I receive a phone call at 3:00 pm. Apparently, my daughter, Marilyn Lopez, has suffocated to death because she was left behind on the school bus.

When I arrive at the scene, I'm overwhelmed with sorrow the moment I see Marilyn's purple face.

That's when I snatch a gun from a policeman and put a bullet between the eyes of the school bus driver, who's been playing on his phone this whole time.

After the gunshot rings out, I open my eyes immediately.

My alarm clock rings once again, showing that it's 7:00 am.

I've gone back in time!

Then, I see Marilyn wearing her backpack and telling me sweetly, "Mommy, the school bus is here!"

I quickly stop Marilyn like a madwoman and refuse to let her board the school bus.

But a gas leak occurs at 3:00 pm on the same day, causing Marilyn's death.

No matter how much I try to save her, she keeps dying in various ways at 3:00 pm.

This is the 108th cycle. As I stare at the weird smile on the school bus driver's face, I finally understand everything.

"The bus is here, Mommy."

Kicking my blanket away, I rushed out of my room, not even bothering to put on my shoes. I then pulled my daughter, Marilyn Lopez, into my embrace, refusing to let go of her small, warm body.

"You don't have to go to school today, Mary."

Marilyn tilted her head as she looked at me, asking, "Why? We're celebrating Ollie's birthday today."

"No reason. You don't have to go because I said so," I replied, my voice trembling.

The familiar honk of the bus came from downstairs.

"I want to go to school, Mommy!" Marilyn exclaimed as she began to struggle in my hold.

"You're not allowed to go!" I tossed Marilyn onto the bed and blocked the door with my own body.

The impatient voice of my husband, Gabriel Lopez, sounded through the door. "What do you think you're doing, Natasha Wilson? Hurry and take Mary out. The bus is about to leave."

"She's not going to school today!" I roared.

"Have you lost your mind?" Gabriel demanded.

He pulled out a key and unlocked the door from the outside. "Come along, Mary. I'll walk you to the bus today."

"No!" I screamed as I spread my arms open and shielded Marilyn behind me.

"Do you have any idea what you look like right now, Natasha? You're scaring Mary," Gabriel spat, looking at me with disdain.

The bus honked again, urging us to take Marilyn to the bus.

I looked at the bus driver, James Cook. He was smiling at me through the window again.

This was the 108th time I saw his smile, but it still sent a chill down my spine.

"She's not allowed to get on that bus!" I shrieked.

Gabriel clearly had no interest in talking to me any longer. He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist before shoving me aside.

I collided with the wall, pain exploding at the back of my head.

Gabriel picked up Marilyn, who was making a fuss, and walked out of the room. He didn't even bother sparing a single glance at me.

"Gabriel!"

I sprinted out of the house and stared at the back of the bus as it disappeared around the corner.

It was over.

I collapsed onto the ground. A sense of hopelessness filled my chest as I waited for the seconds to tick by until the clock struck 3:00 pm.

However, I decided to do something this time.

I rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the sharpest knife I had, slipping it into my coat pocket. I then made my way over to Marilyn's kindergarten and planted myself right in front of the entrance.

I waited from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, gripping the knife tightly.

My phone didn't ring at 3:00 pm. Instead, the school bell rang, signaling the end of classes.

The children burst through the doors like a swarm of happy birds. I spotted Marilyn among them. She was running at the very front, carrying a rabbit-shaped backpack.

She threw herself into my arms when she saw me, shouting, "Mommy!"

Tears streamed down my face as I held her tightly.

Had I succeeded? Had I managed to save her this time?

I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn't say a word.

Gabriel parked his car by the curb before making his way over to us. "I told you that everything would be fine," he berated me. "You were being too paranoid."

I ignored him. I just wanted to hold Marilyn close.

Just then, a truck appeared around the corner and began speeding down the road.

Its target wasn't me or Gabriel—it was the yellow bus parked in front of the kindergarten.

James had just helped the last child onto the bus when the truck rammed into it, causing a deafening sound to ring through the air.

