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?" Chapter 1 "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." Chapter 2 I yanked my arm free. "Get out of my way." "I'm not moving!" Melissa dropped to the ground, stubbornly throwing a tantrum. "Everyone, look! The murderer is trying to run away. My dog Max was killed because of her!" She yelled loudly, but I noticed her gaze flicking toward me, gauging my reaction. Greg immediately blocked my path, clenching his fists and cracking his knuckles menacingly. "Lauren, Melissa asked you to go into the woods to look for Max. Are you deaf? If you refuse, I'll make sure you never leave this campsite." I pulled out my phone. "Fine. I'll call the police right now. Let them decide who's really the one causing trouble." I had just pressed 911 when a large hand suddenly snatched the phone away. "What police?" Mr. Woodruff gripped my phone, his face darkening. "This is a company team-building trip. How will it look if you call the cops over? Do you want the entire industry laughing at us?" Staring at my empty palm, I finally understood—they weren't just trying to force me to search for the dog. "Mr. Woodruff, are you restricting my freedom?" "I'm teaching you discipline!" he snapped, shoving my phone into his pocket. "Until Max is found, I'll be holding onto this. You'll get it back when the dog returns." In my last life, this was how it had started too. Melissa climbed to her feet and walked up to me, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Did you hear that, Lauren? Now, get into the woods and find my dog! If you don't find him, you can die in there for all I care." "I'll say this one last time. I'm not going." Melissa's smile froze. "Lauren, don't push your luck!" Greg immediately butted in. "Mr. Woodruff gave you an order. You dare defy him?" I shot him a glare. "I don't know if the company can or cannot survive without me. But I do know this—if I die in that forest, every single one of you here will be guilty of murder." My eyes swept across the group of colleagues who had been watching. Those who had been cheering Melissa on earlier now looked away guiltily. Melissa raised her voice again. "Stop trying to scare everyone! Max is a good boy. If he's fine in there, you'll be fine too. You're just selfish and cold-blooded!" As she cursed me, her eyes scanned the campsite until her gaze finally locked onto my tent, which stood at the edge of the site. I had pitched it alone the day before. Melissa strutted over. "You won't go search, huh? Then don't even think about staying here either!" She yanked hard on the guylines. The stakes ripped out of the ground. "What are you doing?" I rushed forward. Greg blocked me like a wall, shoving me back. I slipped and crashed onto the gravel. My palm split open, blood oozing out. "Melissa can do whatever she wants. Who are you to stop her?" In those few seconds, Melissa had already torn my tent apart. She threw my waterproof mat into the mud, stomped dirty footprints across my sleeping bag, and finally dug through my backpack, pulling out a wooden safety charm. My dad had gotten that charm for me from a church. In my last life, I had clung to it during my time in prison. Chapter 3 "You're still carrying around this crappy old thing?" Melissa sneered disdainfully at the charm, dangling it in the air. "You won't even save a dog. What's the point of having this? God isn't going to protect someone as cruel as you." "Give it back!" I scrambled to my feet and lunged toward her. Startled, Melissa stepped back, but she still hurled the charm with all her strength. It flew through the air and dropped straight into the blazing campfire. "No!" My mind went blank. I reached into the flames without thinking. The fire singed my hair, and the back of my hand seared in pain. By the time I pulled the charm out, half of it was already charred. The word "peace" that my dad carved on the back was now blurred. I clutched the scorched wood against my chest, tears streaming down my face. "Oh, come on. It's just a piece of wood. Is it really worth crying over?" Melissa folded her arms and laughed. "If you'd just agreed to search for Max earlier, this wouldn't have happened. See, this is all your own fault." I slowly lifted my head. The fire roared, and inside me, flames burned just as fiercely. "Melissa." My voice was hoarse. "You'd better pray your dog comes back alive. If not, I'll make sure you pay for this." Melissa flinched, but quickly straightened her posture. "Who are you threatening? Mr. Woodruff, look at her. She refuses to help, and now she's trying to intimidate me!" Mr. Woodruff frowned and waved his hand dismissively. "That's enough, Lauren. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? If you won't search for the dog, then stop getting in the way. "When we're back at the office, I'll dock your entire month's performance bonus. Now, pack up your junk and leave the campsite." I stared at them, then suddenly laughed. "Fine. I'll go." I kept the burned charm carefully, ignoring my dirty backpack scattered on the ground. "Wait!" Melissa called after me. She pulled a document and a pen from her bag. "You can leave, but you have to sign this first." It was a handwritten disclaimer that read, "Lauren Brooks deliberately destroyed the search equipment, causing Max's disappearance. Therefore, Lauren Brooks agrees to bear full responsibility for compensation." I laughed in exasperation. "Have you lost your mind? I'm not signing that. What are you going to do about it?" Melissa smirked and gave Greg a look. Greg immediately stepped forward with several male colleagues and surrounded me. Melissa leaned close and whispered in my ear, "If you don't sign today, I'll strip you naked and throw you into the woods. Let the wild boars have a taste of you." I looked at the men circling around me. Some avoided my gaze, others watched with amusement. We were in the middle of the jungle, where there were no surveillance cameras. I forced myself to stay calm. My hand reached into my pocket, pressing the switch on my voice recorder. It was the one I usually used for meetings. "Melissa, this is extortion," I said with deliberate slowness. "I kicked my own drone into the lake. Your dog ran off on its own. Why should I be responsible?" Melissa laughed like I had just told a joke. "Extortion? Go ahead and report me! You've got no evidence. Your phone's in Mr. Woodruff's pocket. Who's going to prove that I forced you?" She leaned in smugly, jabbing her finger