Chapter 9
307words
Startled, Jerome quickly grabbed my hand.
"That's my mom's store, and I was just helping her watch it!"
I kept shouting wildly, but Jerome seemed to be holding back something he wanted to say.
"You yourself said it's your mom's store, yet this is clearly footage taken from the surveillance cameras. So, don't you think you should consider how these images got out?"
Looking at the photos again, I felt as if I had been plunged into an ice bath.
Jerome's words made me realize belatedly that yes, the photos were clearly taken from surveillance footage. And the surveillance recordings were only stored in the shop's system.
Could Mom have been the one behind all this?
No, how could that be?
I couldn't bring myself to believe what I was thinking. In that moment, it all felt impossible. But then I remembered the candle incident, and a sudden wave of confusion washed over me.
Why would she do this to me? Was I not her daughter?
Mom had always said I was her pride and joy, so what did she gain by doing something like this now?
I was trembling all over, on the verge of an emotional breakdown. I was almost falling apart, and my entire mental state was already frayed.
But during that time, Mom wasn't home. I called her frantically, but she never answered.
In the end, it was Mr. Palmer who personally took care of me and issued statements declaring his intent to sue those spreading the rumors. Only then did the situation slowly die down.
I returned home in a daze and, as if drawn by some unseen pull, found myself stepping into Mom's room. A gut feeling told me I might uncover something unexpected here.
