Chapter 4

In this life and the last, who was it that determined to nail me to a pillar of shame and put me to death?

The knock came again, and the door opened from the outside. My parents' voice slipped through the crack. "Officer, please. Let us see Jade. She must've been framed. Our daughter would never do something like this. If you won't let us see her, we'll hurt ourselves right here!"

The officer handling the case sighed. "Jade, come out for a moment."

With my hands cuffed, two officers held me on either side and escorted me out of the interrogation room.

"Jade… Jade…" My parents called my name from a distance.

I looked at Mom's disheveled hair and Dad's bloodshot eyes. A sharp ache spread through my chest.

They had always said that as educators, upkeeping a neat and presentable appearance was important. So, they never went out without looking put together. This was the first time I had ever seen them this broken.

They stared at me with urgency. "Jade, did you do it?"

I shook my head firmly. "No."

The moment I said that, they dropped to their knees. "Officer, there must be some mistake. Our daughter would never cheat.

"Jade scored a near-perfect score on every mock exam in her senior year. She was already granted early admission to a top university. The college entrance exam was just a formality for her. Why would she buy answers from someone and cheat?"

Behind my parents, Lily and Sean also pleaded. "Officer, please investigate this thoroughly. Don't ruin a good student's future!"

The officer looked troubled. "What you're saying may be true, but our investigations rely on evidence."

Commotion broke out outside the police station. Suddenly, a crowd had flooded in and stormed into the lobby.

"Officer, we're parents of graduating seniors. We heard there's a cheating criminal in Southport City, so we came to demand her strict punishment!"

"This is outrageous. Cheating on such a major exam. Is that fair to our kids who have studied so hard for so many years? I demand that her parents be held responsible too. Arrest them all. Death penalty!"

In just moments, the verbal abuse turned on my parents. Their faces twisted in pain, but they still tried to defend me. "Our Jade isn't that kind of person. Please believe her. We're begging you."

"Bah! We only trust the police. You're just a family of cheaters. What credibility do you have?"

"How are people like you fit to be teachers? You're poisoning the youth! I'm going to report you to the education board."

"Shitty parents like you need to be exposed. You deserve the entire nation's criticism."

I could practically see the same helplessness and despair from my past life, when they were attacked by everyone.

Suddenly, a glass bottle came flying straight at me. "Scumbag! Cheater! Rot in hell!"

Dad lunged forward instinctively, throwing his body in front of me. The bottle smashed hard against his head, blood spilling from it instantly.

Only then did the police react, rushing out to restore order. Facing the furious parents, they spoke. "We've already collected sufficient evidence. Rest assured, we'll give everyone an answer soon."

In my past life, just days later, once the chain of evidence was finalized, I was sent to prison and publicly announced nationwide. My parents didn't dare step outside due to the unprecedented wave of cyberbullying.

In the end, the mother of a student who had jumped to her death after failing the exam set my parents' house on fire. They burned alive inside.

When I learned how my parents died, I couldn't breathe. A heart attack killed me on the spot.

Scenes from my past life flashed through my mind. Then, that little red flower suddenly froze in my thoughts. How could I have missed such a detail?

I shouted desperately, "There's something wrong with the evidence chain. I know who framed me!"