“So, in a way, Melody is my savior!”
In my last life, I didn’t know that the person Stella had hit was someone I knew. By the time I found out, it was too late. So, reborn, the first thing I did was call my old classmate and warn him.
Now, the way Ethan’s parents looked at me had completely changed. The suspicion and hatred were gone, replaced by warmth and familiarity. They treated me like
their own daughter.
They held my hands, asking if I was okay, apologizing profusely for almost blaming me, and insisting on having me over for dinner.
The misunderstanding about the hit–and–run was cleared up, and the crowd, having witnessed this dramatic “reunion,” applauded.
“Incredible! What a rollercoaster of a day! So exciting!”
“After this, I finally understand the meaning of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.‘ I almost blamed an innocent person!”
Seeing everyone on my side, no one mentioning the previous accusations, a look of resentment and malice flashed in Mark and Stella’s eyes.
Stella, feigning sympathy, said, “It’s wonderful that no one was actually killed. This is truly something to celebrate.”
“But before you catch up with your old friend, Melody, don’t you think you should clear up the other matters and pay the business owners what you owe them?”
At her words, the business owners, who had been trying to get a word in, looked at her gratefully.
The mall manager stepped forward. “That’s right! Ms. Reid, if you’re such a good person, you shouldn’t have walked out with a designer bag from our store and da- maged public property! Settle your bill!”
The restaurant owner nodded “Ms. Reid, my restaurant just opened. It’s not easy for me. Please, just pay the bill. Over a thousand dollars is several days‘ worth of
revenue for me!”
With their lead, the crowd’s mood shifted again, and they started criticizing me.
“Ma’am, you can’t just be nice to your own people! If you’re so good to your friends, can’t you show a little sympathy and empathy for others?”
“Even if you didn’t kill anyone, you still dined and dashed and shoplifted! The security footage is irrefutable!”
The livestream chat heated up again, with everyone saying that one thing was one thing, and I had to take responsibility for my other actions.
Faced with the agitated crowd, I just smiled calmly. “Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me for a moment!”
“I am really not the person who committed those crimes a few days ago, because I was in a holding cell the entire time! For three days, even when I went to the bath- room, I was under surveillance! There was absolutely no possibility of escape!”
Hearing this, Officer Davis finally dismissed Mark’s earlier claims. Even if I had snuck out, there were still plenty of other cameras in the station.
“That’s true.”
“Normally, for privacy, Ms. Reid would have been allowed to use a private restroom.”
“But she refused. She insisted that since she had done wrong, she had to bear the consequences. She wanted the shame and humiliation of these three days to be seared into her mernory so she would never make the same mistake again.”
The other officers who had arrived nodded in agreement.
“We’ve never seen a detainee as compliant as Ms. Reid. She followed all the rules, and even held herself to a stricter standard”
nodded, my eyes filling with tears. “Yes. If you don’t believe me, you can check the surveillance records with Officer Davis.”
Hearing this, the crowd hesitated, then selected a few representatives to go with the police to the surveillance room. The group included the mall manager, the resta- urant owner, Ethan’s mother, and a few other reliable–looking strangers.
16:42 D
While they were inside, the rest of us waited anxiously.
Mark and Stella, seeing my confident expression, were starting to panic.
It looked like they were planning to slip away before the results came back.
But I wasn’t about to let them.
In front of everyone, I called out to them loudly. “Mark, Stella, don’t be in such a hurry to leave! Wait for the results, and then we can all go home together!”
Mark, who had just taken a step, had to pull it back. He glared at me. “This has nothing to do with us. There’s no need for us to waste our time here with you, is
there?”
Stella added, “Melody, you can’t be so selfish as to make Mark and me sacrifice our personal time for you.”
With that, they tried to leave again.
The crowd, though confused by their sudden arrival and departure, made way for them.
But I stepped in front of them with a smirk. “Hold on. Who said this has nothing to do with you?”
ོ ཚ ༈ཡོད་
“In fact, I’d say everything has to do with you. And the connection is huge.”
Everyone was stunned, looking at me with confusion.
I pointed at Stella, who was hiding behind Mark, and announced loudly, “Because the real culprit is you, Stella!”
Stella, already flustered, became even more panicked at my words. She couldn’t hide the terror on her face.
“It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!” she blurted out, her face pale. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand!”
I just sneered. “If it wasn’t you, then why are you so flustered?”
“The investigation isn’t even over yet. Everyone is waiting here. Why are you and Mark the only ones who can’t sit still and have to leave early?”
The livestream viewers finally caught on. Some sharp–eyed viewers rewound the livestream and noticed Mark and Stella’s strange behavior.
“Wait! Since this whole thing started, those two have exchanged glances over a dozen times! That’s a lot!”
“If they weren’t guilty, who would look at each other that many times for no reason? They must be communicating something they can’t say out loud!”