The bus was sent flying through the air toward the sidewalk, landing right on top of Marilyn and me.

A few seconds before I lost consciousness, I saw James poke his head out of the broken window of the driver's seat.

He smiled at me again.

The alarm blared at 7:00 am.

It was the 109th cycle.

Tears streamed down my face as I opened my eyes.

I couldn't let Marilyn get on that school bus anymore. I couldn't wait for her at the entrance of the kindergarten either.

"The bus is here, Mommy," Marilyn called out as always.

I rushed over to her and hugged her tightly, planting messy kisses all over her face.

"You don't have to go to school today, sweetheart. I'm going to take you to the amusement park."

Marilyn cheered ecstatically.

Gabriel walked out of the bedroom with a suspicious look on his face.

"Why are you acting so weirdly today?" he asked.

"I just thought that I should spend more time with her," I answered while lowering my head, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Do whatever you want," he said, shrugging.

He then left for work.

I helped Marilyn put on her prettiest princess dress and took her to the biggest amusement park in the city.

I bought the biggest cotton candy there for her and rode the carousel with her ten times. As I watched her laugh happily, I felt alive again.

I kept a death grip on her hand, but she frowned and complained that I was hurting her. So I loosened my hold, feeling as if a knife were stabbing my heart when I saw the red mark circling her wrist.

I knew that I shouldn't behave like this, but I just couldn't help myself. I was willing to do anything to keep her alive.

The seconds ticked by.

I glanced at my watch. It was almost 3:00 pm.

My heart felt like it was stuck in my throat.

The amusement park was packed with people as they chatted and laughed with each other. I convinced myself that it was safe here—that death couldn't touch us here.

"I want to ride that one, Mommy!" Marilyn exclaimed, pointing at the nearby roller coaster.

"No. It's too dangerous," I said immediately. "Besides, you're too young for that."

"But I want to ride it!" Marilyn whined, acting coy.

Gabriel called me as Marilyn began tugging on my clothes, trying to pull me toward the roller coaster.

"Where are you, Natasha?" he asked, sounding panicked.

"At the amusement park. What's wrong?"

"Taylor's also at the amusement park. She sprained her ankle. Can you look for her and take her to the first-aid station?"

Taylor Shore was one of Gabriel's colleagues. She always presented herself as a harmless and innocent woman in front of me.

"I can't. Marilyn's with me," I said coldly, rejecting his request.

"Just tell her to wait for you there. What could go wrong? Taylor's hurting all by herself," Gabriel said, suddenly raising his voice.

"I've already told you that I'm not going to look for her!"

"Can't you be a little more mature, Natasha? I'm busy working. Do you have to add more to my plate?" he roared furiously into the receiver.

My heart felt utterly hollow at that moment.

In Gabriel's eyes, his colleague was more important than his own daughter.

When I turned to look at Marilyn, I realized that she was nowhere in sight.

My blood froze in my veins.

"Mary? Mary!" I shouted as I frantically searched for her among the crowd.

I finally spotted her a few minutes later.

Marilyn was standing in front of the entrance to the roller coaster. She stood on her tiptoes as she curiously peered past the safety door that was securely locked.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I hurried over to her.

The roller coaster's wheels screeched along the rails as it approached the platform.

Everything that occurred next happened in the blink of an eye.

The safety door suddenly swung open.

Marilyn's tiny body tipped forward with the momentum of the door, and she fell onto the track.

The roller coaster sped past like a flash of lightning.

I didn't even hear Marilyn scream.

The other parkgoers shrieked in horror.

I fell to my knees, staring at the bright red splattered all over the platform.

I looked up and saw Taylor amid the chaotic sea of people. She was holding her phone as she stood nearby, looking utterly calm.

Hadn't she sprained her ankle? Yet she looked like she had no trouble standing at all.

Taylor smiled at me when she noticed me staring at her. Her smile was identical to James' smile.

It was 7:00 am on the 110th cycle.

My entire body was drenched in sweat as I leaped up from bed.

