Chapter 2 — My Alibi

Your husband, Tran Tieu, has already been identified at the scene, and you were the one driving the vehicle. Your fingerprints were found on the steering wheel, and the last driver captured on the dashcam was also you!

I listened quietly as he laid out the accusations. It was just like in my past life, only the fabricated charges were different, yet they were all malicious frames. I had to hand it to Tran Tieu. To protect his childhood sweetheart, there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do. Back in this exact moment in my previous life, I had completely lost my mind, rambling incoherently without making any sense. But now, I simply looked at him with a calm gaze: Comrade officer, what time did you say the accident occurred? He repeated with absolute certainty: The dashcam footage shows six o'clock in the evening. My peripheral vision swept over the signed log sheet. At six o'clock in the evening, I was right there signing my name. Officer Giang noticed my silence and pulled out the crime scene photos for me to confirm.

Was the license plate 33889 the school shuttle bus belonging to your kindergarten?

I glanced at it. The car was severely wrecked, with the entire middle section crushed completely inward. Before I could even open my mouth, the staff member beside me furrowed his brow.

This does not add up.

He set aside all the previous reports, pointed to the exact time I had pressed my fingerprint down, and stated: The perpetrator of this accident crashed into the traffic light at the Thanh Son intersection at 5:40 PM. Traffic police arrived at the scene at 5:45 PM to investigate, take photographs, and gather evidence. At 5:55 PM, the perpetrator was placed into a police cruiser, and at six o'clock, the signature was obtained. This is the entire timeline. How, pray tell, do you expect her to simultaneously cause an accident on Tung Pha Road, which is a fifteen-minute drive away?

Officer Giang froze, his head dropping repeatedly as he cross-referenced the log times with the crime scene photographs. His frown grew deeper and tighter. Just as he was about to speak, the door was shoved open violently. Tran Tieu rushed in frantically, spotted me, and instantly raised his hand to deliver a sharp slap across my face.

Lam Vi, why did you run away? Three children are dead now! If you had only taken them to the hospital sooner, perhaps they could still have been saved!

There was no genuine fury on his face, only an agonizing torment that seemed almost unbearable. He pulled me into a tight embrace.

Wife, the accident has already happened. Just take responsibility, cooperate fully with the investigation, and strive for leniency from the court.

His eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down his cheeks, and every single word he uttered sounded as though he were looking out for my best interests. Yet, every sentence pushed me one step closer to a dead end. I gently pushed him away, fixing him with an icy stare: My heart aches deeply for the death of those children, but I did not drive that car, and the accident has nothing to do with me. Tran Tieu wore an expression of utter heartbreak, his grip on my hand tightening.

Lam Vi, what time do you think it is to still be evading your guilt? An An, the surviving child, stated with her own eyes that you were the driver. How could that possibly be fabricated?

Confess right now, and I will hire the finest defense attorney for your case to secure a reduced sentence.

He turned his head to look at the traffic police officer, his tone groveling and humble.

Comrade officer, my wife has not been emotionally stable lately. I am certain she did not mean to flee. I will convince her to make a full confession in exchange for leniency, so I beg you not to officially charge her with hit-and-run. With so many children dead, could she possibly face the death penalty?

His tone practically begged to turn that into a definitive statement, eager to convict me right on the spot. Just as I was about to speak, Lieu Thanh Thanh walked in, leading a group of grieving parents behind her.

4

The moment she stepped into the room, she cupped her hands together in a gesture of prayer.

Heaven be praised, they finally caught her.

She looked at me, her expression one of utter disbelief and disappointment.

Principal Lam, even if you were desperately trying to curry favor with Bureau Chief Truong, you still should not have disregarded the safety of the children by driving that faulty vehicle! Was a special-class principal title really worth all this?

She spoke as if driving the final nails into my coffin, pouring oil onto the blazing fire.

If you hadn't fled, those three children might still be alive today. But you... Principal Lam, I truly never imagined you could be such an irresponsible person. Those little ones all called you Mother Principal, so how could you be so utterly heartless...

With a single sentence, she completely sealed my fate as the perpetrator of a fatal hit-and-run. The furious parents lunged forward, eager to tear into me, but were swiftly blocked by the police. Even having lived through this before, the sheer injustice made my whole body tremble with rage. I stared straight into her eyes.

Lieu Thanh Thanh, you were the one driving! You were the one who made an illegal, high-speed lane change, not me!

Her face instantly drained of all color, and her eye sockets reddened immediately.

Principal Lam, how could you frame me like this? Everyone knows how desperately you tried to win over Bureau Chief Truong, and Bureau Chief Truong's son's affairs were all handled personally by your own hands...

She shrank back, biting her lip as she looked pleadingly toward Tran Tieu.

Principal Tran, it wasn't me... You have to believe me...

Tran Tieu instantly stepped in to shield her behind him, his voice softening with reassurance.

I know, don't be afraid. You came here to work, not to be a scapegoat for someone else's crimes!

He raised his head to look at me, his gaze freezing over.

Lam Vi, you have gone too far. Own up to the mess you created, and don't think you can pin your crimes on Thanh Thanh just because she is only an ordinary teacher!

For the sake of our years as husband and wife, I am willing to exhaust all our savings to compensate the families and guarantee a lawyer for you, but you must confess immediately!