Blake leaned against the wall by the door, while Lilly nestled her face on her father’s lap. Josh let out a sigh, expressing his weariness. At that moment, the door on the first floor opened, and Barry came out with a small bag. Still groggy, he quickly noticed Blake and the others wiping away their tears, prompting him to say, “Let's go...” Barry was being held in custody until his sentencing.
The girl’s body was returned to her grieving parents. Learning about the incident, the parents found it impossible not to hold Barry responsible.
After all, that was their daughter, a real person. Denying the truth would not bring her back.
Consequently, they did not show any understanding, and Barry was sentenced to a two-year prison term for hiding a corpse.
The police issued a notice, considering Barry's family circumstances, where they withheld his full name and surname. They only mentioned that an off-duty power company employee had received a call to check on something. The notice also explained the relatively short duration of the prison sentence.
It was expected that the official announcement would quell the rampant speculation and rumors circulating on the internet.
However, the prominent influencers remained silent for an extended period.
The controversy surrounding the matter was immense. Barry had acted out of good intentions and a sense of responsibility. He acted alone, while it was the workers who had deliberately evaded their duties.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtBarry was also innocent in a way.
But the girl's parents were also in a pitiable state. They had searched for their daughter for over a month, only to face such a tragic ending—her body torn into two pieces.
Blake managed to keep Barry's identity a secret, so the influencers would fail to locate Barry and the others involved in the accident, instead discovering the girl's parents.
“Your daughter is so pitiful... | haven't been able to sleep for three days after reading the news. From now on, I'll be your daughter!” This was their attempt to visit Tracy's parents, shedding crocodile tears.
“Now that the truth has been revealed, sir and ma'am, how do you feel? What kind of emotions are you experiencing?” “Hiding the corpse and making her parents search for it for so long. Is he thrilled from watching the girl's parents crying in front of the camera every day? How can such scum only receive a two-year sentence?” This was akin to getting clout online.
Then there was the most controversial comment that sparked discussion.
“A certain employee is also in a pitiable situation. He acted with good intentions, so he shouldn't be held responsible. He could have let it slide, but he didn’t! Why? Was it out of goodwill or a sense of responsibility? He panicked and took the girl's body away, so why was he sentenced? Shouldn't it be the on-duty worker responsible for making emergency repairs?” “This incident is horrifying. A responsible and dutiful person has been convicted. In my opinion, the girl's parents should fight for a commutation of his sentence. Not only did the girl’s parents not offer any help, but they also refused to forgive him. Isn't it pitiful for an innocent person to be sentenced?” Immediately after these comments, some people genuinely felt that the employee had been treated unfairly. It was not his fault that the girl was electrocuted. The only mistake he made was being too frightened and unfortunate! Some people understood the truth, but where there is controversy, there is heat, and people tend to hop on the trend to get clout.
Some criticized, while others engaged in debates, but ultimately, it was the girl's parents who bore the blame.
When Lilly saw Tracy's parents again, it had been seventy-seven days since Tracy’s death, and she had come to pay her respects.
To her surprise, Tracy's parents looked even more exhausted.
Upon seeing Lilly, Tracy’s mother burst into tears, asking, “Were we wrong? Is it wrong of us not to forgive that person?” Lilly was taken aback for a moment.
Her heart was in turmoil, and she did not know what to say.
Tracy's mother choked back tears, saying, “Every day, we receive calls from people who scold us, accusing us of being cruel and lacking conscience. They claim that our unforgiveness will set back civilization by 20 years and that nobody will take responsibility for future incidents...” Tracy's father lit a cigarette and let out a deep sigh. “Yesterday, someone called and said that our daughter is dead, but that employee still gets to live. It wasn't his intention. We won't forgive, and we aren't afraid to speak up about Tracy's death. Then someone crossed the line... | couldn't hold back and cursed over the phone.” As a result, the video of him cursing was leaked the next morning.
“Girl's parents argue and got what they deserved, Who told you to meddle with someone else’s business?” Suddenly, they went from being objects of pity and sympathy across the internet to being seen as repulsive and despicable.
“I didn’t mean it that way...” “But... but are we wrong? Is it wrong not to forgive him?” Tracy's father murmured. “Our poor Tracy couldn't find her way home after death, and her body was torn apart. Her arm was broken too...” “She had her mouth wide open as if she was calling for help... She must have been calling out to us before she died... He knew that we had been searching for so long and enduring so much suffering, yet he didn’t say anything...” How could they be wrong? Lilly felt a sense of discomfort and instinctively leaned into her father’s arms, her gaze unfocused.
Tracy's parents were unaware of what was happening at Mr. Stark’s house. All they knew was that someone had hidden their daughter.
But she knew! From Tracy's parents’ perspective, she understood why they found hiding the corpse unforgivable.
However, from Barry’s perspective, she also felt pity for him and could understand his actions.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSuddenly, a red pen appeared in front of Lilly's eyes.
She instinctively raised her hand and grasped it.
Pablo, who had been lost in thought, jolted up as soon as he saw Lilly. He became nervous and exclaimed, “Lilly!” It was the pen of judgment! Why did it appear now? The pen of judgment was used by the Ruler of Hell to determine right from wrong and to discern cause and effect. Everything recorded by this pen represented the judgments of the Ruler of Hell, affecting all past and present lives, and the rules of right and wrong and their consequences.
There was no room for error...
Lilly gazed at the pen before her with clear eyes. Once she acquired the pen of judgment, she instinctively understood what she needed to do.
She needed to pass judgment on this matter... and deliver the sentence.
However... this was incredibly challenging! Blake's black string could see ghosts, but it could not see things at the same level as the pen of judgment.
Blake noticed the abnormal expression on Lilly's face, and Pablo appeared nervous as well. Something must be amiss.
“What's wrong, Lilly?” he immediately asked.
Lilly's voice sounded empty as if drifting from a distant place. She softly replied, “Daddy, who's right?”