When my boyfriend found out I was hospitalized after an injury and couldn’t cover my shift at the bank, his reaction was anything but supportive. “You switched shifts with someone without telling me first? You’re such a deceitful little snake!” he yelled. I didn’t argue back. Instead, I quietly handed him my hospital certificate while staring at the chaotic scene unfolding at the bank. In my previous life, I had encountered a couple at the counter who came to deposit five million dollars. Their child had been diagnosed with a rare illness, and this five million dollars was the result of selling their house and even one of their kidneys—money they desperately needed for their child’s life-saving surgery scheduled the next day. But the very next morning, the money they had just deposited vanished under mysterious circumstances. I helped them track down the withdrawal location, only to discover that the surveillance footage showed me taking the money. Faced with their accusations, my best friend burst into tears. She said sorrowfully, “Even if you wanted to live a luxurious life, how could you steal someone’s life-saving money using your job?” My boyfriend, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, immediately chimed in, “So that’s how you suddenly had money to buy a car. You’re a murderer at heart!” The delay caused by this event cost their child the chance for surgery. Overcome with grief, the couple attacked and killed me in the middle of the street. When I opened my eyes again, I thought injuring myself might help me avoid repeating the same tragedy. But I never expected the surveillance footage to once again show me secretly withdrawing the money. “Ugh, dressed in rags and carrying that filthy bag. This is no place for beggars.” “Don’t come to me for help! You stink. I only serve big clients.” These familiar, disdainful voices snapped me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes to see Evelyn Carter pinching her nose with a look of utter contempt as she turned away. Standing outside the glass wall were a couple with deeply worried faces. Humiliated by the rude treatment, they stood awkwardly, gripping the money bag tightly and refusing to leave. Evelyn’s eyes darted mischievously as she suddenly adopted a falsely charitable tone. She said, “Go to the counter on the left. Azalea loves playing the saint; she’ll help you count that bag of coins.” The couple’s pleading eyes turned to me, and my heart sank like a stone. In my previous life, when Evelyn insulted them, I immediately apologized on her behalf and took over the transaction. No one had expected what happened next. The couple pulled out an entire five million dollars in cash from their woven bag. Evelyn’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She immediately asked them where they got so much money. The couple explained tearfully that it was for their daughter’s surgery. Both elderly and financially struggling, they had sold a kidney each and mortgaged the home they had lived in their entire lives just to scrape together the operation fee. Misfortune seemed to prey on the unfortunate, and their plight moved me to tears. Evelyn, however, started to pry into their family situation. I firmly told Evelyn to stop harassing the clients. After helping the elderly couple deposit their money, I even reminded them to keep the bank card close and never let it out of their sight. The couple left, full of gratitude, while Evelyn hurriedly took leave from work. At the time, I thought I had done a good deed by helping the unfortunate. I never imagined it would lead to my tragic death.
The next day, as soon as I arrived at the bank, I saw the couple who had deposited money yesterday standing at the entrance, crying uncontrollably. I hurried over to ask what had happened and learned that although they had kept their bank card with them the entire time, the money in their account had disappeared. The bizarre theft quickly caught the bank’s attention. Seeing the couple on the verge of a breakdown, I offered them some warm water and patiently inquired if anyone else had handled their bank card. They adamantly assured me that the card had always been kept under their pillow and had never left their sight. There were no signs of the windows or doors being opened, so theft seemed impossible. Watching their heart-wrenching sobs, I felt deeply concerned. I immediately used the bank’s system to check the withdrawal times and ATM locations. The records showed that the money had indeed been withdrawn in multiple transactions the previous night. The thief had methodically emptied the account across several ATMs over the night. When the couple heard this, they nearly fainted from despair. Unable to stand by, I pleaded with my supervisor to retrieve the surveillance footage from the withdrawal locations. Faced with such a baffling incident, everyone held their breath as they stared at the screen. What the footage revealed left us all in shock. The person withdrawing the money was me. The strange images in my memory sent a chill down my spine as I snapped back to reality. The couple was already seated in front of me, cautiously untying their bag. Alarmed, I quickly stopped them and asked, “Wait, are you here to deposit money? How much?” Tears welled up in their eyes, and their voices quivered as they replied, “We want to deposit five million. This is our daughter’s life-saving money.” Although they spoke softly, Evelyn, who had been observing them, leaned in with visible excitement. She asked, “Five million? How could you possibly have five million when you’re dressed like that?” The couple lowered their heads, trying to explain, but I interrupted again. I