Chapter 1

In front of tens of thousands of viewers, I picked up a brick and smashed thirty‑eight shared bicycles lined up by the road.

As the comments exploded, "She's insane", I smiled and calmly held out my hands to the police officers rushing out of the station.

"Sir," I said pleasantly, "please arrest me. I can't wait."

In my previous life, I was the perfect scapegoat for my roommate and my boyfriend.

They committed a fraud and theft case that shook the entire campus, then used my electronic signature and fingerprints to frame me as the sole perpetrator.

I studied law for four years, only to become a casualty of the law itself.

I spent ten years in prison. My parents died consumed by grief and hatred.

I thought that once I served my sentence, I would finally see daylight again. Instead, the day before my release, they arranged an "accident" inside the prison and killed me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day they were preparing to close the net.

Since they could fabricate evidence placing me at the scene, then I would create an alibi the entire world could never deny.

*****

I was standing right outside the downtown police station, livestream running on my phone for a solid ten minutes.

The chat was going absolutely wild. Comments like "This streamer's gone crazy!" "Somebody call the cops!" and "She's out of her mind!" were flooding the screen nonstop.

I grabbed a brick off the curb and set my sights on the perfectly lined-up row of rental bikes.

I gave one of them bikes the first hit, and the seat crumpled in.

I swung at it, and the wheel bent out of shape.

I gave it a third strike, and it came crashing to the ground.

I kept going, bike after bike, each hit vicious and precise.

The chat was blowing up. Some people were trying to dig up my personal info, while others were saying they'd screenshot everything and call the cops.

I smiled.

This was exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

Sirens blared as I smashed the fifth bike.

I chucked the brick aside and flipped off the camera. "Remember this moment, October 23rd, 2023, 8 PM sharp. Rosemary Elliott is committing a crime right here."

Three cops came running over, and the lead one tried to snatch my phone.

I raised my hands and shouted, "Yeah, I did it! Arrest me! Let me keep going!"

The young cop frowned. "What's your deal? Did you just get dumped or something?"

"Dumped your ass," I shot back, shaking off his grip and bolting toward the squad car. "Come on, hurry up and cuff me! I can't wait to do time!"

The officers stared at one another in stunned silence. They were probably thinking they'd never seen anyone this eager to be locked up.

Inside the interrogation room, I leaned back in my chair, cocky to the point of provocation.

I openly admitted to smashing the shared bikes, flatly refused to pay compensation, and demanded they detain me immediately.

A middle-aged officer tried to reason with me. "Do you even know what detention means?"

I recited the law without hesitation, as if reading off a menu. "Intentionally damaging public or private property results in five to ten days of detention, plus a fine of up to one hundred and fifty dollars."

He stared at me, clearly caught off guard.

I continued calmly, "If it's classified as a serious offense, that's ten to fifteen days in custody, with fines up to three hundred. I destroyed five bikes. The damages exceed six hundred dollars. That qualifies as serious, doesn't it?"

He blinked. "Are you studying law?"

"Yes," I replied coolly. "So believe me, I know exactly what I'm doing."

My parents called after seeing the livestream, but I hung up without hesitation and shrugged at the officers. "They don't control me either."

With no choice, the police followed procedure and escorted me into the holding cell.

I sat against the wall and closed my eyes.

In my previous life, at this exact moment, Jovanni and Nathaly Stanton were in the school's computer lab, completing the final transfer.

They used my student ID to access the room, my fingerprints to unlock the terminal, and a prerecorded voice sample to authorize the transaction.

Every trace pointed to me.

But this time, I was sitting inside a police station's holding cell.

If the police themselves provided my alibi, who could possibly overturn it?

I couldn't help laughing when I remembered my answer in my last life, how weak and helpless it had sounded, when the judge asked, Where were you at the time of the crime?

This time, my answer was ironclad. "I was in custody."

Not long after, hurried footsteps echoed outside.

My mother rushed in, her eyes red and swollen. The moment she saw me, she wrapped me in a desperate embrace.

"Rosemary!" she cried, her entire body trembling.

My father followed close behind, his face dark with fury.

"Rosemary! Have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea what you're doing?" he roared.

The officer frowned, watching our family scene with visible irritation.

