The Dead Don't Need Settlements

The night before my father’s final appeal, Elias Vance didn’t show up to deliver the key evidence as agreed. Instead, he sent someone to deliver a sexy, lace prisoner costume. He was leaning back on his sofa, casually swirling a glass of red wine when I confronted him over video call. "Wear it. Beg me," he drawled. "Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I can get your dad’s sentence reduced by a few years." I knew he was humiliating me. He was doing this because his childhood sweetheart had sobbed in court, claiming my father had sexually harassed her. He believed her. He wanted to get revenge for his precious first love. When Elias crushed the USB drive containing the security footage that could have proven my father's innocence beneath his heel, I just quietly picked up the fragments. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes, followed by a light chuckle. "That's right. Learn to be obedient, and your father might actually have a chance to survive." I forced the corners of my mouth into a stiff, mocking smile. "No need." What he didn't know was that during those hours he was busy administering 'justice' for his childhood sweetheart... My father, unable to bear the humiliation, had already bitten off his own tongue and committed suicide in the detention center. The dead do not need settlements. Chapter 1 "Harper, don't be stupid." "Submitting a video that is so obviously forged will only get you thrown in prison too." "I'm trying to protect you. I've already smoothed things over with Sophia." "As long as your father confesses, I can pull strings to get him probation." I didn't fight him for the drive. I just bent down and scooped the crushed plastic fragments into my palm. The jagged edges cut deep into my skin, blood beading up, but I just stared blankly at the floor. Elias pulled a document from his briefcase and tossed it onto the coffee table. The bold words Application for Psychiatric Evaluation glared back at me. "Sign it. This is the best solution right now." "I’ll convince the judge that your father has severe dementia, that the harassment was just a pathological response to his illness." "Once the evaluation is out, Sophia will issue a letter of forgiveness, and this whole thing will blow over." I dumped the sharp debris into the trash bin and pushed the application form back across the table. "No need, Elias. The dead don't need psychiatric evaluations." Elias frowned, his patience wearing thin. "Why are you still throwing a tantrum at a time like this?" "Do you know how many favors I called in for this evaluation?" "With your father’s stubborn temper... if I hadn't been managing things on the inside, they would have broken his legs by now." I looked at the expensive pen on the table. He once told me it represented justice. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out. On the screen was a notification from the county jail. [Ms. Stone, the autopsy report for the deceased, Robert Stone, is complete. Please come immediately to sign the confirmation to waive further autopsy.] Elias’s phone rang at the exact same time. He glanced at the screen, and his harsh expression instantly softened. He picked up the call, and a woman’s soft sobbing echoed through the receiver. "Sophia, don't be scared. I’m here." "I’ve already destroyed that so-called 'evidence' video. No one can throw mud at you anymore." "Okay, I won't hang up. I’m coming over right now to be with you. Don’t do anything stupid." He hung up, grabbed his jacket, and walked toward the door. "Don't leave tonight," I said, my voice hoarse. Elias stopped in his tracks. The look he gave me over his shoulder was full of raw disgust. "Harper, do you even have a soul?" "Sophia’s depression has relapsed because your father harassed her. She almost cut her wrists just now." "When you were screaming at her outside the courtroom, calling her shameless, why didn't you think about where that would lead?" "Her psychological defenses have completely collapsed. If anything happens to her, your father deserves the death penalty." He adjusted his tie, his voice cold and commanding. "Stay home and reflect on yourself tonight." "Before the appeal hearing tomorrow morning, I want to see that signed confession." The front door slammed shut with a deafening thud. I looked around the empty room, slowly sank to the floor, and buried my face in my knees. Elias, there's no need to wait for tomorrow. The man who needed to confess has already closed his eyes forever. Chapter 2 Outside the window, a torrential storm was raging. Elias had taken the only