I Was Meant to Fly, but They Clipped My Wings

In my previous life, I was accepted as a pilot and was about to enter aviation university for training. But because I stepped in to save the campus belle, Diana Fowler, from being assaulted by thugs, they retaliated against me. They broke both my legs, shattering my dream of flying. What angered me even more was that Diana, the very woman I saved, led the police to my hospital bed and identified me as the rapist. The two thugs who assaulted her were praised as heroes instead. My mother was so furious that she suffered a heart attack. When I was in prison, I fell into despair and took my own life. After being reborn, I watch indifferently as Diana cries for help in the alley. This time, I coldly put on my headphones. Chapter 1 I hurried ahead as the music played through my earphones. I thought I could get away from this mess, but Diana Fowler suddenly broke away from the two thugs. She gazed at me with eyes full of tears, clutching my arm so hard she left two bloody scratches. "Help me, Levi!" I instinctively shook off her hand, acting as though I had encountered something terrifying. In my past life, I had saved her out of a brief impulse of kindness, only to have both of my legs broken by the thugs. I needed an enormous sum for medical bills, but she was nowhere to be found. I had gone to the police and needed a witness, but she didn't appear back then. In the end, Diana brought the police into my hospital ward instead. She pointed straight at me and yelled, "It's him! He's the one who attacked me two nights ago! If those two kind strangers hadn't scared him off, I might not be alive right now!" I was fresh out of surgery at the time. I was so enraged as I listened to her distort the account that I coughed up a mouthful of blood. "What are you even saying? Those two men were the ones who attacked you. How can you frame me like this when I saved you out of the goodness of my heart?" Diana held firm to her claim, not budging an inch. "You're the one who saved me? How can you lie through your teeth? You were obviously driven by lust and tried to attack me while intoxicated! You're the beast here!" In that instant, everyone in the hospital ward glared at me with pure contempt. I turned from a celebrated student into a social pariah overnight. Diana, on the other hand, looked on with a cold expression as the police took me into custody. I had once asked her why she would treat me in such a manner. Diana smiled maliciously and replied, "You brought this on yourself by seeking attention and offending the wrong person, Levi. You can only blame your own fate—not anyone else." In the aftermath, my mother, Grace Dafforn, suffered a major blow due to this affair. She couldn't even afford her own medication after exhausting all of our savings for my medical treatment. She eventually passed away from her heart condition that had suddenly relapsed. I received the news while in prison, leaving me overwhelmed with remorse. I couldn't wrap my head around how a selfless act had led to the ruin of my family and my life. I eventually took my own life after being driven by pure despair. I suddenly woke up and found myself back at the scene of the incident. I could tell that things were slightly different than before, though, as this timeline seemed to differ slightly from the last. In my past life, Diana was definitely tied up by those two. In this life, however, she was able to run toward me. I suddenly heard the two thugs shouting from behind me, along with the scraping of steel rods on the ground. "How dare you try to run away, you wretched woman!" "Who the hell are you? You'll get a beating too if you don't mind your own business!" I recalled the miserable way I had died in my past life. I didn't dare stop for even a second and ran toward the nearby commercial street. I was certain they wouldn't make a move, given the crowded conditions, with traffic and surveillance cameras everywhere. I ran into a cafe and turned to look back, only to witness a shocking sight. I spotted Diana in the alley across the street, holding the arm of one of the thugs and walking away as if they were close. I broke out in a cold sweat, wondering if Diana was acquainted with those thugs. Chapter 2 I couldn't help but wonder if this whole incident was a frame-up from the very beginning. It wasn't a matter of Diana being bought off to testify against me; the "assault" was a staged event from the very first moment. However, I refused to play my part in this life, causing her performance to fall apart and her to rush over to force me into the scheme. I was filled with dread as I thought it through. I couldn't help but wonder who was really behind this. I recalled Diana mentioning that I had offended someone I shouldn't have—who could it be? I forced myself to stay calm. I made a point of ordering a dessert combo at the cafe and slipped the receipt into my pocket, making sure that I had a solid alibi in case the police ever questioned me. I took a sip of my coffee while meticulously going over the differences between the two timelines in my mind again. In my past life, a few of my close friends would call me out to hang out, insisting we hit a bar for some fun. I made an excuse about Mom being unwell and left ahead of them. I was taken to a bar in a dark alley across from the commercial street. I had just stepped out when I heard someone screaming for help from a hidden corner. I used my phone's flashlight to see what was happening. I distinctly saw the two men had tied Diana's hands and were about to assault her. I rushed in to help, but they seemed prepared for my intervention—when I got near, they picked up the steel rods behind the dumpster and instantly broke my legs. In this life, Diana had acted differently. She had managed to free herself from the ropes and run out to grab me, shouting for help—all without me helping her. I didn't hear any screaming behind me once I left as well. I only saw her walking away with the two thugs. It was clear that I was being set up in the whole incident. It wasn't Diana they were after; it was me. I had never had a serious