Taylor's and James' smiles were like blades that had plunged themselves into my heart.

I didn't stop Marilyn this time. I even personally packed her bag for her.

"Be good in school, Mary."

"I know, Mommy."

Surprise was etched all over Gabriel's face as he looked at me. "So, you've finally come to your senses."

"I have," I said with a smile. "You mentioned that Taylor wanted to eat my tiramisu, didn't you? I made some today. You can give it to her when you see her at the office."

Gabriel was immensely pleased. He even kissed me before he left the house, saying, "My wife is the best."

My smile disappeared the moment he left.

I didn't go to work, nor did I go to the kindergarten. Instead, I went to James' house.

After going through so many cycles, I had finally identified all the people who were connected to Marilyn's death.

James lived in an old residential area. When I knocked on the door, a haggard-looking woman opened it.

It was his wife, Ava Dawson.

"Are you looking for someone?" she asked.

"I'm Mary's mother. I wanted to thank Mr. Cook for always taking care of my daughter," I explained as I handed the fruit basket that I had prepared beforehand.

Ava led me into the house.

Although it was a tiny place, it was clean and tidy. A memorial photo of James hung on the wall.

My heart plummeted into my gut.

"Mr. Cook…"

"He passed away a year ago," Ava said with bloodshot eyes. "In a car accident."

A car accident a year ago?

There was a loud buzzing sound in my head.

That was impossible! He smiled at me every morning.

"Which accident?" I asked.

"The one that caused a chain-reaction collision a year ago. He swerved to the side to avoid hitting a child, but the steering wheel jammed, and he…"

Ava couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

I felt as if all the blood in my veins had turned to ice.

In the memorial photo, James' expression was stern, and he had a hollow look in his eyes. He looked like a completely different person compared to the man who smiled stiffly at me every morning.

The small memorial shrine on the shelf was covered in a thick layer of dust, making it obvious that it had been a long time since someone had cleaned it.

An inexplicable fear began to spread through my body.

If James had died a year ago, who was the man who drove the bus and smiled at me every morning?

I felt as if my soul had been sucked out of my body when I stepped out of James' home. A terrifying thought formed in my mind.

I rushed over to Gabriel's company. I hadn't even stepped through the entrance when I saw him and Taylor walking out of the building together.

Taylor's arm was locked around Gabriel's as she beamed at him affectionately.

Meanwhile, Gabriel gazed at her with a tenderness that I had never seen before.

I made a beeline for them.

"Gabriel!"

Their smiles stiffened when they saw me.

Gabriel subconsciously tried to push Taylor away, only for her to tighten her hold on him.

"What are you doing here, Nat?" she asked innocently. "Gabe was just telling me that you were feeling under the weather today. I wanted to visit you after work."

Taylor referred to Gabriel as "Gabe" as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What's going on between the two of you?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"Don't cause a scene here, Natasha," Gabriel hissed, looking annoyed.

He tried to pull me away, but I freed myself from his hold and pointed at Taylor.

"You! You're the one who did it, aren't you? You're the one who hurt Mary!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Gabriel roared.

"What are you talking about, Nat? You can't frame me for something I didn't do," Taylor blubbered through her tears.

Their colleagues began to whisper among themselves.

"I'm framing you? You didn't sprain your ankle that day at the amusement park. You were lying!"

"I…"

Taylor averted her gaze.

"And Mr. Cook too! He died a year ago, so who's the man who's been driving the bus every morning?" I screamed as if I had lost my mind.

Gabriel's face twisted. "That's enough!" he shouted while grabbing my wrist. "Let's go home!"

He then hauled me into his car.

"You must be sick in the head, Natasha."

"I'm not! You're the one who's sick in the head! You and that woman!"

"Shut up!"

Gabriel slapped me hard across the face, making my ear ring.

"I'm taking you to see a doctor tomorrow," he said coldly.

I burst out laughing as I looked at him. "Sure. Let's go see a doctor. But before we do, let's drop by somewhere else. I want to go to the police station," I said, staring at him without blinking.