I reassured myself, thinking that the drought would not affect the wheat so badly. Even if we did nothing further, Dad was definitely going to have a good harvest in the fall. Yet, I still felt uneasy.

The next day, I took out my hard-earned savings and bought pesticide to kill the locusts, carefully ensuring that the fields were meticulously sprayed.

Dad couldn't help but laugh when he saw this, saying I was behaving more like a farmer than he was.

I dared not relax. I kept a close eye on our crops each day.

When harvest season finally arrived, the wheat stood tall and robust. After the grain merchants came to inspect it, they offered the highest purchase price. "This batch of wheat is top-quality grain. We'll buy it at a high price. Please reserve some for us."

Dad's tanned face was filled with joy. "Wonderful! I can buy new clothes for my wife and daughter this year."

After agreeing to harvest it the next day, my tense heart finally felt at ease.

I was right—Grandma's premonitions were wrong. As long as I did not trust her, all was going to be well.

That night, Mom celebrated by cooking one of our chickens. We then went to bed early to prepare for the harvest the next day.

However, just as dawn was breaking, I heard someone wail incredulously. "How could this happen? Where did the locusts come from?"

Alarm bells went off instantly in my head as a sense of foreboding rose within me. I rushed out without even putting on my shoes, and the scene before me made my eyes widen in shock.

Locusts swarmed the fields in black tornadoes. The wheat, which had been perfectly ripe and ready for harvest, was now being devoured mercilessly by the locusts.

Dad flailed his arms desperately, trying to scare them away, but to no avail. He even tripped and fell to the ground, forced to watch helplessly as the locusts devoured nearly all our crops.

The man who seemed unassailable never got up that night. I leaned in and heard him murmur, "It's over. It's all over. Vanessa's tuition, our medical fees, our living expenses… All of it is gone."

Dad's words cut through me like a knife.

Why did this happen?

I clearly chose not to listen to Grandma's instructions, and there wasn't a locust plague in my past life. Why did one show up now?

Before I could make sense of it, Dad walked out the door.

When he returned, his back was deeply hunched.

I knew then that he'd gone to borrow money from our relatives.

How humiliating must this have been for a man who taught me to live with honesty and integrity?

Just thinking about it was like taking a blade to the heart.

That very night, however, Grandma appeared in my dream again. She seemed to know of our family's current predicament.

"Vanessa, go to the oak tree behind the hill," she said, sighing deeply. "Your Grandpa buried gold bars there for a rainy day. Now that the prices are high, selling them can solve our immediate financial woes."

In my past life, I listened to Grandma and excitedly told Dad the news. Yet, who would've thought that what was hidden there wasn't gold but white powder?

Dad was wrongfully imprisoned by the police, who mistook him for a buyer.

This time, I refused to let anything like that happen. So, the first thing I did after waking up was to report it to the police.

"Officers, I think someone's buried something under the oak tree on the hill behind our house. It might be evidence left by criminals."

They remained silent for a long time before agreeing to investigate.

I knew this threw a wrench in their plans, but to keep Dad out of this, I had no choice.

That afternoon, the police arrived.

I froze momentarily, thinking they'd come to reward me for tipping them off. But, to my dismay, the officers were carrying in the very same crate that landed Dad in jail in my past life.

Why were the police bringing the crate of white powder to our house?

To my surprise, when the crate was opened, there was no white powder. Instead, over a dozen gold bars were in the crate.

"Officers, why is there so much gold?" Dad asked, bewildered.

However, as soon as he stepped forward, the police pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him.

The sudden turn of events completely stunned me. My first instinct was to rush forward, but the police stopped me.

"Why are you arresting my father?" I asked.

"Upon investigation, the box contains stolen gold bars from a heist that happened over a decade ago. They were taken mid-transit. We've also managed to confirm that the mastermind was your grandfather. Your father's guilty expression now proves he was connected too."

Just then, the officer, whose name was Shawn Fontaine, gave me a complicated look. "You personally made the call to send your father to jail. His actions will be a stain on your family name and bar you from civil service. Despite that, you should take pride in helping us catch a criminal and recover national assets."

I couldn't believe it. "That's impossible. How could my father be a criminal? Dad, tell them it's a misunderstanding!"

However, when I turned to look at Dad and saw the guilt, sorrow, as well as the shock of betrayal written all over his face, I was rendered speechless.

"Is it true?" I murmured.

Dad looked at me and slowly revealed the truth. "Your Grandpa wanted to improve our lives and brought back this crate for safekeeping. But when I saw the gold bars, I learned the truth about the heist.

"Back then, the consequences for such a crime were severe. Mom was pregnant with you, and to protect you, I chose to hide it."

