Chapter 2

Mom still wouldn't stop trying to explain things to the police officer outside, however.

"I promise that my daughter really doesn't have any mental problems! This is all just a misunderstanding!"

The police kept shaking their heads, remembering my weird, unusual behavior last night.

"Can you guarantee that she won't do anything drastic again after she's released?" they asked.

"I can! She won't do anything of the sort anymore!" Mom exclaimed with red-rimmed eyes, producing my medical report and showing it to them.

"This is her medical report from just a while back. She's very healthy and would never do anything heinous! She probably just suffered from some kind of shock this time, causing her to set fire to the mansion in a fit of anger.

"Also, this is the property title. The mansion that burned, indeed, belonged to us.

"Please, officer, just release Rina. We're willing to pay whatever fine there is for this!"

I saw Mom and Dad running around town for me and couldn't help shedding some tears of heartache.

In my past life, I had been framed for a hit-and-run, and they had also similarly used all their connections and means to try to clear my name like this. However, the fingerprints and evidence pointed only to me as the culprit.

Also, I didn't have a proper alibi to prove that I was innocent. On top of that, Nigel and Olivia falsely bore witness and accused me of the hit-and-run, and ultimately, I was forcefully charged with murder.

My family was completely destroyed overnight, and my parents also ended up beaten to death. Yet, even to their death, they never doubted my innocence nor blamed me for anything.

And then, when I opened my eyes again, I realized that I had been reborn on the night that the crime was committed.

I didn't have time to explain things to Mom and Dad. I could only start the livestream and set the mansion ablaze at that very moment.

I quietly cried, apologizing to my parents in my heart. I was definitely going to have to explain everything to them once everything was over.

They tried their best to prove that the mansion indeed belonged to me, and that the arson I'd committed was just from a moment of emotional outburst beyond my control.

Since no one was hurt in the fire, the police only gave me a stern warning and made me pay a fine before letting me go.

I looked at the time. The night was finally over, and I'd safely survived the night.

The mansion wasn't around anymore, and I had an alibi as firm as a rock. I should be safe this time, right?

I sat in the car on the way home, scrolling through the many articles and comments that were trending online.

"City's richest heiress livestreamed arson on her own mansion last night, worth millions of dollars. Is this the annihilation of humanity or the decline of morality?"

Mom snatched my phone from me, her face filled with concern as she looked at me worriedly.

"What happened, Rina? What's going on? Why would you suddenly go and set fire to the mansion? Wasn't that the engagement gift that you had given to Nigel?"

I felt my chest tighten at the mention of Nigel.

"Mom, I'm calling off the engagement."

"What?"

A loud screech threw everyone forward as the car came to an abrupt halt. My head slammed hard against the back of the seat, making me clutch my head and hiss in pain.

I was just about to ask what was going on when two familiar figures suddenly jumped out at us.

"Adrienna Stafford! You're in big trouble!"

Nigel wrenched the door right open and yanked me out of the car. Right next to him was Olivia, my best friend for at least a decade.

"Did you know that the people you hit yesterday died of their injuries despite multiple attempts to save them?"

Mom stared at me in disbelief, looking like she'd just been struck by lightning.

"Rina? You hit someone?" she asked. "Was your emotional breakdown last night because of this?"

I shook my head, just about to explain myself, when Nigel pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Hello? Is this the police? I want to make a report! I've found the culprit of the massive accident on Hutchinson Road last night!

"Yes, yes. She's right next to me right now!"

He then hung up abruptly and looked at me with a fierce look in his eyes.

"You might be my fiancee, Adrienna, but you must pay the price for what you've done!"

I was utterly shocked and hurriedly shook my head to deny it.

"Impossible! I wasn't even driving last night! How could I have hit anyone? Do you even have any evidence?"

Olivia sneered loudly at me.

"Didn't you destroy everything in the fire last night?"