grudge with anyone that would justify such an elaborate plot against me, though. It was an unsettling feeling, knowing my enemy was hiding in the shadows while I was out in the open. I glanced at my phone and noticed that it was already 9:30 pm. I knew that this was usually the time Mom took her medication and went to bed, so I knew I couldn't stay out much longer without disrupting her sleep. I had just taken out my keys to open the front door when two figures rushed out from the shadows and held me down with a tight grip. "You'd better hold still—we're the police! You've been reported for a crime and are under arrest!" I panicked and fought to break free. "How could that be? I haven't done anything wrong! How can you justify arresting me?" It was then that one of the police snapped the cuffs onto my wrists, pointed at the scratch marks on my skin, and said, "I'm sure these scratches say otherwise. We'll know exactly whether you're telling the truth once the lab results come back." I thought back to Diana's rhinestone-encrusted manicure and broke out into goosebumps. Chapter 3 I finally understood why Diana had been so determined to leave those bloody scratches on me and why they had retreated so quickly once I reached the cafe. It turned out that they already had a contingency plan in place. Diana was doing everything in her power to ensure my destruction. Mom suddenly woke up due to the commotion. She opened the door and saw the handcuffs on my wrists right away, nearly fainting from the shock. She still moved to stand in front of me to protect me, saying, "You must have made a mistake, officers! Levi has always been an honors student and even has a commendation for bravery! He's incapable of committing a crime!" Mom reached out to me with trembling hands, tears streaming down her face. Those police officers remained completely indifferent. "We'll determine whether your son has committed a crime after a full investigation. You can rest assured that we won't wrong the innocent or let the guilty escape." Having said that, they pushed me along and began leading me toward the stairs. Mom rushed after us, weeping as she clung to my hand. "You can't take him away! He just finished his exams and is supposed to start training as a pilot in September! He's going to attend Aeronautical Command University and fly planes! Please don't take him away!" I could feel my eyes welling up with tears the moment I saw Mom drop to her knees and plead before the police officers. I helped her to her feet and said, "You shouldn't do this, Mom. I need you to listen to me—I'm completely innocent. "I need you to go find Officer Johnson and Mr. Wagner this instant. I know they'll help me out. I also need you to use my scholarship money to hire a lawyer. I'll get through this, Mom." Mom nodded frantically, her hand stroking my cheek repeatedly as if she couldn't bear to pull away. I looked at Mom's graying hair and was struck by the agonizing memory of learning about her death while I was behind bars in my past life. I reached out and pulled her into a hug, saying, "You have to take care of yourself and remember to take your medicine on time. You have to be there to watch me fly one of those planes, Mom." Mom kept nodding with tears streaming down her face. "I know, Levi. I know you're innocent in all of this. It wasn't you who did it, so don't confess to anything, Levi." It was then that one of the police officers ordered, "It's time to go!" I reluctantly parted from Mom, thinking that in this life I had to save both her and me. I spotted Diana sitting in a chair once I was brought into the police station. I yelled at her, "Why are you framing me? I didn't do anything to you! Get the police to run a kit. There won't be any evidence because I never touched you. "How can you say I assaulted you? You were the one who ran up and scratched me! What do you want from me? Who's behind this? You'd better tell me this instant!" Chapter 4 I struggled against my restraints, wanting to charge at Diana to see how heartless she really was, only to have the police officer pull me back and snap, "You're at the station right now! You'd better behave yourself!" Diana threw a fit on the ground and pulled up her sleeves, revealing frightening bruises all over her arms. I had never laid a hand on her, though! Diana sprawled on the ground, yelling, "You have to help me, officers! He's lying through his teeth! Do you see my bruises? You have to know that just because there are no bodily fluids doesn't mean there wasn't an attempt—he clearly didn't succeed at it! "You have to check him out, officers! He recently invited me to a hotel, which I promptly refused! You can check his booking history if you don't believe me! He even got accepted to become one of our nation's pilots! How can someone like him represent the country? Have him arrested!" I was shaking all over with rage when I heard it. "You're clearly lying! I never asked you to go to a hotel! You caused those injuries yourself. How is any of that my fault?" I charged at her, trying to pull up her sleeves to check if the injuries were real, only for the police officers to tackle me to the floor since they thought I was trying to attack her. "You'd better settle down this instant! You've got a lot of nerve trying to get violent here! You're truly lawless!" "I didn't do it!" "Get him out of here—bring him to the interrogation room and question him separately!" In the interrogation room, the lights hit my face as they presented a forensic report. It indicated that the residue from Diana's fingernails was consistent with my DNA, which prompted them to conclude that I had a violent struggle with her and that it was attempted assault. I was mentally overwhelmed at that point. I gave myself a pinch to regain my composure. In my past life, I had broken down after my leg injury and false charges. I signed a confession while in a state of distress, which left me with no way to appeal. Mom later had a fatal heart attack when she found out about it. I pushed the report aside and said, "It only proves that Diana scratched me—nothing more. She bruised herself on purpose to set