It was the dead of night when a heavy, frantic pounding echoed from the front door. Thud. Thud. Thud. "Sarah! Open up! My dad’s having an episode! You guys have to drive us to the ER, now!" My husband, David, rubbed his sleepy eyes and instinctively moved to get out of bed. I shot up and grabbed his arm, my grip like iron. "Shh. Don't make a sound." In my past life, David and I had opened that door out of kindness. We drove that old man to the hospital. And because of that single act of kindness, we lost everything. Our home. Our lives. 1. David blinked, confused, his voice raspy with sleep. "Honey, what’s wrong?" "Rick’s dad is sick. They don’t have a car. We should help." I let out a cold, silent laugh. "If it’s a real emergency, David, why aren't they calling 911?" "Don't turn on the lights. Don't speak. Pretend we aren't home." David didn't understand, but he trusted me. He scratched his head and settled back into the pillows. "But Sarah... if the old man doesn't make it because we didn't help... won't you feel guilty?" I shook my head, hiding the pure hatred burning in my eyes. Guilty? Never again. The pounding continued for a long time. It was relentless. Then, our phones started lighting up in the dark. Call after call. Luckily, I had silenced them beforehand. David finally sensed something was off. "That’s weird," he whispered. "Usually, if no one answers, you stop knocking. Why are they hammering on the door like that?" "His dad is supposedly dying, yet instead of calling an ambulance, they’re wasting time knocking on our door?" Exactly. It had been ten minutes. I crept to the door on my tiptoes and pressed my ear against the cold wood. "Damn it, they aren't home. Now what?" A rough voice hissed from the hallway. I heard someone spit on the floor. "Did you find anyone else?" "No." A deep sigh from the other side. "Just our luck. Useless neighbors. Call 911, hurry." "We can't let the old man expire yet. Not now." Their footsteps faded down the hall. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and looked back at David. His eyes were wide with shock. "They... they were trying to set us up?" I nodded, my face grim. "You guessed it." Before we fell asleep, David kept muttering. "How could they be like that? We’ve been neighbors for years." "We used to share BBQ in the backyard. Why would they want to hurt us?" I gently covered his mouth with my hand. "Stop thinking about it. Just sleep." 2. In the previous timeline, David and I opened the door immediately. We helped them carry the gasping old man into our backseat. Rick and his wife, Karen, sat in the back, screaming at us to drive faster. David ran two red lights. Then, at the third intersection... crash. We sideswiped another car. It was minor. Just a fender bender. No one was hurt. But that little bump was the beginning of the end. By the time we got to the hospital, the old man was gone. Rick and Karen’s faces changed instantly. They screamed in the hospital lobby, calling us criminals. They claimed our reckless driving caused the "accident" that took the old man out. They said his head hit the seat frame during the collision. And sure enough, there was a wound on the back of his head. Before we could defend ourselves, the driver of the other car jumped in. "I saw it! They sped up when they saw me! They hit me on purpose!" "You knew you had a sick passenger and you still drove like maniacs? You monsters!" There were no traffic cameras on that specific stretch of road. The man passed away in our car. We had to take the fall. We paid the settlement they demanded. We emptied our savings. But it wasn't enough. They stood outside our office building with banners and the old man’s medical records. They claimed he was recovering. That he would have lived if not for us. They said the old man was the pillar of their family. Now their kids were too traumatized to go to school. They painted us as heartless villains. They forced us to pay for their living expenses. Their kids' tuition. Everything. They were a black hole. When we ran out of money, they didn't stop. One night, they spiked our drinks, stole our IDs, and took out massive loans in our names. We were drowning in debt. I will never forget the day the loan sharks came. Rick stood there, eating sunflower seeds, cheering them on. "These two are garbage!" he shouted. "Get 'em! They deserve it!" "Do society a favor!" "Hey, take it easy on the woman, though. She’s got a nice figure. You guys could have some fun with her." "Just let me watch." David and I didn't make it. We were beaten until everything went black. Even after we were gone, they didn't stop. They livestreamed lies about us, inciting strangers to desecrate our graves. But fate gave me a second chance. I woke up on the day the nightmare began. 