The day of Jane Abbott's 60th birthday dinner, her daughter Lucille Abbott burst into tears and announced that her gold bracelet was missing.

I spent the entire afternoon helping her tear the house apart looking for it.

Then, out of nowhere, she pulled the bracelet from my daughter's backpack and pointed at me, screaming that I'd taught my child to steal.

Rose Austin was only five. She was so terrified she couldn't stop crying.

My husband Keith Abbott, afraid his mother would make herself sick with rage, told me to apologize first. Keep the family's dirty laundry behind closed doors, he said.

I swallowed my humiliation and paid Lucille $5,000.

The next day, Lucille posted the video of Rose sobbing to the family group chat on WhatsApp.

She told everyone I was so desperate to get my hands on Jane's inheritance that I'd corrupted my own child.

Relatives showed up at our door to hurl insults.

Rose's kindergarten asked us to withdraw her. Keith got reassigned to janitorial duty at his office.

Jane forced me to sign an asset-stripping agreement, forfeiting everything.

Lucille moved into the house I'd bought before the marriage and demanded I pay her $5,000 a month for emotional damages.

Rose, branded a thief by everyone around her, ran into traffic on her way home from school.

Keith couldn't take it. He jumped from the roof of our building.

And Lucille, holding the deed to my home, smiled and said at least Rose's death meant one less burden.

I hated her down to the marrow of my bones. I grabbed her and dragged us both into the river.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at Jane's birthday dinner, at the exact moment Lucille started crying about the missing bracelet.

——

“Nellie Fox, my gold bracelet is gone. Please, you have to help me find it.”

Lucille was crying, a ring light with bunny ears clutched in her hand.

Jane immediately pressed a palm to her chest.

“Lucille, that's what your father left you before he passed.”

Lucille turned her reddened eyes to me.

“You and Rose were the only ones who went into my room earlier. I'm not saying it was you, I'm just scared.”

Rose stood beside me, holding a slice of cake.

“Mommy, why is Auntie crying?”

I crouched down and pulled her behind me.

“Rose, did you touch anything in Auntie's cabinet?”

Rose shook her head.

“No. I only took a crayon, but Auntie said if I messed up a drawing I'd have to pay, so I put it back.”

Keith frowned.

“Let's just find the bracelet first.”

I looked at him.

“Fine. But who's searching, and how, needs to be clear before anyone touches anything.”

Jane's expression hardened.

“We're family looking for a piece of jewelry. You need to set ground rules for that? Nellie, don't you dare ruin my birthday dinner.”

Lucille jumped in immediately.

“Mom, don't blame her. She's probably just worried people will get the wrong idea about her.”

She set the ring light on the table, its camera aimed right at me.

In my last life, it had gone exactly the same way.

She cried about the bracelet, I searched all afternoon, and then I watched her pull it from Rose's backpack.

Rose was called a thief to her face, expelled from kindergarten, and eventually ran into traffic.

Keith jumped from the roof.

And Lucille held the deed to my home, smiled, and said at least Rose's death meant one less burden.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at this moment.

I didn't move.

“Call the police.”

The room went dead silent.

Lucille's eyelid twitched.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Jewelry is missing. Calling the police is the safest way to handle it.”

Jane slammed her hand on the table.

“It's my birthday! You want to bring the cops into my house? Haven't you embarrassed me enough?”

Keith lowered his voice.

“Nellie, cut it out.”

“I'm not the one who lost anything, and I'm not the one making a scene.”

Tears rolled down Lucille's cheeks.

“Do you think I'm trying to shake you down? I'm a divorced woman living back with her mother. Isn't that pathetic enough? Now you want to call the police and humiliate me on top of it?”

This was her specialty.

Cast herself as the victim, and anyone who didn't play along became the villain.

I pulled out my phone and hit record.

“If we're searching, we film every second of it. Everyone puts their phone on the table. Whoever touches anything, it's on camera.”

Lucille's face went white.

Jane glared at me.

“What are you doing, guarding against thieves?”

“Yes.”

I looked at them.

“A gold bracelet goes missing, and we're supposed to just assume everyone's innocent?”

Jane reached for Rose's little backpack.

I blocked her.

“Rose's things. Nobody touches them without permission.”

Jane let out a cold laugh.

“Guilty conscience?”

Rose gripped the hem of my dress.

“Mommy, I didn't take it.”

I stroked her hair.

“I know.”

I turned to Lucille.

“Go ahead. Search it yourself.”

She stepped back.

“I wouldn't dare. You'd just say I planted it.”

“So you're aware that's a possibility.”

Jane snapped：“Keith, you do it.”

Keith unzipped the backpack.

Colored markers. Stickers. A small water bottle. A drawing pad.

Then his hand stopped.

Rose's voice trembled：“Daddy, what's wrong?”

He pulled a gold bracelet from the side pocket.

Lucille shrieked and lunged for it.

“My bracelet!”

Rose burst into tears.

“It wasn't me, I didn't put it there.”

Jane pointed at me.

“Nellie, what do you have to say for yourself?”

I stared at that gold bracelet, and every blood-soaked memory from my last life came flooding back.

Lucille clutched the bracelet to her chest, sobbing.

“Nellie, I've always been so good to Rose. She steals from me, and you teach her to lie about it.”

I walked right up to her.

“You say Rose stole it? Then call the police. Right now.”

Her crying stopped on a dime.

