Chapter 3
Genevieve’s POV “She always said, ‘As long as you’re alive, life will get better.’ She also promised that, through her own hard work, she’d give Mom and me a better life. But three years ago, she took her own life.” As I spoke, I held up a folded piece of paper. “This,” I said slowly, facing the camera, “is the note she was clutching in her hand when she died. It has just one sentence written on it, read, ‘Genevieve, whatever you do, don’t become the top scorer.’” Heaving a deep breath, I continued, “I’ve kept this letter safe for three years and studied it over and over. Sure, the handwriting matches hers exactly, and the police confirmed that the only fingerprints on it were hers. But I’m certain she didn’t write it. Someone forged her handwriting and left this fake suicide note to cover up the truth. My sister didn’t take her own life. She was murdered.” As soon as those words escaped my mouth, all of the viewers were astonished. The chat was instantly flooded with questions and disbelief. [No way! I thought all the top scorers died by suicide?] [If the handwriting and fingerprints match, how can you say it’s fake?] [I was there when your sister jumped! I saw it with my own eyes!] [Are you sure you’re not just confused?] The comment feed scrolled so fast it was impossible to keep up—shock, denial, suspicion, all mixed together. But I didn’t stop. My voice stayed steady and my words clear as I added, “My sister never called me by my whole name. Not in real life, not in letters. She always used my nickname. Yes, she jumped. But it wasn’t her choice. She was forced. For the past three years, I’ve been digging into every case of past top scorers who supposedly ‘killed themselves.’ And I can say this with confidence: none of their deaths makes sense. This whole thing is a lie. All of them were murdered.” Again, the chat went wild. [This is insane. I’ve got chills all over!] [Who the hell would do this? And why? What kind of monster targets kids who ace their exams?!] As their shock bombarded the stream, I looked directly into the camera, voice firm and unwavering. “I know none of them actually killed themselves. But I could never find proof. Whoever’s behind this is a master at hiding the truth. So this time, I gave it everything I had. I became the top scorer just to get close to the truth.” With bravery, I announced, “They say the higher your score, the more brutal your death, right? Well, today, I’m livestreaming this moment because I want everyone to witness it with me. To see whether I’ll die or not.” There was no fear in my voice, only purpose. My face also said it all that I was ready to risk everything. At this moment, my words shook people to the core. Everything they thought they knew was unraveling. Viewership exploded, and more and more people joined the stream every second. The whole country was watching. Even the police were watching. And once they realized what was happening, they jumped into action. Sirens began to echo down the street, growing louder as they neared my building. And then something changed. The chat, which had been filled with debate and speculation, suddenly shifted to a single frantic message flooding the screen. [Look behind you!] [Behind you!] [There’s someone behind you!] Reading that, I quickly turned around. And what I saw would haunt me for the rest of my life.