When Cheryl called me to come back to the company, I was instantly labeled as a damn thief.

Just because, apparently, I was the only one around before the jewelry mysteriously went missing. Oh, and what a coincidence—the only security footage they had was of me going into my uncle's office.

I was panicking explaining myself, almost hyperventilating.

But they just wouldn't believe me.

Even Cheryl—who I thought was my ride-or-die—almost stabbed my nose with her finger, yelling at me to "cut the crap" and "just hand over the damn jewelry!"

This couldn't be happening!

But then she crossed her arms and looked at me like I was some criminal. Said I'd always sneaked things around and was obsessed with that jewelry. So, if I didn't take it, who else did?

I was two seconds away from showing my savings to prove I didn't need to steal a damn thing—when suddenly, my boyfriend walked in, back from his business trip.

Thank God, I thought—finally, he's here to defend me!

But instead? He slapped me. Full force, right across the face. I hit the ground before I even knew what the hell happened.

"You know, I let it slide every time you took my stuff, or whatever from your family. Nothing expensive, so I thought it wasn't worth fighting over."

"But this? You actually stole from the company? A piece of jewelry worth over 13 million?! For God's sake, do you even realize what kind of hell this puts your uncle in? Adaline, are you out of your fucking mind?!"

"Your family warned you over and over—this was gonna end with you behind bars if you didn't stop! But no, you really just don't listen!"

"Now you better pay for that jewel—every damn cent! Or I swear to God, I'm gonna break up with you here! No way I'm dragging myself down over your crap!"

He was shaking his head, acting like I was the worst thing to ever happen to him.

His devastated reaction only convinced everyone. They're all looking at me like I was some shady criminal. Like I was just rotten to the core.

I was struggling to breathe, my asthma kicking in.

But to that crowd, my asthma attack was proof of my guilt. So I tried to explain...

Just as I tried, my aunt stormed over, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and started slapping the life out of me!

"You selfish little rat! Did you even think about your uncle before you did this? They entrusted those things you stole from him, and now he's gotta pay for your mess! He could face legal charges!"

"You've always been a pain in the ass, and we've tolerated it! But this? You're digging our graves! Where the hell do you expect us to get millions to fix your mess, huh?!"

My uncle always treated me like his daughter and looked out for me at work, but when he came forward, he kicked me over.

"My god, what did I do to deserve this? All these years we didn't have kids, raised you as our own, and did everything for your sake! But this is how you repay us? You're really gonna ruin our entire family?!"

My colleagues were watching, some of them recording, others cursing.

I was getting dizzy and my vision blurring from all the accusations.

But I had to clear my name. So I dug my nails into my palms, forcing myself to grab my phone and call the cops.

When they arrived, my devastated uncle took them to the surveillance room. Clear as day, I was caught red-handed.

There it was: me, on screen, stealing the jewelry and taking confidential files.

And just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I even took a book and dropped it on my best friend's desk to frame her.

"You've got to be kidding me! Stealing's one thing, but framing your best friend?"

"Yeah, she's too scared to admit she robbed her uncle's safe, and now he's gonna lose everything. Over 13 million dollars!"

"What a dangerous woman! Damn, she's a whole level of crazy! She's got no shame!"

"Her parents must've raised her to be a thief from day one. A born criminal! They should be accountable for this too!"

"I heard her parents died young. I bet they died because of her!"

The insults flew from all directions, and some coworkers even started to throw things at me.

Someone shoved me to the floor, and my inhaler fell out and rolled away into the crowd.

The air was thick, and I could barely catch my breath. I begged them to give me my inhaler.

But someone stepped right on it, their heel crushing it to pieces as I watched. I suffocated right there until I died.

And in those final moments, I couldn't stop thinking—why would the people I treated as family betray me like this?

How did covering for a friend's shift turn me into this scapegoat, a hated thief?

I couldn't take it. I couldn't stand being falsely accused, and I couldn't stand the idea that my parents were being dragged through the mud even though they were gone.