said, “Evelyn, don’t pry into other people’s money. Go back to your station.” Evelyn glared at me and retorted, “Azalea Brooks, why are you being so petty now? “This is the client’s money, not yours. Why are you so nosy?” Evelyn’s reaction made me confused. In my past life, when Evelyn saw these five million dollars, she immediately started poking around, asking questions. She even lingered nearby while I processed the transaction, reluctant to leave. Later, when the incident unfolded, she had been the first to jump out and accuse me alongside my boyfriend. I wondered if she had seen the couple’s PIN while I was handling their transaction. This thought popped into my mind but was quickly dismissed. We tellers were inside a glass booth, while clients were outside. The PIN pad was shielded, and Evelyn couldn’t possibly see the code. Even if she somehow guessed the PIN, there was no way she could have silently stolen the card from beneath their pillow. Besides, the surveillance footage showed me taking the money. There was no way this was that simple. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Blocking Evelyn’s view, I turned to the couple and said, “Your deposit amount is quite large. Please come with me to the VIP room.” The couple exchanged puzzled glances. Just then, Evelyn interjected with urgency, “Azalea, what’s the meaning of this? Why should they get to use the VIP room?” I ignored her and led the couple away. To ensure security, I requested the manager to oversee the process, citing the large deposit amount. It wasn’t until I handed back the card to the couple that I finally breathed a sigh of relief. This time, Evelyn hadn’t witnessed the deposit process, so she couldn’t possibly know the PIN. But as I relaxed, a more perplexing question troubled me—how did the thief obtain the bank card? Though I suspected Evelyn, she was, by all appearances, an ordinary person. We were colleagues and close friends. While I knew she loved travel and fun, I had never heard of her having any extraordinary skills to steal. As these thoughts swirled in my head, I descended the stairs absentmindedly and accidentally missed a step, tumbling down. Amid my colleagues’ startled cries and their efforts to help me up, I caught sight of Evelyn leaving in casual clothes.
I had fallen hard. My ankle was swollen and throbbing, yet my heart pounded even harder. A suffocating unease enveloped me, so all-consuming that I barely registered the pain. I couldn’t understand why Evelyn still took leave when she hadn’t been there during the deposit. She couldn’t possibly know the couple’s bank card password remotely. Clenching my teeth, I struggled to stand and follow her, but the sharp pain shooting up my leg nearly knocked me down again. I could only watch as Evelyn disappeared into the distance. Frustrated, I muttered a curse under my breath, only to be startled by my ringing phone. It was Lucas Green, my boyfriend. Instead of answering the call immediately, I began to recall my past life. As far as I remembered, Lucas had also called me right after Evelyn left. Back then, I had naively thought he was checking on me out of concern. But now, I suspected that he was spying on me. I pressed the answer button, my suspicions weighing heavy on my chest. His voice came through. “Azalea, are you at the bank?” In my past life, I would’ve mistaken this for care. But now, that accusatory edge froze me to the core. It was undeniable that he was confirming my location. He and Evelyn were definitely in cahoots. A shiver ran through me as the cruel truth sank in, leaving me too stunned to speak. Just then, the announcement of a ticket number being called echoed through the hall. Lucas exhaled in relief on the other end. He said, “I heard the bank’s announcement. You go ahead, babe. I’ll see you tomorrow.” His tone was brisk, but I grew even more anxious. I didn’t know how they did it. Even if they hadn’t obtained the passwords, they could still steal the couple’s life-saving funds. If that were true, then I would be dead in this life too. A torrent of doubts swirled in my mind. Though the hall was wide and warm, the weight of my unease made it hard to breathe. My colleague, Megan Winfield, who had been supporting me, noticed my pallor and patted my shoulder. She said, “Azalea, you’re pale as a sheet. You should go to the hospital. “I’m free today. I’ll cover your shift.” Her kind gaze stirred an unsettling thought. If she covered for me, she might become my scapegoat. Just as I was about to refuse, a glimmer of hope dawned. The hospital was full of surveillance cameras. If I got admitted for treatment and Megan stayed with me overnight, we’d both have alibis. I gratefully accepted her offer and hurried to the hospital. Everything went as planned. I was admitted, and Megan, moved by my pleas, stayed with me through the night. The next morning, however, as I approached the bank, an all-too-familiar scene from my previous life unfolded before my eyes. The couple stood outside, sobbing uncontrollably, “Why is our money gone? We deposited five million dollars just yesterday. “That was our daughter’s life-saving money. Her surgery is this afternoon. What are we supposed to do now?” Their desperate cries pierced my heart. I turned to Megan, who immediately rushed to console them. But the couple could barely form coherent sentences, their trembling voices repeating only that their money had vanished and their daughter was doomed. By now, all the bank staff knew about the previous day’s large deposit. A crowd gathered, murmuring among themselves. Suddenly, a voice rang out from the edge of the crowd. Evelyn shouted, “What’s everyone crowding around for? If