Chapter 4

When I saw Veronica at the police station, dark circles framed her eyes, evidence of a sleepless night. The moment she spotted me, her energy surged.

"Mom! Mom! Tell the police Bryson didn't steal anything," said Veronica.

I stayed silent, and she grabbed my hands, shaking them.

She begged, "Please, Mom, Bryson can't have a criminal record."

Seeing the tears she shed for her boyfriend, I recalled how she didn't shed a single one after my death in my previous life.

The irony stung.

I turned to the officer beside me and said, "It was her boyfriend who stole it. The value exceeds the threshold for a case."

Veronica's face twisted with rage, as if she wanted to tear me apart.

But then she dropped to her knees, pleading, "Mom, I'm pregnant."

I froze for a moment before realizing it had nothing to do with me.

"If Bryson gets a record, what'll happen to the baby? Do you want your grandchild to grow up ashamed?" said Veronica.

I laughed, my eyes flickering briefly to her stomach.

"Why should I care?" I said.

"Jeremy!" shouted Veronica, her voice sharp with fury.

But remembering I responded better to softness, she switched tactics, trying to guilt me.

"Mom, I grew up without a dad's love. That was hard enough. I don't want my child to have such a tragic life too," said Veronica.

She still thought I was the foolish mother who'd forgive anything.

She didn't know she'd already killed me once.

Her words didn't move me now; they just made me sick.

I looked at Veronica without a trace of emotion and said flatly, "Tragic childhood? Hardly. I spoiled you with piles of money and watched over you every day. You didn't appreciate it. Instead, you ran off with some delinquent at a young age. You brought him to our home, and he stole from me."

A female officer approached, asking me to follow her to the interrogation room.

As I took a step, Veronica's voice rang out behind me. "Mom, if you don't help me, I'll kill myself! I'll just die, okay?"