Chapter 2

Mom stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around me, her eyes full of sorrow.

"Nora, I know you and Sophie have always been close, but the accident has already happened. Let her rest in peace. Don't blame Yale anymore... okay?"

I stared at her in disbelief.

Sophie was her own daughter!

In my previous life, after Sophie died, Mom hadn't even stayed long enough to make arrangements for her body before rushing off to Rachel's celebration dinner.

The memory sent a fresh wave of rage through me. I snatched up the rock I'd dropped earlier and slammed it into the van window.

The glass shattered on impact. Yale immediately threw up his arms to protect his face, but the flying shards still left cuts across his cheek.

"Yale! You just got your license. Why were you driving so fast? Why did you blow through a red light?"

I glared at him.

"You're eighteen years old. This is murder! You're going to pay for what you did!"

He had killed someone. How could he possibly sit there acting like nothing had happened?

I ignored the jagged glass, reached through the shattered window, and opened the door from the inside.

I didn't care who the victim was. He had taken an innocent life, and I was going to make sure he learned a lesson today.

"Okay, okay! I'll get out! Why'd you have to smash the window?"

He covered his head with both hands, but his tone was still as arrogant as ever.

"If you hit me, that's illegal. I'll call the cops and have you arrested!"

I was so furious I laughed.

"Go ahead. Call them. Then they can investigate whether you planned this and deliberately tried to kill her."

Yale shot me a guilty glance before snapping back, "She was just unlucky! If anything, I should be blaming her for trying to stage an accident and wrecking the front of my van."

His attitude pushed me over the edge.

I slapped him across the face.

Smack!

"Who do you think you hit? Tell me!"

Yale clutched his cheek and stared at me in disbelief, then immediately raised a hand to slap me back.

I caught his wrist before he could touch me and slapped him again with my other hand.

He'd been pampered his entire life and treated like a prince at home. He was no match for me.

"Speak! Tell me what's going on!"

Unable to fight me off, Yale's face turned dark red with anger.

"It was your sister, Sophie Shaw! Who else would it be?"

Then he hurried to defend himself.

"I didn't do it on purpose. I only just got my license. I hit the gas instead of the brake.

"I didn't know she was so fragile. I barely hit her, and she died."

I stared straight into his eyes.

"How do you know the person who died is my sister? You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

His gaze immediately darted away, guilt written all over his face.

"Of course not! The family arranged these cars yesterday. Obviously I recognized hers!"

I looked over at the sedan, nearly half of its side crushed inward.

He was right about one thing. The family had arranged separate cars for Sophie and Rachel the day before, and this was the one that had been assigned to Sophie.

But I'd already sent Sophie away in another cab.

So who was inside that car?

Mom suddenly spoke behind me.

"Yale didn't mean to do it. Look at him, his face is bleeding. Just let this go.

"When the police get here, have them take your sister's body away and be done with it."

That was all it took for the memories of my previous life to come flooding back.

Dad had been away on a business trip when Sophie died. Mom had simply let the police take her body away and had her cremated.

She never once looked at Sophie.

She hadn't even held a funeral for her.

At the thought, I grabbed Yale tightly and began dragging him toward the wrecked sedan with all my strength.

He panicked and thrashed wildly, trying to wrench himself free.

"Nora Shaw! What are you doing? You're hurting me!"

I pointed at the bloodied figure inside the car with my free hand.

"You're complaining about this little bit of pain? I'm going to make you look at what you did to her! Why didn't you think about how much it would hurt her when you drove into her?"

I forced his head down, making him look directly inside the car.