3. The next morning, we left for work. We ran into Rick and Karen at the complex gate. Rick glared at us, his eyes full of venom. "You two sleep like the dead? We knocked for twenty minutes last night." David smiled politely. "Sorry, Rick. Work dinner. We got in late and crashed hard. What’s up?" Karen snorted. "My dad had an episode. Needed the ER." "You know, Sarah, because of you guys not answering, my dad almost didn't make it." David started to apologize, but I stepped in front of him. I looked Karen up and down with a smirk. "Karen, I’m confused. How is your dad’s health our responsibility?" Karen put her hands on her hips, her voice rising. "How? You delayed his treatment! We’re neighbors! You didn't answer your phone! Who else should I blame?" I chuckled. "I didn't realize being a neighbor meant I signed a 24/7 on-call paramedic contract." "You had time to blow up my phone, but no time to dial 911?" "You!" Karen wasn't used to me fighting back. I was usually the nice one. She pointed a finger in my face. "It’s your fault! You won’t even apologize? The audacity!" "So much for being good neighbors!" "Lucky for you my dad is still breathing, or I’d ruin you!" Rick spat on the ground near my shoes. "Fine. You want to play hardball? Don't expect any favors from us." I took a dramatic step back, feigning fear. "Rick, are you threatening me?" "I get scared easily. If I have a panic attack and faint right now, can you afford the lawsuit?" Rick stared at me, his face blank. He muttered one phrase. "Watch your back." 4. Rick’s dad didn't pass away. Remembering my past life, a terrifying theory formed in my mind. I told David. He agreed. A few days later, the dad was discharged. Karen called me immediately. Her voice was syrupy sweet, the aggression gone. "Hey Sarah! What are you up to? Got a minute?" I stayed silent. She giggled nervously. "So, Dad’s getting out of the hospital. Could you swing by and pick us up?" "You know we don't have a car, and he can't walk that far." "Neighbors help neighbors, right? I’ll bake you guys some cookies." I laughed softly into the receiver. "I don't think I dare eat your cookies, Karen. Weren't you going to 'ruin me' a few days ago?" "I’m busy. No." I hung up before she could respond. I smiled, imagining her stomping her feet. Moments later, a notification popped up in the Community HOA Group Chat. [Karen]: Is anyone free to help bring my sick father home? Sarah won't help us. It’s so hard being a woman taking care of an elderly parent alone... I laughed out loud. She has time to text the group, but refuses to call an Uber. She just wants to save the fifty bucks. A neighbor replied quickly. [Brenda - Apt 302]: Oh my god, that’s terrible, Karen. [Brenda - Apt 302]: Taking care of the elderly is so hard. I thought Sarah and David were nice? I can't believe she won't help. Brenda. The neighborhood gossip. She always disliked me for some reason. She tagged me in the chat. [Brenda - Apt 302]: @Sarah Be a decent human being. Karen always gives you veggies from her garden. [Brenda - Apt 302]: Why are you so selfish? [Brenda - Apt 302]: Everyone knows you guys have money. You have a nice car. Why not just pick them up? Other neighbors started chiming in. [Neighbor A]: To be fair, maybe Sarah is busy? [Neighbor B]: Yeah, just grab a cab. It’s easier. But Brenda rallied her troops. [Brenda - Apt 302]: A cab? For a man in a wheelchair? A private car is much more comfortable. [Brenda - Apt 302]: Where is the compassion in this building? The chat turned into a war zone. People forgot that Karen asked for help and started arguing about morals. Karen panicked. [Karen]: Please stop fighting! It’s my fault for asking. [Karen]: Is there anyone who can help? The chat went silent.
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