Chapter 3
I froze, a jolt of panic hitting me.
Without thinking, I stepped in front of Oliver, shielding him.
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“Why? My daughter never did anything to you! Why did you kill her?”
The woman in front of me was covered in blood–her
appearance was utterly shocking.
But what struck me the most was the look on her face. I knew
that face.
She was Charlotte Vaughn, the mother of the deceased Serena Vaughn.
A sense of dread started gnawing at me.
This wasn’t how things went down in my last life.
Charlotte gripped my shoulder with bone–crushing force, her eyes filled with rage as they locked on Oliver, who stood by the rooftop edge.
“An eye for an eye! Oliver Harrington, I swear I’ll make sure my daughter gets revenge!”
Gavin’s mom, unable to watch this, quickly intervened, “Do you
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even know slander is a crime? The investigation’s not even done, and you’re accusing my grandson of murder? I’ll sue you for
this!”
She turned to Oliver, a smug look on her face.
“Oliver, don’t worry. Your father’s a lawyer–he handles criminal cases all the time. This is nothing for him!”
Charlotte, her anger boiling over, snapped back, “You think you’re the only ones who can afford a lawyer?!”
Alexander Vaughn stepped in front of his wife, calming her with a reassuring hand.
“I’ve already contacted my lawyer. The firm’s taking on the case. They’ve got the best criminal lawyer–never lost a case in this
area.”
I grabbed Gavin’s mom’s arm, stopping her from continuing.
If this kept going, things would spiral completely out of control.
I turned to Oliver, who looked terrified, his eyes wide and
uncertain.
“Oliver, I know you didn’t kill her. You were trying to help her, weren’t you?”
He blinked, taken aback. “How do you know that?”
“I know she was hurt. You called her up here to the rooftop to
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protect her, to stop her from being hurt again, right?”
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I continued, “You thought only your dad could handle this, so you kept pushing him to get involved. But, Oliver, I can help too. Don’t you remember what I used to do for a living?”
For the first time, he seemed to wake up, his face softening as he realized.
Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Alexander’s phone
rang.
Oliver flinched, recoiling like a trapped animal.
“Hello, is this Mr. Alexander Vaughn?”
The voice on the other end of the line made my heart drop.
It was Gavin.
A cold wave of shock washed over me.
Everything felt like it was spinning in a direction I didn’t expect.
I looked at Alexander and Charlotte.
In my last life, I had only met them in the police station, never like this.
It felt like something–or someone–was steering everything
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loward disaster.
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I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong, but I couldn’t pinpoint what.
“Sir, I’ve fully taken over your case. I’ve already reviewed the details. I’m so sorry for your daughter’s death, but don’t worry— I’ll make sure the culprit pays for this. I’ll make sure they get the maximum sentence.”
Charlotte yanked the phone from Alexander’s hand, her voice filled with anguish.
“I want that killer to die! The person who took my daughter from me I won’t rest until they’re gone!”
On the other end of the line, Gavin’s voice oozed with scorn, completely unabashed.
“These kinds of people–society’s filth–I’ll make sure they’re put behind bars for good, even if I don’t take a penny for it!”
“Dad!”
Oliver spoke up, his voice trembling in disbelief.
“What if…”
He hesitated, his throat tight.
“What if the person is innocent?”
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Gavin didn’t miss a beat, his voice dripping with superiority. I doubted he ever stopped to think about why his son was the one on the other end of the line.
“I’ve already looked into it. The person who pushed Serena has a history of violence–multiple school fights and disciplinary actions. People like that shouldn’t be allowed to walk free. This tragedy is the result of the school turning a blind eye to his behavior!”
Fighting?
A history of trouble?
I could hardly breathe as Gavin’s words sunk in.
Ever since Celeste returned, Gavin had brought her on as his secretary, and he’d spent countless hours with her, all while secretly taking her to school meetings..
Their behavior had become even more brazen, and it wasn’t long before they were caught in a compromising situation in the school bathroom by another parent.
Oliver’s reputation was destroyed, and he was mocked by his classmates.
If it weren’t for Gavin’s actions, none of this would’ve happened!
How could he sit there and accuse our son of having such a history?
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Oliver took a step back, his voice barely audible, as if unsure if he even belonged in this conversation.
“So, you think this person should die?”
Gavin answered almost without thinking.
“People like him–sociopaths–they’re a plague on society. The world would be better off without them.”
I saw Oliver’s face turn ashen, and I reached out to hang up the phone.
But before I could, Alexander intercepted my move, his hand stopping mine..
I froze, my heart racing, as I turned to face Oliver.
“Oliver, don’t listen to him…”
“Mom!”
Oliver forced a bitter, pained smile.
“I’m sorry.”
Before I could react, he jumped.
“No!”
I ran, my heart pounding in my chest as I sprinted toward the edge of the rooftop.
