Lexie then had Mike step in to explain why they had been filming the entire process. Once they received the Day couple's consent, she handed over the task of editing to him.
He nodded without hesitation. "I'm expecting half the payment from this gig."
Lexie shot him a glare. "And what did you contribute exactly? Bold of you to ask for half of my payment."
Mike straightened up. "How does filming not count as doing anything? And I stayed with you throughout the whole thing!"
She turned on her heels and walked away. "You did it so you could acquire the millennium-old corpse soil. You're saying it as if I ever needed you on that mission!"
He went after her and began his negotiation. "I'll take 30% then!"
"Screw off."
"Hey, chill out. I won't take anything, alright?"
…
Mike edited the footage and posted it that same night through Melissa's social media account. Not long after, the local police released an official statement confirming that the body had been found.
According to the autopsy, Colton had died from an untreated wound that got infected. The report also made a point to emphasize that the body was completely intact.
Although the online buzz around the case had cooled down, it blew right back up and shot to the top of the trending list once the video dropped.
Felicia and the other three survivors had been dragged through the mud online, getting attacked by strangers who had bought into all the cannibalism conspiracy theories.
As soon as the video went live, they all reposted it immediately. There was nothing more convincing than showing that the body was whole and untouched.
It was precisely for that reason that Gordon and Melissa had agreed to let their son appear in the video. They wanted to debunk the speculation once and for all.
As viewers followed the footage to where the body was found, they slowly understood the full truth, thanks to the slightly familiar female voice explaining everything in the background.
Through her explanation, they learned that Colton had experienced being a walker due to his lingering attachment regarding the safety of his teammates.
After being left behind, he had somehow managed to trail after them and guide them out of the forest.
The other three survivors broke down and sobbed just as Felicia had in the footage. Failing to bring Colton out of the forest with them was a guilt they had carried for a long time.
Not to mention, the internet had been cruel in relentlessly tormenting their sanity.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Heiress Unmasked: Shaking the World With Geomancy