The Fatal Test

Chapter 3 Scams

Charlotte, having prepared a table laden with dishes, hurriedly urged Noah to sit down.

Smiling sweetly, she said, “Noah, do you remember what day it is today? It’s the sixth anniversary of our meeting.” She placed a rib in his bowl, watching him eat with evident satisfaction. She looked like a devoted wife.

A wave of indescribable sadness washed over me. In all the years we were together, she never cooked, not even once. She never even stepped foot in the kitchen.

I did all the housework. I had always assumed she couldn't cook, but it turned out she simply didn't want to cook for me.

Noah raised his glass of red wine, his face mirroring her smile. “Of course I remember, Charlotte. Thank you for coming into my life. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to persevere through so much.”

As he choked back tears, Charlotte, distressed, held him close and comforted him, "Noah, I will never leave you."

Hearing this, Noah looked up at her and said, "Charlotte, actually, I asked you here today because I wanted to discuss something with you."

At this moment, Charlotte would have moved heaven and earth for him. Stroking his face, she said tenderly, "Noah, what are you talking about? We are in this together. Is there anything you can't tell me?"

Noah hesitated for a moment before saying, "Recently, my lab wants to start a new project. We've already finalized discussions with an overseas partner. We just need the funding to come through, and we can begin. I wanted to borrow some money from you..."

As expected, Charlotte agreed without hesitation. "What kind of a question is that? If you need money, I will definitely support you fully! After all, you're running a profitable business, much better than William, stuck as an employee forever! He'll never make it."

I was speechless. At this moment, Charlotte seemed to have forgotten that both she and Noah were supported by me, the "lowly employee." What right did she have to look down on me now?

Noah coughed and said, "This time, the amount is quite substantial. I've already gathered a portion, but I'm still a few hundred thousand dollars short, so I thought..."

Charlotte paused. This was indeed not a small sum.

Noah, noticing her hesitation, sighed and said, "Forget it, it is indeed too much. I'll figure something out myself."

Charlotte, however, couldn't bear to leave him in the lurch. Grabbing his hand, she said with a smile, "It's alright. William recently bought a new car. I'll have him mortgage it to get you the money."

Noah's face lit up. "Would that be alright? Let's go to the bank right away!"

He started to stand up, but Charlotte pulled out her phone and began dialing. "I have to ask William where his car keys are. I'll call his lab and have him tell us."

Noah's expression changed drastically. He tried to grab the phone, but it was too late. The call connected.

"Hello? Charlotte, what's up?"

Charlotte gestured for Noah to sit down, assuring him she would handle it. "Let William answer the phone. I need to talk to him."

She waited smugly, expecting me to come running like I always did, obediently handing over the car keys. Unfortunately for her, those days were over.

The lab assistant, hearing my name, asked with some confusion, "William? Didn't he die during the experiment? His body has already been taken away. Weren't you aware of this? He was covered in wounds, it was truly miserable..."

With the assistant's sigh, Charlotte's phone slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. She froze as if struck by lightning. Only one sentence echoed in her mind. "Died during the experiment."

Dead. I was dead.

Memories, both painful and joyful, flooded her mind, playing out before her eyes like a flickering film. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, her lips moving as she tried to speak, but no words came out. She could only look at Noah with bewildered eyes.

Seeing her reaction, Noah knew that my death had been exposed. He hadn't expected her to be so affected, given how strained our relationship had been.

Suppressing his annoyance, he stepped forward and embraced her. "Charlotte, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. During the experiment, William struggled several times, trying to escape. He injured many people in the lab. His body rejected the experimental reagent violently. There was nothing we could do..."

He sighed deeply, feigning regret. Anyone who didn't know the truth would have been fooled by his performance.

But I watched, my fists clenching involuntarily. I had been vivisected to death by Noah.

Such a cruel act, yet he twisted the narrative, making it seem like it was my fault. And his fabricated story, riddled with holes, had clearly gained Charlotte's trust.