Keith grabbed my arm.

“Enough. We found it. Just apologize and let it go.”

I turned to him.

“So you think Rose stole it too?”

He looked away.

“She's five. She probably just doesn't know any better.”

Rose cried out：“Daddy, I didn't!”

Keith didn't pick her up.

Lucille reached for the ring light again.

“Nellie, all I'm asking for is a gesture of good faith.”

“What kind of gesture?”

“Admit in front of everyone that you failed to raise your child properly. Then put it in writing that Rose will never touch my things again.”

I laughed.

“And if I refuse?”

Jane's voice turned to ice：“Then don't think about taking Rose out of this house tonight.”

Lucille leaned in close, her voice pitched so only I could hear：

“Don't be stubborn, Nellie. A crying child makes the best footage.”

She pulled back and resumed wailing, louder than Rose.

Keith looked at me, exhaustion carved into every line of his face.

“Nellie, just admit it for now.”

I asked：“If I admit it, will you believe me?”

Silence.

I asked again：“If I don't admit it, will you protect Rose?”

Still silence.

I held Rose tighter.

“Fine. I'll write it.”

Lucille's eyes lit up.

On the first line, I wrote：

I, Nellie Fox, am today being coerced into admitting that my five-year-old daughter committed theft.

Lucille's expression changed.

“What the hell is that?”

I looked at her.

“You wanted my attitude. There it is. Coerced.”

“Rewrite it!”

Jane slammed the paper down in front of me.

“Nellie, today is my birthday dinner. Are you trying to humiliate me on purpose?”

I set down the pen.

“You're the ones who told me to write it.”

Lucille shook her head, tears streaming.

“Nellie, if you send that out, people will think we forced you.”

I looked at her.

“Didn't you?”

Rose hiccupped through her sobs：“I didn't take it.”

Gloria Austin rolled her eyes.

“Every kid who steals says they didn't.”

My chest seized.

In her last life, Rose had heard those words far too many times.

After that day, she wouldn't even touch a gold sticker.

Keith tore the paper in half.

“Don't blow this up.”

I watched the torn pieces flutter to the floor.

“Are you afraid of the situation getting bigger, or are you afraid of your sister being humiliated?”

His expression hardened.

“Lucille is the victim here.”

“And Rose isn't?”

He said：“She's five. Admitting a mistake isn't going to ruin her life. Lucille's been through a divorce. If her reputation takes another hit, she's done.”

I looked at him.

“So Rose deserves this?”

Jane pulled Lucille into her arms.

“Lucille's never had it easy. She lost her father young, and her marriage fell apart. You're her sister-in-law. Would it kill you to give a little?”

I almost laughed.

Lucille had never had it easy, so my daughter deserved to be framed as a thief.

Keith pulled me toward the kitchen doorway.

“Just keep Mom calm. Her blood pressure's high. What if she actually gets sick?”

“Then call 911.”

“We are not calling the police.”

“Why not?”

He lowered his voice.

“You don't air family business in public.”

Those six words had broken my spine in the last life.

I said：“Keith, stealing isn't the family disgrace. Framing a child is.”

The color drained from his face.

“You're accusing Lucille?”

“I'm suspecting everyone who touched that backpack.”

“Including my mother?”

“Including you.”

He froze.

“Nellie, I'm your husband.”

“And you're Rose's father.”

He was quiet for a moment.

“The bracelet was in her bag. Let's just cover the cost first and talk to her at home.”

Lucille jumped in like she'd been waiting for exactly this：“I don't want money. But the bracelet got scratched, and it just... it hurts.”

Jane said：“Five thousand dollars. It's not much. Consider it a lesson.”

I asked：“A lesson in what?”

“A lesson in raising your child right.”

Rose sobbed：“Grandma, I didn't do it.”

Jane didn't even glance at her.

Keith took out his phone.

“I'll transfer it.”

I grabbed his arm.

“Don't you dare.”

“Nellie, stop being stubborn.”

“That's my money.”

Jane pulled a red folder from the cabinet.

“Fine, don't pay. Then sign a written promise giving Lucille a room in that new place you bought.”

I stared at the folder.

In my last life, the asset-stripping agreement had been inside the same one.

She'd had it ready all along.

“Jane, that's my house. I bought it. Why would I give her a room?”

“Lucille is my daughter. When I'm dead and gone, who's she supposed to rely on if not her sister-in-law?”

Keith frowned.

“It's just one room. Lucille's not going to fight you for the whole place.”

I looked at him.

“Are you willing to sign something guaranteeing that? That she'll never live in my house, never touch my money, never lay a hand on Rose.”

He snapped：“She's my sister. Why do you always assume the worst about her?”

I said：“Why do you always treat your own wife and daughter like we're worthless?”

Dead silence filled the living room.

Jane slapped me across the face.

Rose screamed：“Mommy!”

Lucille's ring light was still on.

I touched the corner of my mouth.

“Did you get a clear shot?”

Lucille's face went white. She killed the light immediately.

I didn't argue anymore. I picked up Rose and walked out.

Jane shouted after me：“You walk out that door tonight, don't ever come back!”

“Gladly.”

“Mommy, am I not allowed to go to kindergarten anymore?”

Rose sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the hem of her pajamas.

She held out her smartwatch to me.

“Bobby said his mom saw a video in the group chat. She said I'm a thief.”

In the family group chat, Lucille had posted a video of Rose crying.