*Mushrooms can't kill people.*

Dominic's last words echoed in my skull.

Fine.

This time, I would grant his wish. I wouldn't interfere.

I wanted to see if Dominic Henson would still stand by those words when disaster truly struck.

I quietly backed up the surveillance footage to a secure drive and returned to the infirmary.

Less than ten minutes later, a frantic knock rattled the door.

Daisy Finch, a teacher, burst in and grabbed my arm. Her face was chalk-white.

"Dr. Fox! It's the cafeteria. The students—they're vomiting, having seizures. You need to come now!"

I let her pull me along.

The cafeteria was a scene from a nightmare.

Teachers had cleared the unaffected students, but a dozen children lay scattered across the floor. They clutched their stomachs. Groaned. Retched. One boy's legs twitched uncontrollably, his eyes rolling back.

Caroline stood frozen in the corner, her face drained of color, wringing her hands.

I assessed the room in seconds. Food poisoning. Severe.

"Call 911," I ordered Daisy. "We need ambulances. Now."

"No!" Caroline shrieked.

She jumped in front of Daisy, blocking her path.

"Don't call! They just... they just ate too fast! It's just an upset stomach. Sister-in-law, just give them some medicine, right?"

I looked at her as if she were a cockroach.

"Caroline, are you brain-dead? Look at them. Over a dozen students are in critical condition. Even a miracle worker couldn't fix this with a pill."

"Why are you making it sound so serious?" Her voice pitched higher, trembling. "It's a stomachache! If you can't treat a simple stomachache, Katherine, maybe you bought your medical license!"

A bitter laugh nearly escaped me.

You'd have to be clinically insane to suggest something so moronic while children foamed at the mouth three feet away.

Ignoring her, I signaled Daisy. "Make the call."

Heavy footsteps thundered down the hall.

The double doors flew open. Dominic Henson stormed in, chest heaving.

He swept the room with a predator's gaze—and his eyes skipped right over the writhing children.

They locked onto Caroline.

"Caroline!"

He strode past the sick students without a second glance and pulled her into a tight embrace.

The teachers froze. Confused looks passed between them. Why was the CEO hugging the assistant instead of checking on the victims?

"Brother..." Caroline sobbed into his chest. "What's wrong?"

He held her for a long moment before reluctantly pulling back. His hand stayed wrapped around hers, possessive, unwilling to let go.

My left eyelid twitched.

Dominic finally seemed to register the chaos around him. His body stiffened. Then his glare swung toward me.

"Katherine! What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you stop them from drinking the soup?!"

The accusation hit me like a slap.

*He knows.*

The realization struck instantly. Dominic Henson was reborn too.

I kept my face neutral, my voice confused. "I was in the infirmary working. How was I supposed to stop them?"

Dominic's eyes narrowed. He studied me, searching for a crack in my composure.

He wouldn't find one.

Sirens wailed in the distance.

Caroline went pale. She shrank back, burying herself deeper into Dominic's arms.

"Brother..."

Dominic knew exactly what she had done. In the previous life, this was the catalyst for everything. He rubbed her back, his voice dropping to a soothing whisper—intimate, tender.

It made my skin crawl.

"Don't be afraid, Caroline. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

The natural intimacy between them. The way her body fit against his. The ease of his hands on her waist.

His confession before he killed me echoed in my mind.

*She was already pregnant with my flesh and blood.*

My gaze dropped to Caroline's flat stomach.

So they were already sleeping together.

Bile rose in my throat. The disgust was physical, violent. I turned away and gagged.

"Dr. Fox?" A colleague stepped forward, concern etched across her face.

"I'm fine," I choked out, waving her off. "Just... something I ate."

I focused on the paramedics rushing in, helping them load the children onto stretchers. The weight of their small bodies. The terror in their eyes.

Throughout the chaos, Dominic's gaze burned into my back.

He suspected me.

Let him suspect.

In this life, Dominic Henson's opinion was the least of my concerns.

I climbed into the back of an ambulance, desperate to put distance between myself and the monsters in that cafeteria.

At the hospital, chaos reigned.

Parents flooded the emergency waiting room—faces twisted with fear, with rage.

After I briefed them on the situation—poisonous mushrooms in the school lunch—the atmosphere shifted. Worry curdled into something violent.

One father, a burly man with tattoos crawling up both arms, spotted Caroline arriving with Dominic.

He roared and lunged.

"You! You're the kitchen assistant!"

Caroline shrieked and darted behind Dominic. Her trembling finger shot toward me.

"It was her! Dr. Fox made me do it! She said she wanted to demonstrate her medical skills to the board, so she forced me to poison the soup so she could save them!"

The parents turned on me. Murder in their eyes.

Dominic stepped in front of Caroline, adjusting his torn suit, his expression shifting into righteous indignation.

"That's correct," he lied smoothly. "My sister doesn't know the difference between salt and sugar; she's never stepped foot in a kitchen. How would she know which mushrooms are poisonous?"

He fixed me with a look of mock disappointment. "Katherine, I know the school is looking to replace staff. But poisoning children to secure your job? That is a new low, even for you."

Mob mentality took hold. The parents advanced on me.

"Is this true?"

"You monster!"

I stood my ground.

The urge to laugh nearly overwhelmed me.

"That's a fascinating story," I said, my voice cutting through the noise. "But let's look at the facts. I was hired by the principal personally because of my qualifications. I don't need to stage 'rescues' to keep my job. I could walk into any hospital in this city and be hired tomorrow."

My gaze locked onto Dominic's.

"I'm the head of the Christmas committee. I organized the event. If something goes wrong, I'm the first person investigated. Why would I sabotage my own event?"

I turned to Caroline, who was peeking out from behind Dominic's arm.