So Grandma was telling the truth? How could that be? In my past life, that crate was full of heroin!

Even as the police led Dad away in front of me, I was still reeling from the shock.

Wasn't that supposed to be heroin? How could it contain gold bars? How could Dad be a criminal?

Just then, the door opened, and Mom rushed in, having heard the news. "Honey?"

However, when she saw the empty house, she realized something.

"No…" she whispered.

She then collapsed to the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Mom's illness was acting up.

"Mom!" I exclaimed.

This scene, identical to one from my past life, rekindled my deepest fear.

I frantically rushed to support Mom, but she stared intently into my eyes, barely breathing as she said, "Your Dad messed up, but it was all for you. And yet, you reported him."

Mom's voice was choked with emotion as she added, "Vanessa, are you upset that your Dad didn't give you money for a luxurious lifestyle? Is that why you sought revenge?"

"No, that's not true! Why would I hate Dad? I never wanted to hurt him!"

Yet, before hearing my explanation, Mom passed out.

I frantically carried her to the hospital for emergency treatment. I rushed all the way there and left her in the nurses' care. I fainted briefly from exhaustion, only to see Grandma in my dream again.

She looked heartbroken as she said, "Your mother's condition is dire. Only Dr. Vance at Central Hospital can help her. If you don't go now, it'll be too late!"

I woke with a start, but I felt conflicted. In my past life, I'd witnessed Dr. Vance's skills. If he could intervene on time, then he could save Mom.

I then glanced at the time and realized that James' accident was due to happen two hours later. It was completely avoidable. I called him immediately.

The call connected quickly, and I heard James' comforting voice. "I heard all about what happened to your crops, babe. Is there anything I can do to help?"

I felt warmth bloom in my heart. James was such a good person, and yet he died because of my stubbornness in my past life. This time, I swore I'd save Mom and ensure nothing happened to James as well.

So, I said, "James, I need a favor. Stay where you are this afternoon. Don't move. I'll come see you tonight, alright?"

I racked my brains for a suitable answer.

Yet, James didn't hesitate as he replied, "I don't know why, but since you sound so serious, it has to be important. Don't worry. I'll do as you say and wait for you to come pick me up."

I nodded emphatically, then wiped away my tears and rushed to Central Hospital. I skipped all formalities and fell to my knees before Dr. Hank Vance.

He immediately realized the gravity of the situation and chose to treat Mom.

I glanced at the time and realized I was an hour early.

Hank himself said that since I was on time, there was a greater chance of a full recovery for Mom.

However, it wasn't until the three-hour surgery was over that Dr. Vance removed his mask to give me the good news. "The surgery was a success. She'll make a complete recovery with proper rest."

Mom lay on the hospital bed. She slowly opened her eyes, but she closed them bitterly upon seeing me.

She was still angry at me, but I wept with joy regardless.

At least I managed to save Mom this time, and I managed to escape from Grandma's awful dreams.

My first thought was to call James to tell him the good news, but all my calls went unanswered. What was going on?

Before I could recover from the shock, a commotion erupted in the hospital, and I heard someone yelling my name.

I turned around, and what I saw sent chills down my spine.

James' mother, Anna Wilson, was striding toward me as she launched into a tirade. "Vanessa West, you bitch! You killed my boy!"

"Did something happen to James? How's that possible? I asked him to stay put—"

Anna suddenly went berserk, cutting me off. "So it was your fault after all? Do you know that my son died because a drunk driver hit him while he was waiting for you at the intersection? You killed him!"

This felt like a huge blow to my senses.

James was… dead?

My eyes widened in shock. I couldn't believe this was happening.

I deliberately steered clear of Grandma's instructions in the dream. So how did I end up killing James?

Before I could react, Anna suddenly pulled out a knife from her pocket—the very same knife that killed me in my past life. She then lunged at me with a vicious thrust.

Yet, at that moment, someone shoved me aside violently and took the blow.

"Vanessa! Run!"

It was Mom.

With a sickening slice, the blade pierced her chest. Her blood spattered onto my face.

I snapped out of my daze, only to see Mom lying in a pool of blood. She was clutching at Anna's leg and yelling, "Vanessa! Go!"

Anna was unable to break free. Furious, she kicked Mom again, glaring at me menacingly as she hissed, "You little shit! If you don't get the hell over here and pay for my son's life, then I'll kill your mother before I come after you!"

The kitchen knife in Anna's hand was about to plunge into Mom's chest when, in a flash, realization dawned on me.

I understood why Grandma was haunting my dreams, and why I couldn't change the cause of the tragedy. I suddenly understood everything.