fake smile episode 5

Part 10: Aryan – A Love That Came Too Late

Aryan wasn't evil from the start.

He was Jammy’s nephew. Jammy had threatened him: "If you don't keep an eye on Jijah, I’ll release the video of your mother stealing money from the factory."

Aryan obeyed. But after two weeks with Jijah, he began to see the truth.

Jijah wasn't lazy. Jijah was wounded.

Jijah laughed only to hide eyes that hadn't slept in three days.

The night Jijah mentioned the "traitor’s son," Aryan knew he was caught.

But he still went to meet her that night. Not to kill her—to apologize.

"I don't want you to die, Jijah. I..."

He never finished his sentence. Jammy had already sent someone else.

Aryan died with Jijah’s name on his lips.

Later, Jijah found a note in his pocket:

"If I don't get the chance to say sorry, take this as my apology. Don't become like my uncle. Don't let hatred consume you."

Jijah kept that note. She didn't open it for six months.

Part 11: The Courtroom – The Final Fall

On the day of Jammy’s trial, the whole country watched the live stream.

The 40-second video played on the big screen.

Jammy’s voice. Her mother’s voice. The sound of a skull hitting the floor.

Jammy’s lawyer argued: "This is AI. This is a deepfake."

Jijah’s lawyer simply smiled. He played one more file.

A recording of Jammy attempting to bribe a forensic officer two days before Aryan died.

"Erase the traces of that poison. I’ll pay you 2 million."

The courtroom fell silent.

Jammy looked at Jijah. He wasn't angry; he was impressed.

"You’re smart, Jijah. Just like your father."

Jijah stood up. She didn't scream. She didn't cry.

She said only one sentence:

"You wanted to take everything from my father. But you forgot one thing, Jammy.

My father taught me this: the person who steals another person's life never truly wins. They are just slow to lose."

The judge struck the gavel.

The sentence: Death by hanging.

Part 12: Rats in the Station

Aryan died 30 seconds after saying, "He calls you child."

That was impossible if the police were clean.

Jijah had Ghost hack the station’s entry-exit logs for that night. Three names popped up: Insp. Razif, Const. Faizal, and someone not in the system. Code name: "Blackbird."

Razif. The man who took Aryan’s statement.

That night, he stepped out for four minutes and returned with wet hands. The corridor CCTV had gone dark for those exact four minutes.

Jijah waited.

She didn’t rush in. She didn’t threaten.

She waited for Razif to make one more mistake.

That mistake came two weeks later.

Razif called an unknown number. Ghost recorded it.

"She’s starting to mess around again. If you don't settle this, I’m the one who’s going down," Razif’s voice trembled.

Jijah kept the recording.

During Jammy’s trial, that recording was released.

Razif was arrested right in front of the court.

Jammy laughed from the dock. "See that, Jijah? Everyone can be bought. You will be too, one day."

Jijah didn't answer.

Because she knew she was no longer like them.

Part 13: The Night Jijah Became a Ghost

After her father died, Jijah didn’t sleep for 11 days.

She sat in front of three laptop screens in the back storeroom of the house.

Ghost taught her one thing: "If you want to win against the rich, don't use money. Use data."

Jijah learned SQL, phishing, metadata, and facial recognition in two weeks.

Her hands were scarred from lack of sleep. Her eyes were bloodshot.

But she found the smoking guns:

1. Jammy’s shell companies in Labuan. All the money went there.

2. Jammy’s email to her mother: "Don't let her know about the new will."

3. Photos of Jammy with politicians. Those photos had been Jammy’s insurance for 10 years.

The night before she sent the letter to Jammy, Jijah vomited.

Not out of fear.

But because she realized she had become the very thing she hated: someone who uses the fear of others to win.

She stopped for three days.

Then, she continued.

Because sometimes, to kill a monster, you have to use a monster’s fangs.

Ghost texted her after the trial ended:

"You’re free now, Jijah. Step away from the screen."

Jijah replied: "I don’t know any other way to live anymore."

Part 14: Letters from Rehab

Her mother entered rehab six months after the trial.

Not for drugs, but because she couldn't sleep. Every night, she saw Jijah's father standing at the foot of the stairs.

The first letter arrived in the third month.

The handwriting was shaky.

Jijah,

I know you won't read this. But I’m writing anyway.

The night your father died, I held his hand. He whispered, "Take care of Jijah."

I failed. I was so scared.

If you want to scream at me, scream. If you want to forget me, forget me.

But don’t become like Jammy. Don’t let hatred become your home.

I love you.

Mom.

Jijah read the letter at her father’s grave.

She didn’t cry.

But she kept the letter in her wallet.

In the eighth month, her mother was released.

They didn’t hug.

They just sat on the porch of the old house, drinking tea. They said nothing.

It was enough.

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