me up. I also have a receipt from a cafe showing that I was there at 8:00 pm. I left the bar around 7:45 pm and put on my earphones as soon as I came out. "Diana suddenly appeared out of nowhere with two men and scratched me. I felt something was off, so I went straight to the cafe. I had no motive or opportunity, officers." I handed over my receipt from the cafe and showed them my playback logs on my phone. "You can review the surveillance footage from the commercial street and at the bar to verify whether I'm telling the truth if you still don't believe me." It was then that another police officer walked in and whispered something to the interrogating officer, causing the latter to suddenly fly into a rage and slam his fist on the table. "You still refuse to confess until the evidence is right in front of you, huh? "You ought to know that we've found the hotel booking records and restored your phone data, which indicated that you clearly arranged a meeting with Diana at the hotel. What do you have to say for yourself, Levi?" I stared at the printouts of the hotel bookings and the message logs while my head throbbed—none of this occurred in my past life. I couldn't help but wonder who could have orchestrated it all. Chapter 5 I knew that forging a hotel record would require my ID and also an inside man at the front desk of the hotel. I had no memory of ever chatting with Diana, so I wondered where these messages came from. I was completely muddled by the whole situation while the police officers kept pressing me for answers. I shrugged, my hands out, and said, "I won't sign anything or answer any questions until my lawyer gets here." "You'd better start talking, Levi Sullivan! You ought to know that we've found out that your father was involved with the criminal underworld—" I bolted upright, my eyes bloodshot and my body trembling all over from rage. "You'd better shut your mouth this instant! You have no right to speak about my father!" It was then that Mom rushed in with a lawyer, accompanied by Martin Wagner, my teacher, and David Johnson, Dad's colleague. Officer Johnson served with Dad, who died in the line of duty while working as an undercover operative. He was the most knowledgeable person regarding this fact. In my past life, Mom and I had insisted that Officer Johnson not be involved to keep things confidential. In this life, however, I had no other option. Officer Johnson walked over to reassure me, saying, "You can rest assured that we're going to get to the bottom of this and clear your name, Levi." Mr. Wagner also provided a statement, testifying that I was a student in good standing with no history of contact with Diana. He also pointed out that on the date that Diana allegedly claimed that I went to the hotel, I had caught a thief at school and was honored as an outstanding citizen. He insisted that there was no way I could have been at a hotel that day, especially since I still had the certificate for my bravery right at home. Thanks to Officer Johnson's guarantee and Mr. Wagner's statement, my lawyer soon secured my release on bail, allowing me to return home that very evening. I had just stepped out of the interrogation room when Diana charged at me, hitting and yelling. "Help! Those police are covering for a criminal! He's the one who violated me, and you're just letting him walk free! That police officer is helping him!" She pointed at Officer Johnson and yelled, "You walked right out the moment he walked into the interrogation room! You guys are obviously working together! Help! They are ganging up on a defenseless woman! You're not allowed to leave! You assaulted me and deserve to be locked up!" She threw herself at me after saying that, only for the police officers to intercept her and hold her down by force. I held up my paperwork and said, "I'm out on bail through legal channels. I should mention that you're out of luck. I have a solid alibi for the date of that fake hotel booking, and Mr. Wagner is here to vouch for me. "I was out catching a thief that night—something that the police station can verify—so I couldn't have possibly been at a hotel with you. "I want to know why you are working so hard to frame me. I was one of the people who donated to you—500 dollars, in fact—when your grandmother was ill. I've never done anything bad to you, so why are you targeting me?" Dad passed away when I was young, leaving Mom to raise me alone. I lived on just 500 dollars a month, yet I still chose to donate 500 dollars I had saved from a summer gig to Diana's grandmother. I never expected that my kindness would be repaid with such betrayal. Diana's face was flushed from rage, but she still refused to back down. "What of it? Your 500 dollars doesn't go very far. Do you think that donating 500 dollars makes you a good person? "Just because Mr. Wagner is taking your side doesn't mean anything. He's obviously biased because you're one of his favorite students!" She persisted in staying at the police station and refused to go until the police officers eventually pressured and removed her by force. Mom was overcome with tears and relief when she saw me return home unharmed. I gently wiped away her tears, making a silent vow to myself. "I won't let you go through any more pain, Mom." I was finally settling back into my peaceful routine when my lawyer shared the positive update that no further evidence had been filed against me. It seemed likely that the charges would be dismissed shortly. I was in such a good mood that I stopped by the market to pick up extra groceries for dinner with Mom. I was suddenly cornered by a group of people out of nowhere and forcibly knocked out. I caught the voices of a man and a woman as I slipped in and out of consciousness. "Get moving—take it off and get into position so that I can take the photo." I forced my eyes open and was met with the sight of bare breasts right in front of me. I suddenly found the power to shove the other person back and yelled, "Get away from me! What the hell do you think you're doing?" I looked more closely and noticed that it was Kevin Miller, the son of the school board chairman. "It's you!"