If I ever get a second chance, I'll be damned if I don't clear my name.

Well, the universe gave me that chance. This time, I'm gonna find out why the hell they did this to me.

And those bastards are gonna pay in ways they can't even imagine!

As soon as Cheryl and I stepped out of the villa, I was itching to ask her.

"Hey, bestie, be real with me… what do you actually think of me as a person?"

She casually looped her arm through mine and smiled.

"Girl, you're amazing! You're always so honest, you stand up for me if anyone dares to mess with me, you're not the one to pick on the weak, and you never fail to donate to charity…"

She rattled off my so-called "good qualities" like she genuinely believed it all, and honestly, that just made me feel even worse. This whole thing was starting to feel depressing.

Everything just felt… too normal.

After a while, I came up with a quick excuse and told her to go to work ahead of me.

Once she was out of sight, I secretly trailed her. I wanted to see if she'd meet someone, do something shady, anything that might feel off before heading to the company.

But nope. She just swung by a coffee shop, grabbed a cup of my favorite coffee, and went straight to work. That was it.

I decided to video-call Chuck. He picked up, his background showing clear landmarks that proved he was far from there.

If he was gonna fly back, it'd take him hours.

He must've thought I was just missing him because he started comforting me in that soft, reassuring voice of his.

"Babe, I've got so much work here, and we're short-staffed. I won't be able to come back for at least a week. But hey, how about I clear out your shopping cart to make it up to you?"

Then, he actually sent me 10,000 bucks, telling me to treat myself. Like maybe a spa day or a little shopping spree.

As he looked at me with that tender, caring expression, I felt a chill creep up my spine.

It felt like setting me up, accusing me, and dying... were just a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

But the very real, very raw pain reminded me—it wasn't a dream at all.

The more "normal" things seemed, the more certain I was that something darker was lurking beneath all this.

So, I rented a car and waited along a road my uncle usually took, tailing him just in case he'd lead me to a clue.

But he just stopped by a convenience store to buy a pack of cigarettes like he always did.

With nothing to go on, I bought myself a milkshake and sat alone in a café, trying to piece my thoughts together.

Why would my family suspect me of stealing some jewelry when, in fact, they knew I had an insane dollars of inheritance?

Why would my best friend, who supposedly knew what kind of a person I was, praise me to my face yet be the first to accuse me in front of everyone?

Why would my aunt and uncle, who once gave up having children for my sake, not only refuse to defend me when others slandered me but actually go along with it?

And why would my boyfriend, who didn't know what was happening and was out of town, suddenly show up at the scene just to accuse me?

All these questions swirled around in my head, knotting tighter and tighter. Each one made me feel more trapped, with no answers in sight.

Since I was little, whenever I felt like this—lost, confused, angry—I'd paint.

So this time, I posted my finished piece in my fan group.

Pretty soon, one of my fans reached out to me with an idea.

Her speculation was completely crazy.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made too much sense.

So, I took a cab straight to Bonaforté Legal Services.

I only knew about this place because I once got a call from there.

When I mentioned it to my uncle, he brushed it off as a scam, and I didn't think about it again.

But now, something told me I needed to check it out myself.

Once I got there, I was sure I'd made the right move.

What Atty. Bonaforté told me confirmed my fan's wild guess.

My family, my best friend, and my boyfriend acting normal? It's a well-crafted lie.

That led me to call Ira in the surveillance room. I asked him to grab my bag from my desk.

And I specifically gave him an instruction.

"If anyone asks, don't say it's for me. If they won't drop it, just say you're taking it out to throw away."

Next, I went home to pull together a few pieces of evidence.

Finally, I went to the hospital with an important item. Well, some things just need official proof before anyone will believe them.

After all that, I got a call from my high school class rep.

Just when I made it to the reunion, my best friend kept blowing up my phone.

She sounded like she was freaking out.

