My Best Friend's Scam

When I died, there was still shrimp lodged in my throat, unable to be swallowed. Sam Gabriel's fingers pressed against my chin, his gaze icy cold, as he forced the last spoonful of shrimp into my mouth. "Look, you're allergic to seafood too," he wiped the soup off his hand. "Ruby was driven to her death by you. When she slit her throat, blood splattered all over my face. Have you forgotten?" I wanted to argue, but the rash covering my entire body made it hard to even breathe; the heavy ache in my lower abdomen had long since vanished—that was my three-month-old baby, lost. Scenes from my past life flashed before my eyes, pounding away at my headache. Ruby White was Sam Gabriel's childhood friend, always boasting at the kindergarten, "I'm the best at curing picky eaters." That day, she trapped Anna in the corner of the classroom, placing a bowl full of large shrimp in front of her, saying, "You're not allowed to go home until you finish eating it." Anna cried, "Teacher, I'm allergic," but she smiled and said, "Eating more will help with allergies; I'm doing this for your own good." At that moment, I was leaning against the wall, retching. The pain from the threatened miscarriage made it impossible for me to stand steadily. But I still called an ambulance first, asking the medical staff to take Anna away immediately. Ruby White complained beside me, "Viola, you're making a fuss over nothing—a picky child like her isn't worth such a big commotion." Later, Anna was rescued, but Ruby White was sued by the parents. Sam Gabriel, the judge, secretly approached me and said, "Viola, help cover for Ruby; just say that you fed Anna the shrimp. I will surely compensate you later." I didn't agree, but I warned him, "This matter is blown way out of proportion. If you protect her, you'll lose your job and may even go to prison." Then, suddenly, Ruby White slit her throat in the courtroom, blood splattering all over Sam Gabriel. He didn't cry; only after the case ended, while sitting with me during my postpartum confinement, did his gaze grow dark and fierce. I thought he was just heartbroken until, on my birthday, he tied me to the dining chair and brought over ten pounds of cooked shrimp. "If Ruby dies, you'll never be at peace either," he said, gripping my face. "Look at how much you've eaten—you didn't die, did you? I should never have listened to you, letting Ruby die was a wasted death." With my eyes closed, tears mingled with the fishy taste of shrimp as they streamed down, leaving only one thought in my heart: If only I could start over. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in the kindergarten's rest room. Laughter from the children drifted through the window, and the calendar on the wall—the day Ruby White forced Anna to eat shrimp! I sat up abruptly and touched my abdomen; a faint heaviness remained—my baby was still there! The rest room door hadn't closed completely, and I heard Ruby White's voice. "Anna, if you don't eat it, I'll tell Mr. Gabriel that you're being bad," she said fiercely, "Mr. Gabriel loves me the most; he'll definitely have you expelled." I pushed open the door and rushed out. In the small classroom, Anna curled up on a little chair, a stainless steel plate piled with peeled shrimp before her. Tears clung to her face, but she was too frightened to cry out loud. Ruby White stood nearby, holding a shrimp in her hand, about to force it into Anna's mouth. "Ruby White, stop!" I ran over and shielded Anna behind me. She hesitated for a moment, then smiled: "Viola Scott? Why are you here? I'm just helping Anna overcome her picky eating. Mind your own business." "Overcome her picky eating?" I stared at her, "Anna's medical report clearly states she has a seafood allergy. Haven't you seen it?" Ruby White's face stiffened for a moment, then quickly returned to its natural expression. "I've seen it, yes. That's exactly why she needs to eat more—desensitization therapy, don't you understand? If you're uneducated, don't speak recklessly." Anna tugged at the corner of my clothes, whispering, "Teacher Scott, I feel unwell; I'm itching all over." I looked down to see small red rashes already blooming on her neck, and my heart clenched tightly. I pulled out my phone, my fingers swiftly dialing—In my past life, it wasn't until Anna's father came to express his thanks that I learned he was Commander Luke. This time, I had to tell him in advance. Ruby White saw me making the call and immediately snatched the phone: "Who are you calling? Don't make baseless accusations! Mr. Gabriel won't believe you!" I dodged her and pressed the phone to my ear, trying to keep my voice steady: "Commander Luke, hello. I am a teacher at Sunlight Kindergarten. Your daughter Anna was forced to eat shrimp, to which she is allergic, and she is already breaking out in hives. Could you please send someone immediately?" There was silence for two seconds on the other end, then came the urgent voice: "I'll send an ambulance right away. Take good care of Anna—don't let anyone else touch her!" After hanging up, I picked up Anna and turned to leave. "Viola Scott, do you dare take her away?"Ruby White caught up to me and grabbed my arm. "If you ruin my plans, Mr. Gabriel won't let you off!"