Seeing the suspicious gazes turn on them, Mark lost his temper. “Melody, you better stop spewing nonsense, you jealous bitch!”
Before I could react, Ethan spoke up. “What do you mean, Melody is jealous?”
“If she was a jealous person, would she have spent a whole year of her busy senior year tutoring me?”
“If it weren’t for Melody, I never would have gotten into a top university!”
The bystanders nodded. “That makes sense. Someone who would give up their precious time in senior year to help a classmate can’t be a bad
“And what the officer said earlier, about her wanting to be under surveillance even in the bathroom for three days to reflect on her actions.”
“All of this proves that Melody hasn’t changed. She’s still a good person.”
“So, what Mark said doesn’t add up. If Melody has been pointing the finger at Stella from the beginning, she must have a good reason!”
Mark and Stella were completely blindsided. In just a short time, the crowd had gone from condemning me to defending me.
person.
Mark’s voice rose to a shriek. “You people are all blind! The security footage shows Melody is the one who did wrong! How can you still defend her?”
“I know! You must be paid trolls she hired! I’m calling the police! I’ll have all of you arrested for inciting public opinion!”
”
His words enraged the crowd. They couldn’t believe that just for speaking their minds, they were being accused of being paid actors. They had been trying to be impartial, but now, they were firmly on my side. They surrounded Mark and Stella, showering them with spit and vitriol.
“Who do you think you are, telling people what to say? We’re speaking our minds! We’ll say what we want! What’s it to you?”
“You can’t control what I do or say! I’d say the same thing to God himself!”
Mark and Stella were red–faced with anger, on the verge of a full–blown argument with the crowd.
Just then, Officer Davis returned with the representatives from the surveillance room, a grave expression on his face as he looked at me.
Mark saw his expression and was overjoyed. He pointed at me and shouted, “See! I told you Melody wasn’t innocent! Officer Davis, she must have tricked you!”
‘What’s the verdict? She wasn’t in the footage, was she?”
Stella’s expression also relaxed. After a long look at my chest, she said in her syrupy sweet voice, “Melody, after all your troublemaking, I can finally have some pea-
- ce.
“Some people are just like mad dogs, biting at everyone they see.
But the next moment, Officer Davis contradicted them. “What are you talking about?”
16.42 00
The representatives all saw it. The surveillance footage shows that Melody was indeed in the holding cell for three days and never left.”
Mark didn’t buy it. “That’s impossible!”
“Melody couldn’t have been in the footage! Stella said this wouldn’t go wrong…” Realizing what he’d said, he quickly shut his mouth and tried to change the subject.” Officer Davis, maybe there’s a problem with the footage! You should watch it
Before Officer Davis could reply, the representatives who had just have holes in our faces for breathing and can’t see?”
gone with
were already angry. They glared at Mark. “What, are you saying we’re all blind? That we
Mark was still not convinced. “The footage is three days long! Maybe you got tired and missed the part where Melody was gone in the blink of an eye!”
Stella chimed in, “Yes! You must have missed it!”
Their words infuriated not just the bystanders, but the livestream viewers as well. They all started typing furiously.
“I’ve been wanting to ask, who the hell are these two? They’ve been jumping up and down from the beginning, acting like everyone has to listen to them! So annoyi-
ng!”
“I heard that Mark is Melody’s fiancé, and Stella is his childhood sweetheart.”
“Childhood sweetheart and fiancé, my ass! Those two are obviously having an affair! Poor Melody, being cheated on so blatantly!”
“Seriously! If my fiancé teamed up with his childhood friend to frame me, I’d break up with him in a heartbeat!”
As everyone was criticizing them, Officer Davis suddenly stepped forward and nodded in agreement. “I think you have a point. How about this? You two come with me and watch the footage yourselves.”
Mark and Stella immediately agreed, unable to hide their glee.
But just as they started to follow Officer Davis, he gave a signal. The next second, two young officers rushed over and restrained them.
Mark panicked. “Officer Davis, why are you handcuffing us?”
“Melody is the one who committed the crimes! You should be arresting her!”
Stella squeezed out a few tears. “Yes, Officer! There are so many people watching! This looks bad! Please, let us go! We won’t blame you for making a mistake.”
The livestream chat exploded with comments again, calling Stella the queen of green tea, her act so potent it could be smelled through the screen.
Officer Davis just snorted at their questions. “Instead of asking me why I’m arresting you,” he said coldly, “you should be thinking about how many years you’ll be spending in prison to atone for your sins!”
“You know what you’ve done, don’t you?”
At his words, Mark and Stella’s faces changed.
“Officer, what are you talking about? I don’t understand!” Mark blurted out.
Stella, meanwhile, was stealthily reaching behind her back, as if to pull something out.
But before she could, Ethan’s mother stepped forward and grabbed her arm with lightning speed. “Take it out!”
