Chapter 1
738 Words
I was born with a human lie detector. Anyone who lied to me would pay the price.
My parents always claimed they treated sons and daughters equally. Not long after, they both lost the ability to have children altogether.
Desperate for a grandson, my grandmother adopted a little boy. To help him "grow up strong and healthy," she tricked me into letting her stick needles into my head. In the end, every single needle wound up piercing her precious grandson instead.
Years later, my boyfriend proposed to me. He swore he would love me forever, or else be struck by lightning. He really did die by lightning.
My ability was eventually discovered by a wealthy heiress, Chloe Warwick. She offered me three million dollars to test whether her boyfriend was loyal to her.
Soon afterward, I became famous throughout the Crown Circle. The rich and powerful came to me one after another, desperate to expose the lies around them.
As I stared at the endless string of numbers in my bank account, I found myself wishing, for the first time in my life, that there were a few more liars in this world.
*****
Right after graduating high school, I received my admission letter from Kingsport University. That same day, my boyfriend dropped to one knee and proposed to me.
People around us immediately started chanting.
"Say yes!"
"Say yes!"
"Say yes!"
I looked at the cheap plastic ring in his hand and asked calmly, "Do you really love me?"
My boyfriend nodded eagerly. "Yes! I love you!"
He raised three fingers solemnly. "I swear I'll love you for the rest of my life. If I'm lying, may lightning strike me dead."
I believed him. A sweet smile spread across my face. Then, in the very next second, the warning chime rang beside my ear. The familiar sound made my smile stiffen.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky almost instantly. Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed.
My boyfriend looked up in confusion while someone nearby muttered, "Looks like it's about to rain."
Then, right in front of me, lightning came crashing down from the sky. It struck my boyfriend head-on.
He remained frozen in his proposal pose, his entire body charred black, his dilated eyes empty and lifeless.
The plastic ring in his hand had been scorched black as well. It slipped from his fingers and rolled across the ground. Just like his cheap feelings, shattered beyond repair.
"Ahhh! Someone died!"
Disappointment flickered through my eyes. I turned and walked away, ignoring the screams erupting behind me.
I spent the next two days lying around in my tiny rental apartment. Just as I was about to cook myself a pack of instant noodles, someone knocked on the door.
When I opened it, I was stunned to find Chloe Warwick, the famous heiress from Kingsport University, standing outside.
Chloe tilted her chin slightly at the two bodyguards behind her. They immediately pushed their way inside.
Before I could react, they pressed me down onto the couch, leaving me staring at Chloe face-to-face.
"Your boyfriend died, right?"
My expression shifted slightly. Seriously? Who opened a conversation by asking someone whether their boyfriend was dead?
Chloe lifted her chin again. One of the bodyguards placed two suitcases on the table and opened them. Both were packed full of cash.
"Raina Yates, I know about your ability. You can tell when people are lying. Help me test my boyfriend. If you do, all this money is yours."
I was tempted. Still, I hesitated and warned her, "People could die."
Chloe's voice immediately rose. "You think I care? I'm practically perfect. There's no way he doesn't love me."
The warning chime rang again beside my ear. I sighed inwardly. Chloe clearly cared very much.
The next second, the ceiling light above her suddenly came crashing down. One of the bodyguards reacted instantly and shielded her with his arm. Chloe screamed and scrambled to her feet before staring at me in panic.
"See?" I said calmly. "You lied. You care about your boyfriend a lot."
I had been born with a lie detector. Whenever someone lied to me, a warning sound rang in my ear. And after that, they would pay a price. Sometimes small. Sometimes deadly.
Instead of fear, Chloe's eyes only grew brighter.
"Then help me." She hurriedly pulled out her phone. "Do you need me to call him over? This is his contact."
- Writer
