The firmament organized her thoughts and said, “Many women, even after experiencing sexual assault, won’t choose to call the police, because the social environment is so poor—they’re very likely to suffer secondary harm. Generally, those who report being raped have very strong demands. Either they hope the perpetrator will be sufficiently punished, or they hope to receive enough compensation. Or perhaps, it’s due to the insistence of people around them, or their own special motives.”

Jared Harris also felt that Meredith Stone’s behavior was rather suspicious. He frowned, his expression turning serious, and said, “Amniocentesis is usually done after the second trimester. That is to say, after Meredith Stone was sexually assaulted by Zachary Thornton and became pregnant, she quietly carried the pregnancy for four months, waited for the fetal DNA test, and only then went to the police. The police took Zachary Thornton in for investigation, but released him two days later due to insufficient evidence, and there was no further progress. During this period, Meredith Stone remained silent. She didn’t make a fuss, nor did she publicize it. It was as if she didn’t care at all whether society would give her justice—even though she had strong evidence, namely the fetus in her womb.”

Frank Cooper, looking completely at ease, interjected from the side, “Abortion isn’t prohibited in our country, so it’s very rare for someone to be willing to give birth to a child conceived from rape. Did Meredith Stone end up giving birth to the child? The later the abortion, the more dangerous it is.”

The Vault said, “Moreover, the DNA test report was already out—that’s ironclad evidence. Why would the police still release Zachary Thornton?”

“When it comes to determining sexual assault, women actually have a slight advantage over men, since the standard is based primarily on the woman’s will,” said Jared Harris. “Why did Meredith Stone wait four months before reporting to the police?”

The Vault slowly stirred the porridge in her big sea bowl. “Judging by Meredith Stone’s actions, I don’t think this was a rape case. In fact, I even suspect that it wasn’t Meredith Stone herself who reported it, because I can’t find any motive for her behavior.”

Frank Cooper let out two hums, the last of which turned into an impromptu tune.

Jared Harris found him more and more disagreeable.

The Vault helpfully said, “Frank Cooper heard about it today too. He’s an emotional analysis expert—why don’t you let him explain it to you?”

Frank Cooper took off his shoes, sprawled out on the sofa, closed his eyes comfortably, and said in an old-man tone, “You want my help? I’ll need a ticket for that.”

Jared Harris had no hope for him, only wishing he’d leave his hospital as soon as possible.

Frank Cooper opened his eyes, and a sharp glint flashed in them, completely at odds with his usual lazy demeanor. Swinging his legs, he said, “Isn’t the strangest person in all this Zachary Thornton’s wife? No matter what the truth about Meredith Stone is, there are only two possible outcomes: the husband cheated, or the husband committed a crime. No woman—no rational woman—could accept such a fact.”

Jared Harris said, “That’s not necessarily true. If it were someone with The Vault’s personality, she could calmly destroy the other party.”

The Vault felt offended. “Why do you think there could be a second person in the world as smart as me? And that person would be foolish enough to fall for a useless man.”

Jared Harris: “…I was talking about personality, not intelligence.”

“Fair point, I agree with you,” said Frank Cooper. “A couple with no feelings for each other really could calmly destroy one another. I mean social death.”

The Vault restrained herself and gave a warning: “Bold speculation, careful verification.”

Jared Harris saw her eager expression, and his heart thumped: “You… how much bolder do you want to get?”

The Vault elegantly wiped her mouth and said in an academic, serious tone, “Based on the current information and my years of research in human ethics, I will, without responsibility, make the following speculation.”

Jared Harris couldn’t help but sit up a little straighter.

The Vault: “After meeting Zachary Thornton in the hospital, Meredith Stone fell hopelessly in love with him and actively pursued him. Zachary Thornton couldn’t resist the temptation, had a consensual relationship with her, and it became stable. Later, Meredith Stone became pregnant unexpectedly and wanted to use the child to secure her position. After finding out, Mrs. Tian was deeply disappointed and reported Zachary Thornton for rape. Even if the rape charge didn’t hold, the fact of his infidelity would become public knowledge, completely ruining his reputation at the hospital. The hospital’s evaluations and promotions do take a doctor’s personal conduct into account.”

Frank Cooper shared her sentiment: “Great minds think alike.”

Jared Harris was shocked by the wild imagination of these two masters of human ethics. “Are you serious? You mean the one who reported it wasn’t Meredith Stone, but Zachary Thornton’s wife?”