My father immediately bowed deeply, his voice shaking. "Officer, I'm so sorry. She must be under extreme stress. We'll pay for everything. Please just let us take her home."

My mother clutched my hand, sobbing uncontrollably. "Rosemary, please. Come home. Whatever's wrong, we'll deal with it together. Don't do this here."

Looking at their desperate expressions felt like someone carving my heart out piece by piece.

Chapter 2

In my previous life, they'd been too ashamed to face anyone because of me.

My father sold our house to pay legal fees. My mother cried herself sick every day. She died before I ever got out of prison, bitterness etched into her final days.

This time, I couldn't leave.

It was the only way I could protect them.

The police were preparing to release me thanks to my parents' efforts.

When suddenly, I leapt to my feet, pointing wildly at an empty corner.

"I'm not leaving! I committed a crime! I want to go to jail!" I screamed, my hysteria making my mother stumble back. "He made me do it! He's been following me! Can't you see him?!"

I pointed again, shaking violently. "He's laughing, right there! He's laughing at me!"

My parents froze, speechless.

My mom clapped a hand over her mouth, huge tears rolling down her cheeks.

"There's nothing there, Rosemary," she whispered.

My father's entire body shook as he turned to the officers. "Officer... something's wrong with her. She's never acted like this."

I seized the moment and shouted, "Exactly! I'm crazy! I need a psychiatric evaluation!"

I clutched my head and spun in circles.

"They're all after me! Everyone wants to hurt me! I need to stay here. This is the only safe place!"

The officers exchanged helpless looks but had no choice but to follow protocol.

A younger officer tried to approach me gently, but I slapped his hand away and curled into the corner.

I said, "Don't touch me! You're all in on it!"

My mother collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

"It's my fault... I shouldn't have let you go out alone. Please, Rosemary. Let us take you home. Let's see a doctor..."

Watching her break like that nearly destroyed my resolve.

But I couldn't.

"I don't know you!" I screamed. "You're trying to hurt me too!"

My father lunged forward, trying to drag me out.

I shrieked until my throat burned. "Help! They're kidnapping me!"

The police restrained him as chaos erupted.

Eventually, they escorted my parents out into the hallway.

Through the crack in the door, I saw my mother collapsed on a bench, hollow-eyed and unmoving.

My father stood nearby, chain-smoking, hunched over like he'd aged a decade overnight.

They argued quietly, my mother shaking her head, my father slamming his fist into the wall.

Even after being sent away, they refused to leave.

Through the door, Mom's muffled sobs drifted in, each one felt like a dull knife carving me up inside.

A young female cop brought over a cup of hot water, her voice soft. "Here, honey, have some water. Just take it slow, you can tell us anything."

I knocked the cup away, hot water splashed all over the floor, some even hit her uniform.

"It's all a lie! You're all trying to hurt me!" I curled up in the chair, shaking all over.

Her expression hardened, and she clearly gave up on trying to calm me down.

She wiped off her uniform and stepped back, her eyes guarded and full of helpless resignation.

From the hallway, Mom's desperate voice called out, "Let me in! I need to see my daughter!"

Footsteps rushed closer. The door burst open. My mother ran in, my father struggling to hold her back.

"Rosemary!" she cried. "Please. Let's go to the hospital. I'm begging you!"

The clock on the wall read 8:25.

My heart was racing. The time had come.

On their side, the final operation should be starting.

I shoved my mother away and hid behind the officers, screaming, "Don't touch me! You're all trying to kill me!"

My father caught her as she collapsed. When he looked at me, his eyes were filled with pain and disbelief.

That look pierced deeper than any blade.

"Rosemary, what's wrong with you?" Dad's voice shook. "Have your mom and I ever done anything to hurt you?"

It was 8:28... 8:29... 8:30...

As the second hand clicked forward, something inside me finally snapped free.

The tragedy of my past life was repeating itself, but in a different timeline.

This time, I wasn't there.

I suddenly stopped screaming, as if a switch had been flipped, I became eerily calm.

"Sir, I'm exhausted," I said, my voice steady. "I admit it. Go ahead and lock me up."

Everyone was left speechless by how I flipped from one extreme to the other in an instant.

Just moments ago, I was acting completely crazy, and now I was scarily calm, like a whole different person.

