Chapter 4

A terrifying realization hit me.

5:50 PM.

Brenda came running out of the building.

She was running incredibly fast, her hair slightly messy, clutching something tight in her hand. She jumped into her red sedan parked by the curb and sped away.

The second her car rounded the corner.

*BOOM—!!!*

A deafening blast shook the windows of the Starbucks.

Flames erupted from the top floor of the school!

Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, swallowing the evening sun.

I squeezed my plastic cup so hard it cracked, spilling cold coffee all over my hand.

Tears spilled over my cheeks.

Not from fear, but from the sheer, icy horror of the truth.

So that was it.

In my past life, Chloe's little fire was just an excuse.

In this life, even though I locked the doors and left early, the explosion still happened!

Which meant Brenda didn't just "cover up" for her daughter.

She wanted to blow up the lab on purpose!

Why?

Just to frame me? No, that didn't make sense.

Then why?

Whatever the reason, this time, you lit the fire with your own hands.

Brenda, in this life, I’m not just going to clear my name.

I’m going to send you straight to hell.

Sirens wailed as police cars and fire trucks rushed toward the school, cutting through the twilight.

I blended into the growing crowd of onlookers, staring at the roaring flames with a cold, expressionless face.

"Oh my God! The whole top floor is gone!"

"I heard it's the chemistry lab! Thank God school was over!"

Twenty minutes later, the fire was brought under control.

I saw Brenda rushing back to the scene.

She had changed her clothes and redone her hair. Her face was a mask of panic and grief. Her acting was worthy of an Oscar.

"My lab! How did this happen?!" she sobbed, grabbing a firefighter's arm. "There was so much expensive equipment in there! How could it blow up?!"

Soon, a few police officers walked over.

Leading them was a stern-looking, middle-aged detective.

"Who is in charge of this lab?"

"I am. I'm Brenda Vance, Head of the Science Department," Brenda cried, wiping her tears. "Officer, what happened?"

"Preliminary investigation suggests a gas leak triggered by a spark, fueled by highly flammable chemicals," the detective said, looking at his notepad. "The school guard said someone was in there cleaning up. Who was the last person to leave?"

Brenda’s eyes flickered with a dangerous light. Then, she put on a look of utter shock and heartbreak.

"It... it was one of my students, Summer Lin."

"She’s usually such a sweet girl... I asked her to tidy up. How could she be so reckless?"

"Oh my God!" Brenda gasped suddenly, covering her mouth. "I remember now! She was so distracted during class today. I scolded her... Could she have done this out of spite? Or maybe she was just in such a rush to leave that she forgot to turn off the gas?"

She was already shaping the narrative.

The surrounding teachers and onlookers began to whisper.

"Summer Lin? The quiet scholarship kid?"

"She always seemed so nice. I can't believe she could be so irresponsible."

"Leaving the gas on? She could have killed people!"

"Where is Summer Lin? Get her over here!" the detective called out.

"I’m right here."

I walked out of the crowd, my backpack over one shoulder, my expression completely calm.

***