The police officer looked at the video and asked me seriously, "Miss Reed, please review this footage. Do you have any objections to its authenticity?"
I glanced at the video. The beginning showed Mrs. Royce preparing the bride price alone, none of us were present. The later footage showed our happy engagement meal, with everyone cheerful as we finalized the ceremony.
In the video, it was clear the cash Mrs. Royce placed in the gift box exceeded 18,800 dollars. Until the moment we took the gift box away, no one had touched it.
My brows furrowed. In my previous life, they had never produced such a video.
Before I could react, Mrs. Royce sat down on the ground, wailing, "I worked so hard to send Thomas to school by myself. Life has been tough enough! Originally, we agreed on 18,800 dollars, but the night before the engagement, the family raised the price! I thought Thomas really liked this woman, so I gave up all my savings."