The Village Fool Was My Alibi

My sister was raped by the village idiot and drowned alive in the lake.

And I stood right there and defended her killer.

My mother stared at me in disbelief. Olivia! Isabella was murdered while setting up your wedding!

You were there! Why would you lie for that lunatic Benjamin Dawson?

Mom pulled out a knife, pressing it to her wrist, threatening to kill herself if I didn't name the real killer.

I grabbed her hand and shoved the blade towards her throat.

"Cut here instead!"

"It's faster this way!"

"Then you can go be with your precious daughter!"

...

Mom screamed, shoving me away.

"Olivia Moore! What kind of monster says that?" Her voice trembled.

"Isabella was your sister! She died setting up your wedding! How can you be so heartless?"

She slapped me hard across the face.

"She died half-naked! Our Isabella, who loved beauty, but died humiliated! You were there! Why protect her killer?"

Watching her sob hysterically, I almost laughed.

"Yeah, Isabella died horribly. But I can't just pin it on an innocent man, can I?"

Mom glared at me, pure venom in her eyes. She screamed and lunged.

I sidestepped easily. She stumbled and fell.

The watching villagers had seen enough.

The local troublemaker, Jake Wilson, shouted, "Olivia Moore! What the hell is wrong with you? Your sister's dead, and you haven't shed a single tear! Instead, you're covering for that idiot Benny Dawson! Is he your secret fling? Is that why you're defending him?"

I shot him a cold look.

He just yelled louder, "Am I wrong? Your sister busted her ass for your wedding! You wanted a fancy lawn ceremony, and she came back six months ago to plant that whole damn field! We all saw it!"

"And just the other day, when you got back, I saw you and Benny Dawson getting heated discussion! Are you screwing him? Is that why you're protecting him?"

One day ago, deep in the night while preparing my wedding venue, my sister Isabella Moore was assaulted..

Her clothes were torn, her body covered in bruises.

The monster raped her violently, then held her head underwater until she drowned.

The suspect was the village fool, Benjamin "Benny" Dawson.

I was there when my sister was attacked.

Benny was caught right away.

But I denied it on the spot.

But one thing they got right.

Benny Dawson and I were close.

And yes, I was protecting him.

I gave Jake Wilson a cold stare.

"Whether Benny Dawson raped Isabella is debatable! I didn't see him kill her. I won't lie!"

"Bullshit!" Mom shrieked, slapping me again.

"It was Christopher who found them! He said when he got there, Benny Dawson was attacking you!"

She pointed a trembling finger in my face, eyes bulging.

"You were unconscious! Your clothes were torn open! Christopher is your fianc! Why would he lie?"

Just then, my fianc, Christopher Vance, appeared.

"That's right! I saw it with my own eyes! When I got there, your blouse was ripped open! If I hadn't arrived in time..."

Christopher paused, his face grim.

"I tackled Benny to the ground, and he was even laughing... saying how soft Isabella's chest!" He hesitated, uncomfortable.

"...her chest was. 'So soft'... Olivia, I have video proof! Don't you believe me?"

He pulled out his phone. The video showed Benny pinned, giggling insanely, saying, "Hehe, so soft!"

The crowd gasped.

Jake Wilson snarled, "See? Even your fianc says so! If he hadn't shown up, you'd be dead like Isabella! And here you are, defending her killer! Are you out of your damn mind?"

I met his gaze. "So what? Who actually saw Benny Dawson rape Isabella? Who saw him kill her?"

Christopher whirled around, staring at me, his voice trembling.

"Olivia... are you saying... I'm lying?"

He frowned, his eyes full of disbelief.

Of course I knew Christopher wasn't lying. What he saw was real.

By the time he arrived, Isabella was already long gone.

I met his gaze. "There's no direct evidence Benny raped and killed my sister. We can't convict him without proof!"

My words seemed to choke Christopher.

He opened his mouth to speak, my mother swung a wooden rod, hitting my shoulder.

I grunted, collapsing to the ground.

Christopher moved to help me, but Mom yanked him back roughly. "Don't you dare help her!"

She was trembling with rage, yelling at me,

"Olivia Moore! what kind of monster are you? Isabella adored you! She was happier than anyone about your wedding! How can you keep defending her killer? How can you betray her like this?"

I looked at the ruined wedding site and snorted.

"Betray her? How? Because of her, I can't even get married now!"

The crowd exploded.

"Holy shit, Olivia! What kind of crap is that?"

"Your sister's dead, and you're worried about your damn wedding?"

"Is her life worth less than your party? God, Isabella deserved better! Why couldn't it have been you who died?"

Mom's face went deathly white. With a shriek, she lunged, grabbing my hair and yanking viciously. My scalp screamed, pain blinding me.

"I'll kill you, you ungrateful bitch! How did I raise such a selfish monster? I should have thrown you to the pigs at birth!"

Christopher tried to pull her off, but Jake Wilson and others dragged him aside.

The crowd was furious, calling me heartless and cruel.

They told Christopher to dump me, that I wasn't good enough for him.

Biting back the pain of my hair being torn out, I laughed coldly.

"Not good enough? And Isabella was?"

Everyone froze.

My mother's face was ashen. "Olivia Moore... what do you mean? How was Isabella not good enough? What did she do to deserve that?"

"Do you know how long she worked on your wedding? Six months! All she wanted was to give you the perfect day!"

My mother grabbed a bouquet of flowers nearby.

"Look! She picked these for you!" Then, she slapped me again.

My lip split, my face burning.

"Isabella always looked up to you! She said you were smart and successful, she wanted to be like you! She told me she hoped to find a husband who loved her like yours loves you someday!"

"And you! How could you think of her like that?" She glared, eyes blazing with fury.

"Olivia... do you think that way about Isabella... because I'm not your real mother?"

Everyone froze. Christopher paled, grabbing my arms, shaking me. "Olivia... is that true? Is that why you're so cold? Because Helen is your stepmom?"

I stared straight into Christopher's eyes, the doubt in them cutting deep. I pushed him away coldly, a bitter smile on my lips. "So? Regretting falling for me now?"

Christopher fell silent.

Just as he was about to speak, my mother broke into loud sobs.

"Isabella! My baby! What sin did we commit? I married a widower with a young daughter, just wanting a stable life! I treated his daughter like my own! Olivia Moore! I never asked you to love me like a mother, but Isabella was your sister! How could you do this to her!"

Watching her tears, I just felt disgusted.

I didn't kill Isabella. What was this public attack really about?

A rock flew from the crowd, hitting me square in the head.

I crumpled, blood gushing from the wound.

The villagers' anger exploded.

"Monster! Bitch!"

" Helen Moore took such good care of you, and you repay her like this? Heartless wretch! You ungrateful bitch!"

Blows rained down on my body. The pain was overwhelming.

I struggled, but was beaten down, kneeling in the mud.

Someone yanked my hair upward. Blood blurred my vision.

"Beat that monster to death! Heartless wretch!"

"Helen and Isabella got stuck with this ice queen for family? Talk about bad luck!"

"Why didn't that idiot Benny rape Olivia Moore instead? She deserves it!"

The air smelled of dirt and blood.

I tried to push myself up, only to be kicked down again..

Looking up, I saw Jake Wilson's snarling face looming, a heavy branch raised high.

Suddenly, Christopher fought his way through, shielding me, screaming hoarsely, "Olivia! Just say Benny did it! Tell them! Or they'll kill you!"

Just then, the police arrived, bringing the bewildered Benny Dawson with them.