Chapter 1

Jessica, the rookie teacher, actually set a fire in the kindergarten to make the fire drill look real—and it turned into a nightmare when a stampede broke out.

Almost half the kids at the kindergarten didn't make it out alive.

Jessica was bawling her eyes out, begging me to take the fall for her.

She wailed, "I'm so young. I don't want to end up behind bars."

I flat-out refused and handed her over to the police. But then, my fiancé publicly accused me of abusing my authority, making it sound like I was using my position for personal gain.

He testified on Jessica's behalf, insisting she was covering for someone else and deliberately framed me for everything that happened.

Not only did I lose my job, but I was also staring down decades in prison.

The parents of the children who died had been protesting outside my house every day, holding banners and demanding that I pay with my life for what had happened to their kids.

On the day of the trial, a grief-crazed parent stabbed me repeatedly, and I bled out on the courthouse steps.

Afterward, my fiancé made a show of forgiveness for the killer right in front of the cameras, playing the part of Mr. Righteous for all the world to see.

He declared, "She lost only her life, but they lost their whole families."

That little performance turned him into an overnight sensation, and soon he and Jessica strutted down the wedding aisle, with zero shame, right over the ruin of everything I lost.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the very day of the fire drill.

"Please, don't step on me. Somebody, help!" one of the kids sobbed, voice quivering.

My heart skipped a beat at their cries, and I instinctively whipped around to see what was happening.

A heap of kids lay piled up, others still tumbling down the stairs. The poor boy at the very bottom was ghost-white, lips almost blue.

Just as I was about to rush over, Jessica stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

She flashed me a bright, almost cheerful smile and said, "Emily, don't worry. The kids will handle this emergency on their own. We can't mess up the fire drill."

In my previous life, Jessica secretly set a fire inside the kindergarten to make the drill feel authentic—all without telling anyone.

She wouldn't even let me step in or guide the kids, insisting it was all about fostering their so-called independence.

With no one in charge, the kids panicked and all bolted for the stairs—triggering the stampede.

By the time I saw how bad things were and tried to save them, almost half the kids had already lost their lives.

Thinking back to how all those kids ended up dead in the previous life sent a cold chill down my spine.

I slapped Jessica's hand away and shouted at her, "Did you not notice the kid at the bottom's lips are white as a sheet? Do you really think this fire drill matters more than a child's life?"

Jessica barely glanced over, then waved her hand like she couldn't care less.

She scoffed, "Come on, it's just a little pale. He's not going to kick the bucket.

"Emily, seriously, can you stop freaking out over every little thing?"

I shot her a death glare and warned, "Shut up. Don't think you can fool me—I know you lit that fire."

Jessica was stomping around behind me, her face flushed with anger, but she didn't dare say a word to deny it.

I grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the flames before they could spread and hurt anyone else.

When I finally got to them, the kids at the bottom were still colorless, but I let out a shaky breath—thank God I'd stepped in time. Their lips were pale, but this time they looked like they'd make it.

I blew the whistle hanging around my neck; the kids who were rushing and panicking on the stairs quickly quieted down, turning their attention to me.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and called out, "Kids, line up and take it slow. No need to be scared."

With a teacher finally giving orders, the children started copying the kids in front, lining up and calmly walking down the stairs one after another.

I started helping the kids up from the floor one by one, but Jessica barreled in and shoved me aside.

She glared at the kids on the floor and barked, "Get up on your own. Don't just lie there waiting for a teacher to help you."

Then she turned to me, looking annoyed. She said, "Emily, you can't coddle these kids. They need to learn to get up by themselves."