car. I stood in the freezing rain for twenty minutes. The rideshare app showed a queue of over a hundred people. Rain poured down my collar, making me shiver uncontrollably. I scanned a rental city bike and began pedaling toward the detention center on the outskirts of town. Mud and rainwater splashed across my entire body. Halfway there, a speeding truck sent a tidal wave of dirty water over me. I crashed, tumbling into the flooded gutter, bike and all. My knee slammed against the asphalt. Blood seeped through my jeans and down into my sock. I crawled back up, righted the bike, and kept riding. At 2 AM, I arrived at the detention center morgue. The medical examiner on duty pulled back the white sheet, revealing my father's face. I covered my mouth, my legs giving way as I sank to my knees on the cold floor. My father’s mouth was half-open. His tongue was severed. His prisoner uniform was soaked in dried blood. The examiner handed me a file and a pen. "The deceased committed suicide by biting off his tongue. He died of shock due to excessive blood loss. If you confirm there are no issues, sign here and you can claim the body." My hand trembled violently as I signed my name. A guard handed me an evidence bag. It contained his cracked reading glasses, a broken watch that had stopped ticking, and a confession letter soaked in his blood. I knew that confession was his final plea of innocence, written with his life. My phone vibrated. It was a call from Elias. I answered, and the audio was filled with Sophia’s crying and Elias’s furious interrogation. "Harper, log onto your social media account immediately and make a public statement." "Admit the facts of your father's sexual harassment and apologize publicly to Sophia. Now. Right now!" I held my father’s cold hand and said calmly: "I’m outside. It’s not convenient right now." "What could possibly be 'inconvenient'? Don't think running away will let you escape responsibility!" "Sophia’s relatives are already blocking the law firm door. This is blowing up, and it won't be good for anyone." "Sophia’s reputation is ruined because of this. How is she supposed to live? Can you please just show a shred of decency?" I looked into my father's lifeless eyes. "Then what do you want?" "If you don't want your father to be beaten to death in prison, if you don't want the final appeal to be a prison sentence without parole, do as I say." "If you don't make the statement, I will file a plea of temporary insanity at the appeal. I'll prove your father is a severe mental patient and have him locked up in a closed asylum." "Okay. I’ll post it." I looked at my father's corpse, my expression completely blank. After hanging up, I hugged his final belongings and walked out of the morgue. The rain was still falling. When I got home at dawn, the living room lights were on. Sophia was sitting on the sofa, wearing Elias’s oversized white dress shirt. Elias was holding a glass of water, gently feeding her medicine. As I walked in, Elias frowned and pulled Sophia protectively behind him. "You smell like death. Stay away from Sophia. Don't bring your bad luck near her." Chapter 3 Elias's mother was sitting in the main hall, her fingers working a rosary. When she saw me come in, she slammed a newspaper directly into my face. "Look at the 'good work' your father did! The daughter of an old lecher is, unsurprisingly, a disrespectful piece of trash!" The edge of the paper sliced across my cheek, leaving a stinging red line. Printed on the front page was my father's photo and a glaring headline: UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR'S GRACELESS FALL: ACCUSED OF HARASSING OLD FRIEND'S DAUGHTER. WHEN WILL THE BEAST FACE JUSTICE? Elias handed me a tablet. "Read off of this. Record a video and post it." "I’ve already calmed Sophia’s family down. As long as you apologize, they won't pursue criminal charges." "This is the best outcome for your father; it saves him from suffering in that place." I didn't take the tablet. I just looked at Sophia. Sophia shrieked and burrowed into Elias’s embrace, trembling like a leaf. "Elias... I’m so scared... I really didn’t seduce Uncle Stone. I was just taking him some fruit." "It was him, he suddenly grabbed my hand... I shouldn't have worn a skirt. It’s all my fault." Elias stroked her back, then turned a cold glare on me. "Hurry up. Are you really going to force Sophia to her breaking point before you’re satisfied?" He stepped forward, grabbed my wrist, and tried to force my thumb onto the tablet screen to unlock it. I fought back, struggling wildly, and Elias shoved me away. I stumbled back