The Vault shrugged. “If that’s the case, a lot of details make sense.”

Jared Harris thought to himself, you two are really out there, but when he followed the logic, he couldn’t help but find it quite reasonable.

Chapter 95: Visit

Jared Harris had always thought of himself as someone who’d seen the world, with a deep understanding of human malice and a knowledge base full of cases worthy of trending on 818 forums. But in the end, he still couldn’t compare to these two masters who had studied human ethics.

He kept his surprise under control, catching the fleeting questions flashing through his mind, and asked, “But why would Meredith Stone do a paternity test?”

The Vault quickly got into character, her eyes slanting, tossing her imaginary shawl, and mocking like a queen: “‘You want me to get a divorce? Fine. But first, you have to prove that the child in your belly is really my husband’s. Someone like you, I just can’t trust.’ It’s a simple line.”

Jared Harris: “…” That level of role-playing was unnecessary.

Jared Harris looked away, recalling what The Vault was like when she was normal, and asked, “But if Mrs. Tian reported it, would the police accept the case? As long as they contact Meredith Stone and confirm, wouldn’t they be unable to file it?”

“What if the hospital reported it?” The Vault responded smoothly, “Mrs. Tian is Zachary Thornton’s wife. If she told the OB-GYN that Meredith Stone was harmed by Zachary Thornton, and that Zachary Thornton tried to bribe her, and now that the child’s DNA is out and the evidence is solid, the medical staff would be obligated to help the patient call the police. She’d be willing to sacrifice family for justice and testify.”

Jared Harris still felt there was an unspeakable contradiction, like a thorn scratching at his nerves: “But the two of them could have explained on the spot—after all, sexual assault is much more serious than infidelity. Yet Zachary Thornton was still held at the police station for two days, as if he was only released due to lack of evidence.”

The Vault nodded and said, “But don’t forget, Zachary Thornton also has a daughter.”

Jared Harris was momentarily stunned.

The Vault’s lips curled almost imperceptibly, the faint arc clearly showing her sarcasm: “Now, the result is that the vast majority of people assume Meredith Stone framed Zachary Thornton. She seduced him first, then tried to blackmail him, and when her scheme failed, she tried to drag him down with her. Even Ryan Thornton thinks so. Among all these people, Meredith Stone’s reputation is the worst—no one has spoken up for her.”

Jared Harris realized he always overlooked Meredith Stone, probably because her presence in the whole incident was just too low-key.

“So…” the question returned to the starting point, “why did Zachary Thornton drive into Charles Lowell?”

“That’s not certain,” Frank Cooper said, swinging his legs in the air. “Zachary Thornton is a well-known surgeon. Dexterity is his greatest asset, and to support long surgeries, he needs to maintain good physical condition. So most surgeons pay attention to their health. The fact that he suddenly started smoking without restraint shows that his emotions were already very unstable.”

“Poor sleep at night, mental fatigue, excessive stress making it hard to concentrate—his proudest surgical skills were affected by all this, leading to an accident and being blackmailed. Under all this suffocating pressure, if his mind was suddenly overwhelmed by a wicked thought and he took extreme measures, it would be understandable.”

What he said was perfectly reasonable, but his tone somehow made people want to hit him.

The Vault followed up on Frank Cooper’s point: “According to the medical staff’s testimony, Charles Lowell shouldn’t have known about Zachary Thornton’s affair. So how did he find out? What kind of harassment did he subject Zachary Thornton to in private? Could it be that, while following Zachary Thornton home, he met Mrs. Tian, and then formed an alliance with the woman who also wanted to see Zachary Thornton ruined?”

This time, Jared Harris didn’t speak. He leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face.

The Vault, getting more excited, affirmed herself: “Even if Zachary Thornton resented his wife’s ruthlessness, guilt over his affair would still linger, especially since they have a daughter. Compared to blaming his lover, he might have redirected his anger at Charles Lowell’s unreasonable troublemaking.”

Looking at it this way, it really was airtight—the motives and logic all fit, and even the sequence of events was reconstructed.

Jared Harris was rather unprincipled in being convinced.

Frank Cooper couldn’t help but gloat: “Just an ordinary little genius.”

Jared Harris shot him a sidelong glance: “Stop showing off.”

Frank Cooper retorted angrily, “You’re the one with the rooster comb on your head!”

“Actually, if you want to verify—”