Chapter 3

Every second I spent pretending to be unconscious felt unbearably long.

It wasn't until the clock on the wall ticked past 7:10 pm that I finally let out a quiet breath of relief and slowly opened my eyes.

Just then, the hospital room door was gently pushed open.

Since I was awake, the doctor performed a brief examination.

Fortunately, my car's safety features had held up well, and I hadn't been driving too fast. Aside from some minor external injuries, there was nothing serious. The CT scan of my head came back normal as well.

A few days of rest would be enough for a full recovery.

After the doctor left, two traffic officers in uniform entered the room carrying notebooks and pens.

"Miss, how are you feeling now?" one of them asked. "Would you mind cooperating with a brief inquiry about how the accident unfolded?"

I rubbed my still-aching head and replied softly, "Thank you. I'm fine now, just a little dizzy."

After a pause, I put on an expression of someone trying hard to remember.

"I was stopped at a red light when my phone suddenly went off. I instinctively reached for it, and somehow I accidentally hit the accelerator instead. Before I knew it, the car shot forward..."

The officers carefully recorded every word.

One of them nodded and said, "We've already investigated the scene. At this point, it appears to have been a single-vehicle accident. Fortunately, no other cars or pedestrians were involved.

"However, you'll likely be responsible for the cost of repairing the concrete barrier you hit. Also, the front end of your vehicle suffered significant damage. We've already arranged for it to be towed to the dealership for inspection and repairs."

I nodded lightly, and a bitter smile crossed my face.

"Of course. That's my responsibility. Thank you, officers. Sorry for the trouble."

I had taken a financial hit and ended up with scrapes all over my body. But it was worth it.

There had been traffic officers, medical staff, and so many onlookers at the crash scene. They had all unknowingly become my alibi witnesses.

The officers then returned my shattered phone. It was barely functional, but it could still be turned on.

After signing the accident report and paying my medical bills, I hurried out of the hospital.

As I stepped through the hospital's front doors, I checked the time. It was already approaching 7:30 pm.

I flagged down a cab at the intersection.

But when the cab stopped outside my neighborhood and I pushed open the door, my heart instantly sank to the bottom of my stomach.

A huge crowd had gathered beneath my apartment building.

Conversations, whispers, and sighs filled the air.

I squeezed through the crowd and immediately spotted Isaac kneeling on the ground.

His employee badge still hung around his neck, and his laptop bag lay beside him. He looked as though he had just rushed back from work.

His hair was a mess, and his face was streaked with tears and snot. He held the blood-soaked body in his arms and sobbed as if the world was collapsing around him.

"Mom, wake up! Please wake up! How could you leave me like this? I'm sorry! This is all my fault! I never should've left! If I hadn't, that bitch never would've pushed you off the building!"

The moment I saw Marianne's familiar face, an icy chill swept through my entire body.

I stumbled back. My mind went blank with a deafening roar.

I hadn't come home. I hadn't followed the original course of events.

So why had Marianne still ended up falling to her death?