into my shoulder. Chapter 4 "Let me tell you something, Lauren. In this company, whatever I say goes. Be smart and sign it, or I'll ruin you completely." I took the pen. "Fine. I'll sign." I deliberately signed my name crookedly across the page, then slapped the paper against her chest. "Now, can I leave?" Melissa flicked the paper with satisfaction. "Get lost. And don't forget to prepare the money. Max is a purebred Mastiff. With your pathetic salary, it'll take years to pay me back." I ignored her and walked out of the campsite. The sky was darkening—the mountain wind cut like daggers, chilling me to the bone. I didn't go far. Instead, I stopped at a sheltered spot not far from the campsite, high enough to overlook the entire site. I sat on a rock, wiping the blood from my hand. The wound still hurt. But after what I suffered in my last life, the pain only sharpened my patience. Lights flickered on in the camp. Melissa sat by the fire, laughing as Greg handed her a piece of roasted meat. She laughed and smiled, looking nothing like someone who had just lost her "beloved" dog. Night fell completely. The signal in the mountains was weak, cutting on and off. I pulled out my backup phone and slipped in an anonymous SIM card. As soon as the internet connected, my WhatsApp exploded. In the company group chat, Melissa had posted a long message, accusing me of cruelty. The message read, "Everyone, please judge for yourselves. I only wanted to borrow her drone to find Max, but she kicked it straight into the lake. Max is still lost in the forest, probably dead, and she just walked away. How can someone be so cold and vicious?" On top of that, she attached several photos—the sinking drone, her tear-streaked face, and my back as I left camp. Greg was the first to respond. "Lauren isn't even human! Keeping someone like her in the company is a ticking time bomb. Who knows when she'll stab us in the back?" Mr. Woodruff chimed in. "Lauren's behavior is a serious violation of team discipline. I've already punished her. Let this be a warning to everyone." Other colleagues joined in. "She's terrifying. She's always so quiet, but actually so scheming deep down." "I strongly suggest the company fire her!" I stared at the screen, reading their cruel words. In my last life, I had fought desperately to explain myself and prove my innocence. All it had earned me was harsher online abuse. They didn't care about the truth. They only wanted a scapegoat. But this time, I wouldn't explain. I opened Melissa's Instagram feed. Her latest post, posted half an hour ago, mirrored her message in the group. The only difference was that she added a screenshot of the location. I sneered, saving every piece of evidence. Just then, commotion rose from the camp. I leaned forward to see. Melissa was in the center, holding up a selfie stick, livestreaming. "Hey, everyone. It's Melissa. My dog Max is missing. I'm so scared…" She squeezed out a few tears for the camera, her voice trembling. I muted the sound and watched her performance. Go ahead and make noise. The bigger, the better. Early the next morning, the mountain mist had yet to clear. I leaned against a tree trunk, sleepless and freezing. Checking my backup phone, I saw that Melissa's livestream had run all night. The livestream title was designed to grab attention. "Cold-Hearted Coworker Refuses to Help. My Mastiff Remains Lost in the Wilderness, Fate Unknown." Chapter 5 Melissa's livestream had already drawn over 100 thousand viewers. The screen was flooded with comments, all condemning me. "This woman is pure evil." "We need to expose her and destroy her reputation!" Melissa sat in front of her tent, her eyes red, and her hair deliberately messy. She sniffled into the camera. "Thank you, everyone, for your concern. I didn't sleep at all last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined Max crying out in the forest. "I just don't understand why Lauren is so cruel. We're all colleagues, after all. Even if she didn't want to lend me her drone, she could've just said no. Why did she have to destroy Max's only chance of survival?" She cried as she spoke. Right on cue, Greg appeared in frame, handing her a tissue. "Melissa, don't be sad. That woman isn't worth it." He then turned to the camera. "Don't worry, everyone. We already made Lauren sign a compensation agreement. Once we're back in the city, we'll drag her to Melissa if we have to, and make her kneel and apologize to Max!" The comments erupted again. "She must kneel and apologize!" "Post a picture of her. We'll make her pay!" Melissa bit her lower lip, pretending to hesitate. "I don't know… She may be awful, but she's still a colleague. I just hope she realizes her mistake, pays for my emotional damages and Max's value. If she apologizes publicly, maybe I won't press charges." Watching her put on a show made my stomach churn. Not only was she demanding compensation, she was playing the saint while trampling on my dignity. Then, Mr. Woodruff leaned into the camera and cleared his throat. "Hello, netizens. I'm their supervisor. Our company has zero tolerance for employees like Lauren, who destroy team harmony and lack basic morality. Once we're back, I'll immediately file for her dismissal." Approving reactions flooded the screen, and Melissa couldn't hide the smile on her face. But just as the livestream insults reached their peak, a piercing siren rang outside the campsite. Soon, several off-road vehicles marked with the words "Forest Police" and "Department of Forestry" roared into the campsite. The headlights blared straight at Melissa, blinding her and forcing her to squint. Doors slammed open. Uniformed officers jumped out, their expressions grim as they strode toward the crowd. Greg shrank back, stepping aside. Mr. Woodruff froze. "Officers, what's going on here—" he stammered, but was shoved aside before he could finish. The lead officer scanned the group, holding up a bloodstained dog collar. His voice cut through the livestream's speakers. "Who is the owner of this Mastiff?" Melissa's eyes lit up at the sight of the collar. She didn't even put down her phone, immediately raising her hand. "Me! I'm Max's owner! Officer, where is he? Is he okay?" The officer fixed his gaze on her and raised the collar. "Your dog broke into the core area of the national nature reserve and killed three endangered wild Key deer on the spot. You are required to come with us for the investigation. Prepare to face criminal charges and financial compensation."