In Kingswells City, September had been sultry for nearly half a month, and now it welcomed its first storm.
A disheveled girl was kneeling on the ground, drenched by rain, on the verge of collapse.
A man stood before her, looking at her through the thick curtain of rain, his eyes filled with desolation and disappointment.
"Rita, you've pushed someone off a building. Is there any line you won't cross? Even if you dislike him, he didn't deserve such treatment! Kneel here and reflect on your actions!"
"Dad, she's just a child. Please, let's calm down. I'll handle the Clarke family..."
The familiar voices of her father and brother echoed.
Rita Middleton struggled to open her heavy eyelids, and through the thick rain mist, she could vaguely make out two blurry figures.
Indeed, when people died, they would experience hallucinations.
It had been three years since her father and brother passed away, and this was the first time Rita had seen them in a dream.
She knew they hated her. They hated her for destroying the Middleton family, so they refused to appear in her dreams.
And there was Lucian Clarke, the man who loved her to the core...
The rain, relentless and unforgiving, crashed down around her like a storm of stones.
Rita yearned to speak something to her father and brother. But her strength had long since deserted her, leaving her weaker and weaker.
As her body succumbed to the exhaustion, her world plunged into darkness once more.
......
When Rita woke up, her eyes were greeted by dazzling fluorescent lights, and her mind momentarily went blank.
Wasn't she locked in a warehouse by Sheila Middleton and Wally Johnson, and burned to death in the fire?
Where was this place?
Rita struggled to move her eyes and glanced around.
Everything was so familiar that it frightened her, causing her to sit up abruptly from the bed.
The sudden movement made her dizzy, and she nearly fainted again.
Wasn't this her old room?
But didn't the Middleton family get sealed off a year ago?
The pain coursing through her body reminded her that this was not a dream. Rita's blood ran boiling, and surreal speculation formed in her mind.
Could it be... that she had been reborn?
Then where was her father? Her brother? And Lucian?
Rita was anxious and had many questions swirling in her mind. She abruptly threw off the blanket, got out of bed, and opened the door.
Just as she reached the staircase, a stern voice resounded.
"Where do you think you're going? Are you still trying to cause trouble? Haven't you knelt enough?"
Rita's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this familiar voice, and a tumultuous wave surged in her heart. She turned around instantly.
The man, around forty years old with a steady gait, was now approaching her with indelible anger on his face.
Rita's eyes instantly reddened.
Tears welled up and streamed down her face.
Dad...
Joseph Middleton was originally filled with anger, but seeing her crying as he approached, his heart softened a bit. However, when he thought about how she had cruelly pushed someone off the building, his tone became harsh again. "How do you have the nerve to cry? Go back to your room!"
Rita only saw his mouth moving but didn't hear what he said.
Her tears flowed more violently. Her loved ones had been gone for three years, and now they were standing right in front of her. How could she not be excited?
Joseph also panicked, wondering if he had punished her too severely.
But as soon as he thought about what Rita had done, he became angry. "Rita, I know you don't like Lucian, but what you did this time is indeed outrageous. How could you push him off the building?"
Pushing Lucian off the building?
Rita's heart trembled.
She remembered.
In the past, when Lucian relentlessly pursued her and she became annoyed with him, she actually listened to Sheila Middleton's words and pretended to jump off the building. When Lucian came to save her, she turned around and pushed him off instead.
She had actually been reborn at that moment.
"Lucian is about to leave us now, and you won't have a chance to see each other again."
Leave?
Lucian was leaving?
Yes, back then Lucian was deeply wounded by her, and in despair, he left Kingswells City.
The next time they met was when her father and brother passed away. He came to find her and said he was willing to take care of her.
She was focused on Wally Johnson at that time, naturally unwilling, so she humiliated him harshly, and he left in sadness. Their final meeting was when she perished in the fire.
"No! He can't leave!" Rita burst out, "I must find him and bring him back!"
Reborn and given a second chance, she was determined not to let Lucian slip away from her life again.
"Why are you chasing someone you don't even like?" Joseph's rage ignited once more. "No more trouble from you!"
"Who said I don't like him?" Rita retorted.
But then why did she push him off the building?
Joseph deduced that she was acting out of pure folly.
If she were to show up at Lucian's now, she would likely concoct another torturous scheme.
"Go back to your room and stay there. You're not going anywhere without my permission!" Joseph's fury peaked, triggering a violent coughing fit and turning his face beet red.
Fearing that she might push him over the edge, Rita held her tongue and obediently retreated to her room.
But the moment he was out of sight, she stealthily slipped away to the Clarke family's residence.