Chapter 3 Murder

Shenell's POV

I woke up the following morning, happy and satisfied, but Vincent wasn't on the bed next to me.

I checked around the room, but he seems to have left already.

I walked into the living room, drifting toward the dining area—and that was when I realized he had made me breakfast before leaving.

“He must have gone to work.” I thought.

Next to my bed was my suitcase and cheque, still untouched. Vincent didn't even take the money I promised to give him if he fucked me.

I smiled and sat over the breakfast he prepared for me—toast bread and fried eggs.

I turned on the TV to keep myself a little bit entertained, but just as I was about to change the channel, a breaking news suddenly popped up. It was Charlie's photos, he was brutally murdered in his house last night. He was stabbed multiple times, and a knife was stuck to his throat inside out.

I was shocked and terrified. My hands flew to my mouth to press down the loud cry that could escape my throat.

Charlie's body was partially unrecognizable. What the hell? Who could have done this? I cried.

I could barely think straight. My head was still trying to understand everything I had just seen when my face suddenly showed up on the television. It didn’t make any sense at all, and for a moment, I just stood there staring like I couldn’t move.

The news was playing a video, and it was from a security camera. The time on the screen showed it was just past midnight. I watched carefully, and then I saw myself walking out of Charlie’s house through the front door. My body felt cold as I kept watching. I was wearing a white dress, but it wasn’t clean. It was covered in blood, and not just a little. There was so much blood on it that it didn’t even look real.

My stomach started to turn, and I felt like I was going to throw up. The worst part was that I couldn’t remember anything. I didn’t remember going back to Charlie's house after I signed the divorce papers yesterday.

At first, it felt like I was watching someone else on the TV, but I knew it was me.

I started shaking my head slowly because nothing made sense. I was sure I had been here all night. I was with Vincent in this hotel room, and I didn’t go anywhere. So how could I be on that video? How could I be at Charlie’s house at the same time?

I tried to think of any explanation. Maybe it was a prank or some kind of mistake, but deep down I knew it didn’t look fake. It looked too real. The way I moved, the way everything happened, it all looked real.

Then the news showed my picture again, and this time they were talking about me. They said the police were looking for me, and that I was connected to my husband's murder.

Hearing that made my heart drop. I kept staring at the screen, unable to believe it, but no matter how much I tried to deny it, the truth was right there in front of me.

The police had shown my face to everyone, and now I was no longer just a normal person. I was a suspect. A wanted person. A murderer.

“What?” I screamed.

I slapped myself to confirm if I was dreaming or not.

“No…no, somebody is trying to frame me for this!” I cried.

Why would I even kill my ex-husband? Yes, he cheated, but I can't kill him just for that reason. Men are born to be cheaters, so why should I kill him?

Somebody has definitely used my face to cover their tracks.

This is AI.

I swear, it's AI. It has to be AI.

This is crazy! I was in the hotel all through the night, Vincent can testify to that.

Why would I even wear a white dress to go and kill someone?

Fuck, who could be behind this?

I jolted up from the couch, and hurried to the bedroom to get dressed. But just as I was zipping up my gown, a knock suddenly came on the door.

I froze for a second, then I slowly walked to the door and opened it, only to be faced with a storm of police officers who suddenly barged into my hotel room.

My mouth dropped open but I couldn't utter a single word, I was confused and disoriented.

“What's the meaning of this?” I yelled.

“Hi, I'm Detective Harris from the State CID. We're here to investigate the murder case of your husband, Charlie Carter.” The male officer introduced himself while flashing his badge up at me.

“What? But…but…I know nothing about it…” I protested, my voice cracked slightly as I spoke.

The detective smirked his tongue, then he walked away from me, ignoring what I just said.

I hurried after him, “There must be a mistake somewhere…I would never do such a thing, I swear.” I continued to defend myself as I walked behind the detective.

He suddenly stopped at the living room just at the front of my suitcase, “What is this?” He asked without waiting for a response before he unbuckled it, and the suitcase flipped open on his face.

“That's my money.” I mumbled softly.

“Where did you get this amount of money from? Does this money have anything to do with your husband's death or why you killed him?” He asked with furrowed brows.

“Wait…what?!” I cried, “No…I swear, you're making a mistake here. Charlie divorced me yesterday, he paid me off. This was the money he offered me to sign the divorce papers…why on earth should I kill him because I wanted to steal from him?” I shrieked, but the detective remained expressionless and I doubt if he'll ever believe me.

“Where were you last night?” He proved further.

“I was here, I've been here all night.” I responded immediately.

“Any witness?” He asked again, his voice flat and cold.

“Umm…yes, yes! Vincent, the bartender at the club, we were together all night.” I explained, my voice almost sounding excited.

“What? You checked into a hotel with another man despite you're married? Are you having an affair with the bartender?” The detective sneered, his voice suddenly turned deadly.

“No, you're not hearing me. Charlie divorced me I swear…I didn't have an affair with Vincent, it was a one night stuff and that has nothing to do with Charlie because he divorced me already.” I cried, my voice trembled as I explained with desperation in my tone.

The detective scoffed, “Charlie divorced you and the next thing you could think of is to check into a hotel with a total stranger so he could fuck you?” He asked mockingly.

“I swear I wasn't having an affair with Vincent. Yesterday night was my first time meeting him, please believe me.” I begged.

“You're unbelievable, Shenell. Are you even hearing yourself out? You didn't sleep at home last night, and here you are claiming to have a one night stand with a total stranger after the CCTV footage at your house shows you sneaking out of the living room with Charlie's blood all over your body.” The detective suddenly snapped.

My mouth fell open, “No, Charlie divorced me already. He asked me to leave, so I left. I swear I really didn't do it. I wasn't at his house last night. I was here all through the night, I swear.” My voice was barely above a whisper, I could barely even hear myself, my tears were swallowing my volume.

“You're not making sense, Mrs Shenell. You're under arrest for the murder of your husband, Charlie Carter. You've the right to remain silent or anything you do or say will be used against you in the court of law!” Detective Harris recited the Miranda rights while he cuffed my wrist and escorted me out of the hotel, towards the police van that's wailing and waiting outside.

I couldn't say a word, I was confused, lost, disoriented, and shocked how everything had happened so fast without warning.

I wished Charlie could come back to life and tell the world about his death, and who killed him, because I clearly didn't—I wouldn't.