In my past life, my husband was pushed into the sea and drowned by the woman he always loved. While I was still in shock, trying to handle his funeral arrangements, the police arrested me. The surveillance footage showed me pushing him overboard. But at that exact moment, I was in my cabin with my stepfather, discussing business. I had a perfect alibi. I asked my stepfather to testify for me. Instead, he told the police my company was facing financial ruin and I had planned to kill my husband for the insurance money. Was this man really my father? The result, of course, was a conviction for murder and a death sentence. Until my final breath, I couldn't understand why everyone said I killed him. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the ship, just before my husband fell. I went straight to security. I told them I was going to murder my husband soon and that they needed to arrest me immediately. They thought I was crazy and ignored me. Desperate, I started smashing things and acting like a lunatic until they finally detained me. Only then could I breathe a sigh of relief. 1 "Excuse me? You said you're going to kill someone?" I tapped the face of my watch frantically. "Yes! It’s 5:05 PM. In twenty minutes, my husband, Chase, is going to go overboard by my hand. You need to arrest me. Now." The air in the grand atrium seemed to freeze. The security officer looked me up and down like I belonged in a straitjacket. "I've never had a killer confess before the crime. Are you high? Or just off your meds?" "I'm not lying! Detain me now, and in twenty minutes you'll see I'm telling the truth!" The officer frowned, his disdain obvious. "Look, ma'am, if this is some kind of roleplay you and your husband are into, fine. But don't disturb our work." He started to walk away. Panic surged through me. I grabbed a large ceramic vase from a pedestal and hurled it at the floor. Smash! The sound of shattering pottery echoed through the hall. Tourists screamed and turned to stare. "Are you crazy?!" the young officer shouted. He reached for me, but I started grabbing anything I could reach—ashtrays, decorative plates—throwing them like a maniac. "What is security doing? Grab her!" "We paid thousands for a luxury cruise, not to watch a mental breakdown!" The crowd’s anger boiled over. I acted like a woman possessed, smashing everything in the lobby until the Head of Security arrived with backup. They tackled me to the ground, twisting my arms behind my back and slapping on the cuffs. "I’ve never seen anything like it," the young officer told his boss, panting. "She walked up, said she was gonna kill someone, and when I didn't arrest her, she started destroying the lobby." The cold steel against my skin made me feel safer than I had in years. "Take her to the brig. Watch her. Don't let her cause any more trouble." The brig was empty. I closed my eyes and counted the seconds. In my last life, this was a family trip. Chase’s "one that got away," Sarah, had begged to come along. I had refused at first. But Chase insisted. He said Sarah was getting married soon and moving to Europe; this was her final send-off. I reluctantly agreed. I didn't know that while they were watching the sunset on the deck, they would argue, and Sarah would shove him overboard. I had tried to get the crew to save him, but the sun had set, and the waves were too rough. By morning, he was gone. Before I could even mourn, the authorities came for me. "We have probable cause to detain you for the death of Chase Miller." I was shocked. "Sarah pushed him! I saw it from the balcony! You have the wrong person!" But they showed me the footage. It was me in the video. I looked to my stepfather, Richard, for help. He just shook his head. "Chloe, you have to pay for your crimes." I couldn't believe he was lying. I was with him when Chase fell. It was all a lie. "Chloe Vance, just confess. Everyone on deck saw you do it." One person can lie. But a whole deck of witnesses? A security camera? I went to my execution screaming that it was Sarah. Now, I sat in the brig, waiting. 2 Tick. Tock. Suddenly, a dull thud vibrated through the hull, barely audible over the engine's hum. Screams erupted from the deck above. I knew it. Chase had gone over. Moments later, heavy boots pounded down the hallway. The young officer kicked the door open. He froze when he saw me. "How... you're still here?" Before he could finish, a mob of tourists pushed past him. "That's her! She’s the killer! I saw her push him!" "Don't let her escape! We all saw it!" A guy in a flashy shirt was holding up a phone, live-streaming. "Yo, chat! We caught the killer! Like and subscribe to see justice served!" I turned away from the camera, rattling my handcuffs against the pipe I was tethered to. "What’s going on? I’ve been chained here the whole time." The mob paused, confused, looking at my restraints. "Ask the guard," I said loudly. "I caused a scene in the lobby. He arrested me. He has the key." The young officer nodded slowly. "Yeah... I locked her up twenty minutes ago. The key has been in my pocket. She couldn't have been on deck." In my last life, I was too busy trying to save Chase to notice the trap closing. This time, I had the ultimate alibi. The crowd murmured. "Did we get the wrong person?" "I saw her smashing vases earlier. It took three guys