM records of her withdrawing the funds.
Dealership security video of her and her boyfriend making the payment, taking delivery, and signing the paperwork – all without Zoe’s ID or authorization.
More footage documenting Lily and her boyfriend driving the vehicle for the past week. Zoe never touched it."
Lucas summarized, “I’ve applied to have the car transferred to Lily’s name. Given Lily and her mother’s false accusations against my client, we are pressing formal charges today.”
I’d briefed him thoroughly yesterday, and true to his profession, he’d covered every angle.
Lily’s face fell. "No! Zoe pressured me into taking the money for the car! She stayed away on purpose to avoid suspicion!"
Lucas scoffed. "Save it. This is a police station, not your living room. These officers aren't as easily swayed as your relatives. You think your usual stories will fly here?"
He certainly knew how to shut down nonsense with words.
I gave him a praise. "You're a literal lifesaver!"
Lily, red with shame, tried to interrupt but sputtered uselessly, looking ready to faint from frustration.
Her excuses failed. The police formally detained her.
Auntie and Lily begged me to drop the case, but technically, Grandma was the victim.
Lucas had already secured Grandma's signed authorization to prosecute to the fullest extent.
Stealing $30,000 was grand theft – a felony public prosecution case. Even if Grandma forgave her, Lily faced a potential ten-year prison sentence.
Amid the chaos, I pulled Lucas aside.
"Not bad, old desk-mate. Did I make you look bad?" he grinned.
"Are you kidding? You just made me look like a million bucks!"
For the first time in over twenty years of being blamed, my name was finally cleared. I felt pure exhilaration.
It was noon. I invited Lucas for a meal.
We hadn’t even finished eating when Ethan showed up.