the money’s gone, just check who withdrew it.” Heads turned in unison toward her, and I took the chance to observe her face. Her dark, puffy eyes betrayed a sleepless night. She was the thief. I just couldn’t figure out how she had managed to steal the money. The manager soon arrived and, under the crowd’s watchful eyes, pulled up the surveillance footage. The couple quieted down and joined everyone in staring at the screen. When the culprit’s face appeared, all eyes turned toward me. A chill swept over me, and I couldn’t stop trembling. The thief caught on camera was me. As everyone stood in shock, Lucas strode toward Evelyn. Then he angrily rebuked me, “Azalea, we trusted you so much, yet you betrayed us by stealing someone else’s life-saving money. “So, this is why you suddenly wanted to buy a car. It all makes sense now.” Evelyn immediately chimed in, “Exactly! We treated you as a friend, and this is how you repay us. By shamelessly bullying a poor couple. You’re despicable.” “You always talked about how great it would be if all the bank’s money was yours. I thought it was just a joke. Azalea, I never imagined you’d become a thief. “Clients, don’t worry. We’ll make sure this thief pays for what she’s done.” The couple looked at me with tearful eyes. They were shocked but didn’t immediately accuse me. After all, I had been the only person willing to help them yesterday. Such a situation was hard for anyone to accept. Seeing the couple hesitate, Evelyn grew anxious and began pushing them. She said, “What are you waiting for? The person who harmed your daughter is standing right here. Don’t you want justice for her?” I sighed and turned to face her. I said, “The person in the surveillance footage isn’t me. I was at the hospital all night yesterday.” Evelyn and Lucas were both surprised. Evelyn shouted, “Stop lying! The surveillance footage shows it was you. “Just because you say you were at the hospital, we’re supposed to believe you? You probably went there on purpose to create an alibi and then rushed off to commit the crime.” I smirked, “I sprained my ankle yesterday, and Megan was worried about me. She stayed with me all night. “What are you so worked up about? Could it be that the person in the surveillance footage is one of you?” The two of them abruptly fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances. Megan glanced at the three of us back and forth. After a while, she declared, “That’s correct. I stayed at the hospital with Azalea all night yesterday. “As the wife of the bank manager, I can vouch for her. Azalea didn’t leave the hospital, not even for a moment.” Megan was not just our supervisor; she was also the bank president’s wife. Her intervention on my behalf silenced everyone at the scene. In my previous life, I hadn’t been able to see the contents on the screen. This time, I seized the opportunity and meticulously reviewed all the surveillance footage. Even at night, the ATM’s interior lighting was bright. Under the sharp illumination, the person in the footage withdrawing the money had a face identical to mine. No matter how I looked at it, it was unmistakably me. Frustration churned within me, but I refused to give up. I stubbornly kept my eyes glued to the monitor, scrutinizing every detail. Evelyn, noticing my intense focus, motioned for Lucas to pull me away. She sneered, “Azalea, how venomous you are! “Yesterday, you handled their deposit. Who knows what kind of trick you used to secretly clone it? Then you deliberately sprained your ankle to fabricate an alibi.” Lucas echoed, “Evelyn is right. She saw through your scheme. “Azalea, you’re cunning. Don’t think your petty tricks can fool us. Either return the money to them today or pay with your life for that innocent child.” I turned to look at them. Just yesterday, they were my loving boyfriend and my best friend. Today, they stood united against me, wishing for my immediate downfall. I couldn’t even pinpoint when they had started keeping their relationship a secret from me. The colleagues who had been silent now shifted their gazes to me. “Azalea, five million isn’t pocket change. If it was you, you should hand it over.” “The couple have suffered enough already. Do you have the heart to make things worse for them?” “That money is just luxury to you, but it’s their daughter’s lifeline.” The mention of their daughter’s plight brought fresh tears to the couple’s eyes. “Miss, you seem like a good person. “We believe you wouldn’t do something like this, but the surveillance footage is clear. We don’t know what else to do. “To save our daughter, we’ve sold everything we own and borrowed from everyone we know. The surgery is scheduled for this afternoon. If it’s delayed, we don’t want to live anymore.” Their cries were heart-wrenching, and I felt a pang of sorrow. But I would never admit to something I hadn’t done. Surveying the crowd around me, I took a deep breath and said firmly, “I swear, yesterday, I never left the hospital. “The person in the footage may look like me, but it’s not me.” Evelyn shrieked, “You still refuse to confess, even in the face of such undeniable evidence? I didn’t know you were this shameless. “Azalea, you’re the most malicious, cruel-hearted person I’ve ever met. These poor people are collapsing in despair, and you still dare to argue?” I pressed my lips together and looked at her wrist. “Everyone, take a good look,” I said, my voice steady but cutting. “In the surveillance footage, the person in the video is wearing a bracelet. But if I recall correctly, that bracelet happens to be Evelyn’s prized possession, something she never lets out of her sight.”
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