to take her down." "Move, let us through! We need to find the real killer!" The streamer looked disappointed. "False alarm, guys?" Just then, Sarah pushed through the crowd, her face twisted in grief and rage. "Chloe! You heartless monster! Chase wanted a divorce, so you killed him?!" "Everyone! The man in the water is her husband! She killed him!" Sarah sobbed theatrically. "Poor Chase... he was willing to give up everything to be free of you, but you wouldn't let him go!" The crowd’s mood swung instantly. "It was her husband? That’s sick." "If they were divorcing, she definitely had a motive." "Look at her face, she looks guilty as hell!" I tried to speak, but the streamer guy kicked me hard in the ribs. I was chained and couldn't dodge. I curled up on the floor, groaning. The chat on his screen went wild. User123: Kick her again! Justice for Chase! AlphaMale88: Typical toxic ex. She needs a lesson. Encouraged, the mob surged forward. I took hits, my hair pulled, my face scratched. "Enough!" The Head of Security slammed his baton against the doorframe. "Back off! This is a holding cell, not a octagon. Back off or you all go in the brig!" The crowd retreated. I pulled myself up, wiping blood from my lip. "I didn't kill anyone," I said, my voice cold. "If you don't believe me, check the security tapes in this room." 3 The young officer scrambled to the console. He pulled up the footage. It showed me sitting there, handcuffed, the entire time. The crowd went silent. Sarah’s eyes darted around nervously. "You can't just check this room! Check the deck! The crime scene!" The Head of Security pulled up the deck feed. On the screen, Chase and I were standing in a secluded corner of the deck. We were arguing. Suddenly, the "Chloe" on the screen screamed, shoved Chase violently over the rail, and ran away. The video ended. My mind raced. The woman on the screen looked exactly like me. Same height, same build. But it was Sarah who was with him. How did she turn into me? The internet chat was confused too. SimpSlayer: Wait, how can she be in two places at once? CSI_Miami_Fan: Is she a twin? Or is that a deepfake? LawyerUp: If she has an alibi in custody, the video evidence is compromised. Reasonable doubt. "It's the same person!" Sarah shrieked, pointing at the screen. "Look closely! It's Chloe!" "When one spouse dies, the other is always the prime suspect!" "She probably bribed these guards! Don't let her trick you!" Before I could defend myself, my stepfather, Richard, burst into the room. Slap! His hand connected hard with my cheek. "Chloe! I didn't raise you to be a murderer!" "I told you I would fix the company's debt! You didn't have to kill Chase for the insurance money!" Richard threw a stack of documents onto the floor. The streamer zoomed in. CryptoKing: Holy sht! Two life insurance policies! Twenty million dollars!* TradWife4Life: She did it for the money. Disgusting. Sarah smirked through her fake tears. "Witnesses, video evidence, and motive. It’s over, Chloe. You’re going to rot in prison." "A life for a life!" the mob chanted. Even the young officer looked at me with disgust now. Suddenly, my phone rang. The guard looked at his boss, who nodded. He uncuffed one of my hands so I could answer. "Are you going to order a hit on us too?" Sarah sneered. I ignored her. It was my assistant. I listened to the report, and a smile spread across my face. Richard wiped his fake tears. "Chloe, admit it. I can't protect you anymore. I demand the police prosecute you to the fullest!" If I hadn't lived through this before, I would have been heartbroken by his betrayal. I laughed, a dry, hollow sound. "Dad. You loved Chase so much. Is it because he's actually your biological son?" Richard froze. "You crazy bitch, what are you saying?" "I raised you! I treated you like my own! And this is the thanks I get?" I looked straight into the streamer's camera lens. "Stop acting. I know everything. Chase is your illegitimate son." "Isn't that right... Chase?" 4 The room went dead silent. ConspiracyTheory101: Wait, is the victim... not dead? OceanLover: If he fell into the ocean at night, he's shark food. She's bluffing. Sarah stepped forward. "Chase is gone! How dare you disrespect the dead!" Richard clutched his chest. "You are accusing me of... this is insane! I would never hurt my own daughter!" "Daughter?" I scoffed. "If I was your daughter, would you be so eager to see me executed? You just want me out of the way so you and your son can enjoy the payout." "We can do a DNA test right now. Let's see who his real father is." The crowd murmured. Richard’s reaction was too suspicious. Richard gritted his teeth. "I raised you! That’s more than blood! And now you treat me like a dog!" Sarah jumped in. "Richard is a saint! You’re the monster! You killed his son!" I laughed. "No, Sarah. You killed him." "Or tried to." "You weren't in your room like you planned. You got greedy." Sarah turned pale. "I... I was in my room!" "Really? Because I have proof you weren't." I lunged at her. The crowd screamed and scattered. Sarah shrieked and dodged, but the man in black standing behind her—her "bodyguard"—wasn't fast enough. I tackled him. His cap flew off. His mask slipped. The face beneath was scarred, horrific. But I recognized the eyes.
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