Rebirth on a Cliff: No Drone, No Mercy

I've kicked my 28-thousand-dollar high-tech drone into the lake.

In my previous life, when my company held a team-bonding session by camping out in the mountains, my colleague, Melissa Schubert's beloved pet dog—that she views as her own son—has gotten lost in the woods.

With tears trickling down her cheeks, she tugs at my sleeve.

"I can't live without Max! Please use your drone to look for him!"

Eager to help Melissa out, I immediately power on my drone and start scouring the woods for Max.

But Melissa thinks I'm being far too slow on the controller, so she snatches it from me and starts messing around with the controls.

As a result, the drone spirals out of control and crashes into the woods. As soon as its battery explodes, it starts a forest fire immediately.

But when faced against the police, Melissa doesn't hesitate to throw me under the bus.

"Lauren was the one who kept flaunting her stupid drone! Not only did she set fire to the mountain, but she also killed my dog!"

On top of having to pay a huge fire insurance claim, I also get sentenced by the court, leaving me with a criminal record.

My dad is forced to work at a construction site just to help me gather the funds needed for the compensation. That's when he accidentally falls off the scaffolding, resulting in him getting paralyzed permanently. All of my relatives have also cut ties with us.

When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the cliffside on the day of the camping trip. This time, I don't hesitate to kick my drone into the lake.

A second later, Melissa rushes to me while bawling at the top of her lungs.

"My dog has gone missing! Quick, help me look for him with your drone!"

I turn around to look at her.

"You should be calling the police and asking a professional search-and-rescue team for help if you want to look for your dog. Why are you looking for me instead?"

"Lauren Brooks, are you out of your mind?"

Melissa Schubert stared at the ripples spreading across the lake, her eyes practically popping out of her head.

"That was a professional-grade drone you paid 28 thousand dollars for, and you just kicked it into the lake! What about my dog, Max?"

She turned toward me, mascara-stained tears running down her face.

I looked at her coldly.

Memories from my past life came flooding back. This same person had once cried pitifully in front of the police, pointing at me and claiming I had been showing off the drone. This same person had sent me to prison for three years.

My dad worked in construction to scrape together money for my bail, and ended up falling and breaking his spine, leaving him paralyzed for life.

Meanwhile, Melissa had taken donations from her online followers, bought herself a new dog, and carried on her picture-perfect influencer lifestyle.

I forced down the hatred rising in my chest and said, "I told you—if your dog's missing, call the police."

Brushing off the dust on my pants, I added, "That drone was mine. If I wanted to hear it splash, that's my business. It has nothing to do with you."

"You're heartless!" Greg Hawthorn stepped forward, shielding Melissa behind him. "If something happens to Max, can you take responsibility?"

I sneered, "She let her dog run off without a leash. Why should I take responsibility?"

"How could you say such a thing?" Frank Woodruff, our supervisor, pushed through the crowd, his beer belly leading the way. "Lauren, we're all colleagues here. We came here for team-building, and we should all help each other out.

"Melissa's in trouble, and instead of helping, you deliberately destroyed search equipment. You're being nasty and destroying team harmony!"

I looked at them, feeling nothing but disgust.

Melissa grew even more dramatic. "Lauren, let me make this clear. If Max doesn't come back, I'll sue you for refusing to help!"

Others chimed in.

"I always thought Lauren was nice. Who would've guessed that she's so cruel?"

"Don't cry, Melissa. We'll help you look."

I couldn't be bothered to explain. I turned to leave.

"Stop right there!" Melissa rushed forward and grabbed my arm. "Since the drone's gone, you're coming with me into the woods to search. If you don't bring Max back, you're not leaving here today."