Chapter 3

03

I went online and saw a viral post from one of the EPA rangers I had called. He had posted heartbreaking photos of the dying rhododendrons, cursing whoever was responsible.

Jasmine had also posted a few edited photos from her hospital bed.

She was a mid-tier influencer with a decent following. Some of her eagle-eyed fans noticed the background matched the ranger's photos perfectly.

The internet immediately connected the dots. They realized she was the one who used toxic snow on endangered plants.

The backlash was instant. Plant lovers and activists flooded her comments with vitriol.

To save her own skin, Jasmine went live to "clarify" the situation and throw me under the bus.

I clicked on the stream. She was wearing a hospital gown, her face wrapped in gauze, looking like a tragic victim.

"I'm so sorry you have to see me like this," she sobbed into the camera.

"But I didn't kill those plants. I just hired a photography studio for a shoot."

"The studio provided the snow! I'm so sorry I didn't vet them better. I'm devastated by the damage to the reserve…"

Landon stepped into the frame behind her, looking like her devoted knight. He bowed deeply toward the camera.

"This tragedy was entirely the fault of our employee, Gwen Vance," he said solemnly.

"She's my ex-girlfriend. She was so jealous of Jasmine that she intentionally bought industrial chemicals to hurt her."

"I've already fired her and ended our relationship. She will be held accountable for her crimes."

"Jasmine is completely innocent. Please, stop attacking her."

The commenters, knowing nothing of the truth, turned their rage on me.

"Wow, the jealousy is real! She destroyed an endangered species just because she's a hater? Put her in jail!" one wrote.

"Where are the cops? Arrest this psycho!" another added.

"Poor Jasmine. She's scarred for life because of this girl."

The internet mob was fast. They found my social media accounts and started flooding me with death threats.

Someone even pointed out that I shared a name with the Sterling heiress, but Landon just laughed it off in the comments, calling it a pathetic joke.

I watched the screen, trembling with laughter and rage. I couldn't believe the audacity of these two.

I was the one who called the cops! How did they think they could get away with this?

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was Landon.

"You ruined Jasmine's face," he barked the moment I picked up. "I'm giving you a chance to make it right. You're going to take the fall for everything."

"Jasmine is a high-society girl. She can't have a criminal record. If you go to jail for a few months, she'll give you five thousand dollars."

"That's more money than you've ever seen. It's a good deal for a girl like you."

"Go online right now and tell everyone it was your fault."

I felt a surge of disgust. Thank god for the automatic call-recording feature on my phone.

"You're the one who bought the snow, Landon," I said, keeping my voice steady.

"You want me to ruin my entire life for you? Are you trying to destroy me?"

Landon huffed impatiently. Then, his voice softened into a condescending tone. "Look, you're just a girl from a small town. A prison record won't hurt your future that much."

"Besides, if you do this, I'll take you back. I won't even hold the jail time against you."

"In your dreams, loser," I snapped and hung up.

In my last life, they could frame me because I was dead. This time, I was very much alive, and there was no way I was going to be their scapegoat.

Reporters eventually found my building. When I saw the cameras outside, I walked straight out to meet them.

Landon was right there in the middle of the crowd, playing the part of the moral hero.

"Gwen, just turn yourself in," he shouted. "It's the only way to move on!"

The reporters swarmed me, shoving microphones into my face.

"Ms. Vance, why did you buy toxic snow? Was it really out of jealousy?"

"Do you have no respect for nature? An endangered plant is dead because of you. How do you feel?"

"Are you even educated? Didn't you see the giant signs at the entrance of the reserve?"

Landon gave me a warning look. The message was clear: take the hit, or he'd never take me back.

I looked at his smug, confident face and let out a dry chuckle.

"Making false accusations is a crime," I said to the cameras. "You all might want to think twice before you keep talking."

Landon scoffed. "We all saw what happened. I'm standing here before the media―if I'm lying, may god strike my family down!"

I started clapping slowly, then pulled out my phone.

"That's funny. Because I have the receipts."