"And you. If you wanted to frame me, you should have covered your tracks better."

"What do you mean?" Caroline snapped.

But her eyes darted nervously.

I pulled out my phone, connected it to the waiting room TV via Bluetooth, and hit play.

"I have the surveillance footage."

The screen flickered to life.

The room went silent.

Everyone watched as Caroline Henson—clear as day—checked to make sure the coast was clear. Pulled the box of mushrooms from her coat. Dumped them into the pot.

She even stirred it.

Undeniable.

The silence shattered.

"You lying little witch!"

The tattooed father didn't hesitate. He bypassed me and launched himself at Caroline. Other parents joined the frenzy—slapping, pulling hair, screaming.

"Dominic! Help me!" Caroline screeched.

Dominic threw himself into the chaos, shielding her with his own body.

"Stop! Get back!" he shouted.

A punch meant for Caroline caught him square on the jaw.

I watched him defend her with such desperation.

Nothing stirred inside me but cold revulsion.

"Police! Nobody move!"

Officers swarmed the room, pulling the enraged parents off the battered couple.

Caroline was a mess—hair a bird's nest, face swollen and streaked with mascara and tears.

Dominic looked worse. The dignified CEO of the Henson Group was in tatters. Bespoke suit ripped. Face bruised. Muddy footprints stamped across his white shirt.

The lead officer scowled. "Brawling in a hospital? All of you, down to the station. Now."

Dominic whispered something to Caroline, then grabbed my arm and dragged me into a quiet corner while his assistant brought them coats.

His eyes were dark. Dangerous pits.

"I'm going to settle with these parents financially," he hissed. "You will delete that video. It never sees the light of day again. Do you understand?"

I yanked my arm free.

"Are you delusional? They just watched it on a sixty-inch screen. The police have it. What exactly do you think deleting my copy will do?"

Dominic stepped closer. His voice dropped to a menacing growl.

"If you hadn't stood by and watched, none of this would have happened. You knew. You let her do it."

He jabbed a finger in my face.

"Katherine Fox, Caroline is humiliated, and the company's reputation is at risk. And it is entirely your fault."

The expression on his face was identical to the one from my past life—the look that told me I was nothing but a nuisance.

I thought my heart, already scarred and battered, had long since gone numb. Yet a fresh wave of rage surged through me, hot and visceral, making my entire body tremble.

My hand lashed out, connecting hard with his cheek.

*Smack.*

I rubbed my stinging palm and met Dominic Henson's incredulous stare.

"Weren't you the one who said the mushrooms were fine? You told me not to meddle." Ice dripped from every word. "So now that I've followed your instructions, you're unhappy? Dominic, you really are impossible to please."

"Y-you..." He stammered, eyes widening. "You came back, too."

His expression shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions before settling into grim resolve.

A deep breath.

"I wanted to wait to tell you this, but since we're already here, I won't beat around the bush." He straightened his posture. "Katherine, let's get a divorce. I know you love me to death, that you think you can't survive without me, but in this life, I will not let Caroline down again. I intend to spend the rest of my life with her."

The man wore a look of such deep, self-righteous devotion that laughter bubbled out of me—pure, bitter absurdity. "You want to marry Caroline Henson? Do you truly not care how society will judge you?"

"It was because I cared too much about public opinion in my last life that Caroline had to bear the burden alone." His jaw set with conviction. "In this life, I will give her a title. I will give our child a legitimate status. I am willing to stand beside her against the world!"

What a touching confession. I almost wanted to applaud his delusion.

"Since you two are so deeply in love, I certainly wouldn't want to be the villain who separates a pair of soulmates." My tone stayed flat, bored. "If you want a divorce, fine. If you want me to bury that surveillance video, that's fine too."

I stepped closer, gaze sharpening to a blade's edge. "Bring me ten percent of the company's shares and fifty million dollars in compensation. Do that, and I'll sign the papers. I'll even give you my blessing."

The corner of Dominic's mouth, which had just begun to lift in relief, flattened into a hard line.

He looked at me as if seeing a stranger, disappointment flooding his eyes.

"Katherine Fox, when did you become so mercenary? Is money the only thing that comes out of your mouth now? Can't we just separate peacefully?"

"Dominic, spare me the moral high ground." The words snapped out like a whip. "You cheated first. Furthermore, you are a murderer. What right do you have to negotiate terms with your victim?"

His face froze.

Cold indifference settled over me like armor. "If I calculate the timeline correctly, Caroline should already be pregnant, shouldn't she? Don't you want to stand proudly beside her? Or is the love Mr. Henson fought for across two lifetimes not even worth a little money?"

He gritted his teeth. "Let me think about it."

I watched his retreating figure, suppressing the cold laughter bubbling in my chest.

*Separate peacefully?*

*In your dreams.*

A notification chimed on my phone. I tapped it open immediately.

The private detective's report eased the tightness in my chest.

The group had been taken to the police station for questioning. After assessing the situation, the officers informed Caroline that her actions had endangered the students' safety. She would be detained.

The color drained from her face. She burrowed into Dominic's arms like a frightened doe, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Brother, I didn't do it on purpose! I'll never do it again. Save me—don't let me go to jail. I'm scared!"

Several parents, overhearing her plea, exploded.

"Now you know fear? What were you doing earlier? My child is still lying in the hospital, life and death uncertain! We are more scared than you!"

"Someone like you should rot in a cell!"

The parents grew more agitated by the second, the scene threatening to spiral out of control.

The company lawyer rushed forward to mediate.

"Parents, please, let's discuss this rationally. Getting angry won't help. We need to come to a decision that benefits the children." His voice dropped, turning conciliatory. "The damage is done, but the follow-up treatment and nutritional costs will be significant. That is not a small amount of money."