Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

“Those things… I don’t want to talk about them anymore! What right do you have! What right do you have to reopen other people’s wounds!”

Mrs. Arai's reaction was so intense that it stunned everyone present.

The room was quiet for a few seconds, with only Mrs. Arai's heavy breathing.

Lin Xiuyi quietly looked at her, at her face that had completely lost its pretense.

Officer Matsumoto didn't speak immediately, but simply watched Mrs. Arai quietly, waiting for her emotions to calm down.

After a while, Mrs. Arai's breathing gradually calmed down.

She lowered her head, covered her face with her hands, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

"sorry."

Mrs. Arai said in a muffled voice, the sound coming through her fingers.

I lost my composure.

No one speaks.

Mrs. Arai lowered her hand and raised her head.

The anger from before was gone from her face, replaced by exhaustion and helplessness. Her eyes were slightly red, but no tears fell.

"What do you want to know? Ask away."

Seeing that she finally relented, Officer Matsumoto stopped beating around the bush.

He leaned forward, rested his hands on his knees, looked directly at Mrs. Arai, and spoke in a serious and direct voice:
"Otsuka said that after you learned about Mr. Arai's affair with his wife on the yacht, you took the initiative to have sex with him, saying it was to get revenge on Mr. Arai. Is that true?"

The question was so direct that it made several young girls present blush.

Mrs. Arai showed no embarrassment whatsoever; she merely let out a cold laugh, her laughter filled with mockery and disdain, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"You actually believe that kind of thing?"

She looked up at Officer Matsumoto, her eyes devoid of tears, filled only with cold anger.
"I'm not a slut, why would I sleep with just anyone? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"So, Otsuka was lying?" Lin Xiuyi asked, frowning.

His gaze was fixed on Mrs. Arai's face, observing every subtle change in her expression.

"It's more than just lying."

Mrs. Arai's voice grew even colder, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
“That bastard tied me to the yacht and did tell me about my husband’s affair. He said some really nasty things, told me all the details, and even showed me photos. I was... I was really heartbroken, I felt like the sky had fallen.”

She paused, took a deep breath, as if to calm herself down.

“I was sitting there crying when that bastard suddenly came over and said something like, ‘Since Arai slept with my wife, then I should sleep with his wife too, that’s fair.’”

"I was completely stunned. Before I could even react, that bastard ignored my resistance..."

Mrs. Arai's voice trembled.
"They raped me right there on the yacht."

"what?"

These words are completely different from what Otsuka said before.

Everyone present was stunned.

Lin Xiuyi didn't speak, but just quietly looked at Mrs. Arai.

Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes, but they didn't fall.

The way they hold back their tears is more heartbreaking than when they wail loudly.

If what she said is true, then everything will be completely different.

She wasn't an avenger who actively seduced Otsuka; rather, she was a victim who was kidnapped and raped.

She wasn't using Otsuka to commit murder; rather, she was being threatened and controlled by him. That phone call wasn't a signal of conspiracy, but rather a helpless act by a coerced woman forced to cooperate with the killer.

“Mrs. Arai,” Officer Matsumoto’s voice softened slightly, but still carried a professional caution, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just…”

He hesitated for a moment, but still asked the crucial question.

"If things are really as you say, why didn't you tell the truth when we asked you where you were those two days?"

“If you had told the truth back then, we could have arrested Otsuka immediately, and he would never have had the chance to hit your husband again.”

That's a very good question.

Everyone looked at Mrs. Arai, waiting for her answer.

Mrs. Arai lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, and remained silent for a long time.

Do you think I don't want to tell you?

After a moment, she finally spoke, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

“That bastard Otsuka, after he bullied me, took a lot of photos of me naked with his camera. He used these photos to threaten me and forbade me from calling the police.”

“If I dare to call the police, he will distribute all these photos, post them on the walls near my house, and send them to my relatives and friends…”

Mrs. Arai's voice grew softer and softer until it almost became a murmur.

"He said he wanted everyone to see what I looked like, so that I would never be able to hold my head up high again..."

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Yukiko's eyes reddened. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Eri Kisaki bit her lip, her fists clenched tightly.

Orikasa Midori's face was filled with anger and sympathy.

Liuli's tears were already flowing, and she covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from crying out loud.

Lin Xiuyi remained silent, his gaze fixed on Mrs. Arai.

Her shoulders were trembling, tears were streaming down her face, and she looked fragile and helpless.

If what she said is true, then she really had no other choice.

What can a woman do when she's photographed like that?
If she reports it to the police, the photos will be leaked, and her reputation, her life, everything will be ruined.

If I don't call the police, I'll be controlled by that man, and I don't know when I'll be free.

This kind of fear is not something an outsider can easily understand.

“Mrs. Arai,” Officer Matsumoto softened his voice, “do you remember where he put those photos? If we can find them, they can be used as evidence.”

Mrs. Arai shook her head: "He said he's hiding in a place only he knows, and if he gets caught, his friends will release the photos. I don't know if what he said is true, but I... I don't dare to gamble."

Silence fell in the room once again.

Officer Matsumoto sighed and rubbed his temples. This case was far more complicated than he had imagined.

Otsuka said that Mrs. Arai seduced him, and Mrs. Arai said that Otsuka raped her.

The two people each have their own version of events, with their own motives and explanations.

Who is lying? Who is telling the truth?
Or are they both lying?

“Mrs. Arai,” Lin Xiuyi asked, his voice not loud, but every word clear and forceful, “what exactly happened with that phone call? Did Otsuka ask you to make it? Or did you make the call on your own initiative?”

Mrs. Arai remained silent for a long time. After a while, she raised her head, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, and said in a hoarse voice, "...I called voluntarily." (End of Chapter)