"Bestie! Oh, god, you gotta get back here right now! Someone broke into your uncle's safe! Some jewelry worth over 13 million... it's gone! The owner's losing it, and he's demanding we cooperate with the cops! Bestie, hurry, please!"

She didn't wait for me to answer. Just hang up like that.

In my last life, I got the exact same call at the exact same time.

Back then, I didn't think twice about it. I figured if I didn't steal anything, cooperating with cops was just the normal thing to do, right?

But why was my best friend acting so nervous—like she'd done something wrong?

And really, what good would it even do for me to show up?

Oh well, this was so obviously a trap—one set just for me.

I took the mic from an old classmate, and I belted out three songs in a row.

All throughout, my phone, on the other hand, wouldn't stop buzzing with calls.

By the time I put the mic down, the internet was blowing up with news about stolen jewelry worth over 13 million bucks.

My classmates had seen my Instagram posts before. So when they caught sight of this livestream—someone screaming and dragging my name into the crime—they recognized her instantly. My bestie.

"Her Uncle Hubert treated her better than her own parents ever did. Like, he literally gave up having his own kids just so he could give her the best life! In return, she stole the jewelry and left him and his wife facing 13 million dollars of debt! I mean, what happened to her conscience, right?"

"I've called her so many times, and every single time, she either ignores me or hangs up. If that's not guilt, then what is it? After everything her uncle and aunt did for her—everything—they're stuck in this big mess, and she won't even have the decency to show up! Is she even human?!"

Her voice was full of righteous fury, and she made sure to put on a show for the camera. To really sell it, she scrolled through our chat history and displayed it on her phone for everyone to see.

The brightness was maxed out, and 10 different livestream devices aimed at her screen, broadcasting every word to the world.

[Hey, bestie, you gotta lemme take the shift tonight, ok? Please?? Seriously, I've got something super important to do! I've got to be there!]

[Ugh, why won't Uncle Hubert just give me the damn jewelry??? Gosh, it's sooo pretty like it's literally perfect for me!!]

[Well, if he won't give it to me, I'll just take it myself lol. Whatever. They're gonna depend on me when they're older anw! I mean, they're gonna cling to me someday, so the least they can do is gimme what I want even if that means they end up in jail, right?]

When Cheryl read that last line out loud, Chuck suddenly showed up, his hands clutching his head like he couldn't take it anymore.

To make it more convincing, she pointed at him.

"Oh, this guy's Adaline's boyfriend! He's been with her 24/7! If you don't believe me, let him tell you himself!"

Chuck took a deep breath, his jaw clenched in anger as he replied.

"Yeah... Yeah, it's true. Adaline's actually asked me to help her steal more than once—fuck! I turned her down every single time 'cause I'm not a fucking thief, alright? And I sure as hell ain't gonna be literally her partner in crime!"

"I've tried talking some sense into her, you know, but dammit, she really wouldn't change! And now? She's out here with the goddamn jewelry, and instead of owning up to it, she's hiding like a fucking coward! Honestly… I should've, I really should've gone to the cops the first time she pulled some shit like this!"

That jerk's words just made the viewers even crazier. Comments were flooding in, and literally every single one of them was aimed at me.

Some "helpful" idiots were even already digging up personal info—my address, contact number, everything!

In less than five minutes, my socials were completely bombarded with curses!

[Damn, girl, you're a trash! Your mom and dad didn't bother raising you, yeah? No wonder they died early. I mean, they probably couldn't stand the mess you turned out to be!]

[What a piece of shit! Why don't you just go to hell already?! Bruh, you keep taking what's not yours. Hope you're ready for it 'cause maybe karma's gonna run over you one of these days to stop you lol]

My classmates were freaking out. They advised me to give my statement now before things got even worse.

Me? I just stared at my phone, keeping a straight face. I double-checked I had all the info I wanted from the hospital, and then I slowly got up.

With a smirk, I looked at them. "Wanna come with me? If y'all miss this kind of drama now, you might not get another chance!"