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"Son,stay strong..."
As they consoled each other,the female officer arrived.
Seeing Michael,she froze.
He froze too.
Their communicated through silent gaze.
Michael stood up sharply,eyes bloodshot,staring at her."No,it's not her!"
The officer,pained,looked down.
I was grateful that she came,facing my irresponsible husband.
His wife was missing for two weeks,he was even the one who restored her body, yet he didn’t recognize her at all.
Michael's act of remorse fooled no one now.
As expected,the officer looked up,challenging,"You didn't recognize your own wife?"
Michael roared,"I don't believe it!I don't!"
He collapsed and fainted.
Mom screamed,"My boy,"she collapsed to and held him in his arms.
Thankfully,a medic was there.Five minutes later,Michael woke up.
"Who?Who killed her!"
The officers exchanged glances.Mom spoke first."That night,the rain,the crash I saw—it was Emily.I didn't know it was her,or I..."
Michael's eyes lit up."Right,it can't be!My wife wore a ring—that woman didn't.And her phone,wallet—how could there be nothing that showed her identity?!"
Captain Lewis entered,face grave.
"What you mentioned,we'll know tonight.The Jane Doe's DNA is being compared to Emily Dawson's."
"And this burglary ties to Emily's crash.The same van's in the footage."
At nine p.m.,my body was displayed in front of everyone again.
Perhaps due to time,the swelling had faded.Michael's work shone—my features clearer,I looked more like me...
Michael shook his head,tears pooling,collapsing onto my body,sobbing.
"Emily,Emily,I was wrong,I'm sorry...I didn't believe you..."
"It's my fault,come back to me,please..."
I stared coldly at his belated remorse,I could not even begin to describe the pain I felt in my heart.
Mom pounded him."It's you!What's so great about that woman?You were folling around with her,and now Emily's dead!"
"Mom,I...I know I was wrong..."
"Where's Clara?!Why isn't she here?She killed Emily!She needs to confess,to pay!"
Michael stopped crying."Uh,Clara said Timmy's feverish,went to the hospital."
Bang!Captain Lewis kicked open the morgue door.
"You fool!You blinded fools!Clara was stopped fleeing on the highway—she had stolen your car!"
"What?!"Michael scrambled up,eyes swollen.
Captain Lewis shoved him aside,exasperated."You didn't know if Clara was actually divorced?"
"She said..."
Lewis cut him short,gesturing for Michael to question Clara himself.
I drifted to the interrogation room.
Clara,handcuffed,was sitting there nonchalantly.
Lewis laid out evidence.She confessed everything.
It began at a reunion Michael went to.
Once just a handsome nobody with a grim,low-paying job,Michael now drove a million-dollar car,wore fine suits,and became the star.
Word spread,reaching Clara,who was then hundreds of miles away.
Her former admirer was now a big shot.She and her husband schemed.
Clara,claiming she had divorced,brought her son to Michael.His ego soared,covering the fee for Timmy's private preschool and hiring Clara as his"assistant."
They planned to leech off Michael.
But Clara's husband killed someone in a hit-and-run,facing paying the other party half-million-dollar as compensation.
Clara wanted to get a real divorce.
They struck a deal:her husband killed me,and Clara,marrying Michael,would pay him half a million.
Even Clara didn't expect her husband to steal our house keys after killing me,robbing us.
Clara then tried to flee in Michael's car...
Hearing her words,Michael crumpled,his eyes vacant as he muttered,"I killed her,I killed her..."
Mom,unable to hold back,lunged at the Clara,and when she was restrained by police,she cursed Clara with all her might.
I finally knew why I had no ID—Clara's husband stole it all.
Looking down at my body,I could feel my soul turning transparent,I recalled an old saying:
Those who die unjustly could only reborn after knowing their killer,else they’ll wander forever...
Three days later,my funeral was held.
Many came,likely because my story was on the news.
I heard a mother tell her daughter:
"Child,don't marry for me.I can support you forever,but please don’t end up with the wrong man..."
Yes.
If I'd had a mom,she'd have warned me too.
But I had no mom...
My consciousness faded,and I whispered silently,"Mom,next life,I just want a mom."
