Chapter 2

2

The iron door of the cell had only been locked for twelve minutes when my mother's screams echoed from outside.

"Selene! My poor Selene!" She pounded on the door, her voice shaking. "Did someone bully you? Tell me, and I'll fight them!"

My father's voice followed, filled with suppressed anger. "Selene! Get out here! Do you have any idea how this will ruin your future?"

The officer probably tried to calm them down. Then, I heard the sound of keys turning in the lock.

My mother rushed in to hug me, but I stepped aside to dodge her. She froze, tears streaming down her face. "Selene, what's wrong with you?"

"I broke the law. I should be arrested," I said, staring at a spider in the corner. "Just go home."

"What are you talking about!" My father clenched his fists. "The car owner just said that if we pay for the repairs and apologize, he'll drop the charges!"

"I won't do it."

"Did someone brainwash you?" My mother lunged forward to grab me. "If you don't pay, you'll have a criminal record! How will you ever get a good job?"

Looking at their terrified faces, my heart felt like it was being crushed.

In my last life, they couldn't hold their heads up in front of our relatives because of me.

My father sold the house to pay for my lawyer. My mother cried every single day. Neither of them lived to see me get out of prison.

But this time, I had to stay here.

This was the only way to protect them.

The police were ready to let me go for the sake of my parents.

I suddenly stood up and pointed at the ceiling. I screamed, "They installed cameras in my computer! Can't you see them?"

My mother jumped in fright and stepped back. "Who installed cameras?"

"Caleb! Lydia! And the director!" I intentionally dragged innocent people into the mess to make the act more convincing. "They want to change my books! They want me to go to prison!"

My father's expression changed instantly.

He knew that Caleb and Lydia had been borrowing money from me lately.

"Selene, tell me the truth!" He grabbed my arm. "What books are they changing?"

"It's... it's..." I pretended to be incoherent, clutching my head and crouching on the floor. "They want to kill me! It's safest in here!"

The young officer tried to help me up, but I shoved him away. "Don't touch me! You've all been paid off by them!"

My mother completely broke down. She collapsed on the floor, sobbing. "What did I do to deserve this? My daughter has gone mad!"

Just then, the security camera in the cell made a buzzing sound.

I caught a glimpse of the screen flickering. I sneered inwardly.

Caleb must have bribed a technician to see if I was actually losing it.

I decided to lie down on the floor, kicking my legs like a lunatic. "Don't shock me! I don't know anything! The money isn't with me!"

My father was shaking with rage. He told the officer, "Sir, she must be under too much pressure. We need to take her to a psychiatrist..."

"No!" I suddenly sat up and stared at the door. "They're here! Lydia is here!"

Everyone turned to look at the door, but it was empty.

The officers exchanged a look. They told my parents, "You two should head home. She's unstable. We'll have a doctor evaluate her."

My father wanted to say more, but my mother dragged him away.

As they passed the door, I heard her whisper, "Something is wrong. Selene never talks nonsense like that..."

I ramped up my performance. I started spinning in circles with my hands over my head. "They're all out to get me! Only this place is safe! I'm staying here!"

The young officer tried to soothe me. I pushed him and retreated to the corner. "Stay back! You're one of them!"

My mother's wailing was heart-wrenching. "Selene, Mommy was wrong. I shouldn't have let you carry everything alone. Let me take you to a doctor, okay?"

Seeing her despair, I almost cracked.

But I couldn't.

My father lost his temper and tried to drag me out by force. I immediately screamed, "Help! They're kidnapping me! Help!"

The police had to restrain my father. The scene was total chaos.

In the end, they forced my parents out. They had to wait in the lobby.

Through the crack in the door, I saw my father smoking one cigarette after another. His back was hunched as if he had aged twenty years in an instant. My mother sat on a bench, her tears never stopping.