Stand In For My Sister As Mrs. Weston Chapter 15
It was Bethany.
My poor little sister, tortured by illness until she no longer looked like herself.
In the video, she lay in a hospital bed with tubes all over her body, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible.
But every word she said carried through the microphone and rang clearly throughout the entire hall.
“Ray, Darla, I’m sorry.
“I’m sick — really, really sick. The doctor says I don’t have much time left.
“I didn’t dare tell you. I was afraid you’d be devastated, and I was afraid I’d become a burden on this family.
“I owed 100,000 dollars, and I did it on purpose. I used that money to beg my older sister, Kimberly, to take my place after I’m gone to look after you, to look after this family.
“She’s the only person in this world I can entrust you to.
“I know this request is selfish and absurd, but I truly had no other way.
“Please — please treat her well. For me, for this family, she’s given far, far too much.”
At the end of the video was her tearful plea.
“Kim, I’m sorry. In the next life, I’ll be the one to protect you.”
The truth landed like the loudest slap, cracking across everyone’s face.
And like a sledgehammer, it smashed down on everyone’s heart.
The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.
With a heavy thud, Darla collapsed to the floor, staring at Bethany’s gaunt face on the screen, tears streaming down her cheeks as regret tore her apart.
Raymond trembled violently all over as he looked at his wife in the video, then looked at me.
Remorse, guilt, and heartbreak tangled together, nearly drowning him.
Jodi went ashen, shaking her head in disbelief, murmuring, “Impossible. This can’t be…”
I turned off the video and took my sister’s complete medical records and that cold death certificate from my bag.
I laid them down, sheet by sheet, on the table in front of Raymond.
“Now — is everything clear?”
My voice was not loud, yet it was powerful.
Everything had to end.
Jodi still made one last struggle.
“Fake! It’s all fake! You forged all of this to trick everyone!”
But this time, no one believed her anymore.
Raymond had completely come to his senses.
With reddened eyes, he walked step by step toward the ashen-faced Jodi.
His voice was colder and more resolute than it had ever been.
“From the moment my wife was dying, you were already plotting.”
“And later, you sowed discord and toyed with my entire family in the palm of your hand.”
“Jodi, how can you be so vicious?”
“You’re truly a monster.”
Raymond pronounced her sentence, word by word.
In front of everyone, he announced that he would sever all business ties with the Keller family.
Then he picked up the phone and called the police.
The charges were fabrication of evidence and malicious defamation.
The police arrived quickly, and amid Jodi’s terrified screams, they took her away.
She would pay a devastating price for what she had done.
After dealing with Jodi, Raymond turned around.
Under everyone’s stunned gaze, he dropped heavily to his knees right in front of me.