and slammed against the antique curio cabinet. The cello case resting on the top shelf tumbled down. That was the cello my father had bought me as a dowry, paid for by selling our old family home. The case snapped open, and the cello crashed onto the hardwood floor. The neck snapped. The wooden body cracked open. The strings burst with a harsh twang. Elias's mother let out a cold snort. "This is God’s will. Instruments bought with dirty money bring bad luck. Good riddance that it's broken." Elias looked at the shattered cello on the floor and frowned slightly. "It’s just a cello. Don't use this pathetic acting to get sympathy." "As long as you apologize obediently, I’ll buy you ten new ones." "Mom is right, this marriage is untenable. Once this lawsuit is wrapped up, let's just get divorced and be done with it." I hugged the broken cello as I slowly stood up. I nodded. "Okay." "Divorce." Elias froze, then his expression shifted to pure rage. He leaned down, his face pressing close to mine, his eyes full of threats. "You want a divorce? Fine. Make the statement first." "Otherwise, without my help, your father will be beaten to death in jail." "You know the rules in there—the inmates have plenty of special 'methods' for rapists and harassers." I looked into Elias Vance's face. "Do whatever you want." I hugged my broken cello, turned, and walked upstairs. Behind me, I could hear Elias shouting and Sophia's soft, soothing voice. I went into my room and locked the door. I took out some wood glue, trying to repair the cello. The glue covered my hands, making a sticky mess, but the wooden shards wouldn't fit back together. A splinter pierced my finger, and a drop of bright red blood fell onto the cracked wood. My phone lit up. It was a message from the prison guard. [Only an immediate family member with a closed police statement issued by the police department can reclaim the ashes.] Without a closed statement, my father could not rest in peace. I put down the glue and began to laugh. A horrific, hollow laugh. Elias, you win. Chapter 4 I sprinted down the stairs. Elias was standing in the entryway, adjusting his cuffs. Sophia was sitting in a wheelchair, looking pale and fragile. Elias cast a sideways glance at me. "Have you come to your senses?" "If you have, come with me. The press conference is starting soon." I took a deep breath, my fingernails digging so hard into my palms they almost drew blood. "Give me the closing police statement." "I want that statement. As long as you give it to me, I'll do anything." Elias let out a contemptuous laugh. "As long as you cooperate obediently, never mind a closing statement—I can even get your father medical parole." "Let's go. Don't keep the reporters waiting." At the press conference, camera flashes strobed endlessly, and all lenses were focused on the stage. Sophia sat in her wheelchair, weeping softly into a tissue. The reporters below began to fire sharp, accusatory questions. "Ms. Stone, as the daughter of a rapist, do you feel any shame?" "We heard your father utilized his position to harass female students for years. Were you aware of this?" "Ms. Vance is the victim, yet your family tried to throw mud at her. Is this the behavior of a highly educated family?" Elias took the microphone and looked at me, his eyes commanding. "This is your last chance for atonement, Harper." He pulled the script from his briefcase and tossed it at my feet. "As long as you read this, and kneel publicly to apologize, Sophia’s family will sign the letter of forgiveness." "Once the case is closed, I will give you the closing statement, and your father can come home." I stared at the paper. The script was full of phrases slandering my father. Sophia pulled on Elias’s sleeve, her voice echoing through the microphone to the entire hall. "Elias, as long as Harper kneels and apologizes, I won't pursue this further. After all, she is Uncle Stone's only daughter." Elias nodded approvingly, and the bodyguards nearby took a step toward me, forcing me forward. In front of the blinding cameras, I slowly sank to my knees. My knees slammed onto the hardwood floor, and the noisy hall instantly fell dead silent. I picked up the script, faced the cameras, and spoke, enunciating every word clearly. "I am Robert Stone’s daughter." "I admit, my father is guilty..." Elias let out a sigh of relief, a triumphant smile curving the corners of his mouth. I raised my head, staring directly into the lenses, tears sliding down my cheeks. "His greatest guilt was giving birth to me, and ever meeting all of you." Chapter 5 The blinding flashes at the press conference