Chapter 3

My mother stared at me in shock, tears still clinging to her lashes.

My father clenched his fists. "Rosemary, what game are you playing?"

I didn't answer. I just leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.

After a brief exchange, the police decided to hold me for observation.

"Mr. and Mrs. Elliott," the older officer said carefully, "I suggest you return tomorrow. Your daughter's condition..."

He trailed off. My father helped my mother up. She couldn't stop crying.

At the door, he looked back at me.

In that instant, he looked ten years older.

The holding cell was cramped, just a narrow bed and a toilet.

A TV played the evening news. "A tech company experienced abnormal stock fluctuations today. Authorities have launched an investigation..."

I shut my eyes as silent tears slid down my face.

Dad, Mom, I was sorry.

Just wait a little longer, and it would all be over soon.

Outside, I heard officers whispering. "That girl was terrifying."

"How does someone that young just... break?"

"Her parents seem pretty normal, but their kid..."

Early the next morning, the entrance to the police station was lined with unfamiliar vehicles.

I was still half-asleep when they dragged me out of the holding cell, but I woke up fast when I saw all those strangers waiting in the interrogation room.

"Rosemary Elliott," a man said coldly, "at 8:30 last night, fifteen million dollars was illegally transferred from a tech company account."

The speaker was a middle-aged man with an ID hanging from his neck, marking him as the captain of the city's economic crime unit.

His voice was cold as ice, nothing like the kind female officer from yesterday.

I stared at him in shock. "Fifteen million? What are you talking about? I just wrecked some bikes!"

The captain slammed a thick file onto the table. "Every transaction was authorized using your authentication key and digital signature. The evidence is all here."

My mind went totally blank.

How was this even possible? I just smashed a few bikes.

A sharp, urgent pounding came from outside the door.

The door burst open, and Jovanni and Nathaly entered, my parents right behind them.

My mom's eyes were puffy and red, and my dad's face was pale and grim. It was clear they'd been up all night.

"Sir, we have an important tip!" Nathaly said, her voice trembling.

She looked at my parents, her voice shaky. "Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, I really didn't want to say anything, but... Rosemary's gotten hooked on online gambling and racked up a huge debt. Last night, she stole my laptop, and I'm afraid..."

"No way!" my mom snapped, cutting her off. "My daughter would never do something like that!"

Nathaly tapped on her phone and hit play. "This is what Rosemary said two nights ago when she was wasted."

My voice came out, slurred and messy. "I need to get my hands on a big chunk of cash... Once I pull off this job, I'll never have to answer to anyone again..."

My heart was pounding.

When did she record this? Why can't I remember a thing?

My dad's face went ghostly pale.

Jovanni pulled out his phone. "Sir, here are my messages with Rosemary. Lately, she's been asking me all sorts of questions about the company's financial system..."

He started flipping through screenshots, each one clearly showing me asking for the passwords to the company accounts.

Those were my words, my profile picture, but I swore I never sent any of this.

"And there's this," Nathaly said, pulling out an encrypted flash drive. "We found it in Rosemary's dorm yesterday. It's packed with a bunch of paperwork for foreign bank accounts."

The cop took the flash drive and plugged it into the computer.

The screen lit up with a mess of code and bank files I couldn't make heads or tails of.

"Rosemary, what is this all about?" My dad's voice was shaking.

I tried to say something, but my throat was so tight I couldn't get a word out.

Just then, another cop walked in and whispered something in the captain's ear. The captain's face grew even more grim.

"Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, did you get any calls from debt collectors last night?" the captain asked.

My mom nodded, tears streaming down her face again. "Someone called and said Rosemary owed them a million dollars... I thought it was just a scam..."

Jovanni shook his head and let out a sigh. "Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, Rosemary was acting weird yesterday because she was nervous about what she'd done."

Nathaly wiped her tears and added, "I never thought she'd actually do something like this... It's my fault for not realizing sooner..."

All the evidence lined up, pointing to one thing. I was the bold con artist behind the whole financial scam.

When my mom heard all this, she swayed, her eyes rolled back, and she just collapsed.

"Mom!" I lunged forward, but the cops held me back.

My dad grabbed her before she hit the ground, then turned to look at me, his eyes haunted by despair and shock.