Chapter 3

The crying from Edward and Stacy stopped, and for a moment their faces went blank.

In my last life I had no way to reach either of them, so I never called, and it was exactly that gap they used against me, insisting I hadn't told them because I had a guilty conscience.

This time I wasn't going to make the same mistake.

So the moment Daniel was in the crash, I called them both right away.

Neither of them had expected me to be this calm, so they hadn't had time to get their stories straight, and they contradicted me almost in the same breath.

Edward said,

"You're talking nonsense. We never got any call from you."

But Stacy said,

"I didn't say that. I told you at the time, save him no matter what, whatever it costs, save him!"

The two of them finished, glanced at each other, and started up again in unison, only their versions didn't line up. By the time they caught the problem and wanted to fix their lines, I simply took out the tablet.

On the screen was a surveillance video.

It showed me holding my phone, calling Edward and Stacy. When I hit play, everyone heard Edward's and Stacy's voices.

"Where would we get the money to pay for his surgery?"

"Life and death are fated, wealth is in heaven's hands. Don't force it."

"Which hospital are you at? We'll come right now and sign to stop treatment."

"This is for your good and the child's. If the money's gone and the person's gone too and you're left with a pile of debt, how are you supposed to live?"

"Oh, and whoever's at fault for the crash, I can come help you hold up banners, squeeze out more money. Just remember to give us our cut."

That was as far as the video got before Edward and Stacy snatched the tablet and smashed it.

"That's obviously a fake AI-generated video. We never said any of that."

"You'll humiliate us like this just to get the money? Are you even human?"

I let out a cold laugh.

They really knew how to flip the blame back on me.

"Then do you dare call the police, and have them verify whether my video is the fake, or your recording is?"

Five:

Of course Edward and Stacy didn't dare, because that so-called recording of his was fake, and it wouldn't even take any forensics, just a check of the call records to know the truth.

But what I'd said was the truth.

They just hadn't imagined that, in a moment as urgent as that one, I would still remember to bring the surveillance footage.

The two of them exchanged a look and started making trouble again.

"Your heart is vicious. You actually prepared this evidence in advance just to hurt us!"

"Think about it. If you really loved Daniel the way you claim, how could you remember surveillance footage in the middle of something like that?"

I didn't argue.

"You both remembered to use a forged recording to hurt me, so why can't I put out the real surveillance to answer it?"

"Or is it fine for the magistrate to burn the town but the people can't even light a lamp?"

Edward and Stacy had nothing to say.

They couldn't come up with a single word to fight back. In their plan, the moment I heard the word illegitimate I was supposed to go to pieces and let them say whatever they wanted. They hadn't counted on me being ready, unhurried, as if I'd known all along.

So they traded a glance.

And went back to clutching Daniel's portrait and wailing.

"Daniel, look at the fine wife you found. She fakes a video to frame us, and she wants to call the police at your own funeral, disturbing your rest."

"Yes, we love money, but you were our only child. Everything we ever asked for was for you. Now that you're gone, what use is money to us?"

"That Lois, this vicious woman, keeps harping on money, which just proves she's the one who wants your settlement. She's feeding off your dead body."

"Since she wants money so badly, then we'll risk our lives to get it back. We will not let her have it."

I gave a short, mocking laugh.

"Everyone here can see it. Who's really disturbing Daniel's rest, me or you? You don't actually think you can rattle off a few lies and wave a fake recording and walk off with the money, do you?"

"If that's what you thought, I suggest you get out now, because it's not happening. The money Daniel left is for me and Bobby. I'm not giving you a cent."

At that point,

I took out my phone, ready to call the police then and there.

"You two probably don't know this, but framing someone like this is also against the law."

"With a little luck, we can get you charged with public mischief."