finally died down. I pressed my hands against the floor, attempting to stand. My knees had been kneeling on the hard floor for too long and had completely lost all feeling. Not a single person stepped forward to help me. The surrounding reporters were looking down, reviewing the footage they had just shot. Sophia was still sitting there, weeping softly, soaking up Elias's comforting embrace. I gritted my teeth, hands pushing against my knees, and little by little, pulled myself up from the ground. Elias, probably thinking my appearance was too disgraceful, walked over with a frown. In his hand, he pinched two thin sheets of paper. One was the Closing Police Statement, stamped with a bright red official seal. The other was an Application for Bail Pending Trial, the signature line blank. He held the two papers out in front of me. "Harper, you can't blame me for being ruthless." "If I hadn't done this, Sophia’s family would never have let this go." "Your father would have had to spend the rest of his life in prison with this stain." "With this closing statement, plus this bail application..." "As long as you go to the hospital and get a dementia certificate, you can bring him home next week to celebrate the holidays." He spoke so lightly. As if the person who had just forced me to kneel, who had forced me to nail my father to a pillar of shame, wasn't him. I raised my hand, but I only took the Closing Police Statement. As for the Application for Bail Pending Trial that he had gone to so much trouble to obtain, I didn't even cast a glance at it. Riiiiip— The sound of paper tearing was exceptionally clear in the quiet backstage area. With a blank expression, I tore the application form in half, then stacked the halves and tore them again, into tiny shreds. With a toss of my hand, the paper fragments fluttered into the nearby trash bin like snow. Elias's face turned livid, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Harper Stone! What are you going crazy for now?" "This is a special authorization I had to beg the Director for days to get!" "You tore it up. Do you actually want your father to die in there?" I brushed the paper dust off my hands, carefully folded that precious closing statement, and put it into my inner pocket. I looked up at him, my eyes completely hollow. "No need, Counselor Vance." "Since the case is closed, you and I are officially even." Having said that, I turned on my heel and walked away. Seeing this, Sophia hurriedly pushed her wheelchair over, her face wearing that nauseating look of cowardice and fake concern. "Harper, please don't be angry with Elias." "He’s doing this for Uncle Stone's own good." She reached out, wanting to grab the hem of my jacket. I stepped sideways, avoiding her completely. I didn't even brush against a single thread of her clothing. "Ah!" Sophia let out a dramatic cry of surprise, and she tumbled out of the wheelchair as it tipped over onto the floor. She covered her ankle, tears instantly flooding out, looking at me with wide, terrified eyes. "Harper, I know you hate me, but I really just wanted to help." Elias shoved me aside and rushed over to gather Sophia in his arms. "Harper Stone! That is enough!" "I already gave you the statement, and you've already apologized!" "Why did you still have to lay hands on Sophia?!" "The way you act right now is truly repulsive!" I was pushed back a few steps, my lower back slamming hard into a metal door handle. A piercing pain shot through my spine. But I simply straightened my body, lacking even the desire to explain. "Repulsive?" I twitched the corners of my mouth, my smile stiff and cold. "Once you never have to see me again, you won't have to be repulsed anymore." "And, Elias Vance, hear this clearly: even if you kneel before me in the future and beg..." "I will never give you a single glance ever again." Elias let out a cold scoff, holding Sophia as he stood up, his eyes full of absolute contempt. "Beg you? Harper, are you dreaming?" "I, Elias Vance, will only bow my head for justice in this life." "I will never lower my head to a bottomless shrew like you!" "Get the hell home! Tell the housekeeper to make a good meal tonight and take it to your father." "Stop embarrassing me out here!" I didn't say another word, turning and walking out of the press hall. The sunlight outside was blinding, but hitting my skin, it offered absolutely no warmth. I hailed a taxi and went straight to the county jail. My hand gripped that closing statement tightly in my pocket. Only this piece of paper could bring my dad home.

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