Chapter 5: Justice Begins in the Flames

Unfortunately, they were too late.

Dylan was already engulfed in flames, his arms raised high as if reaching out.

When Tiffany saw this, she let out a blood-curdling scream and fainted on the spot.

Phineas and Mandy scrambled to catch her. They were so chaotic. Mandy was frantically trying to revive her by compressing her chest.

When Tiffany finally opened her eyes, she began sobbing and screaming at me, "You murderer! You killed my son!"

I looked at the blazing cremator with reddened eyes and forced out a bitter laugh.

"Didn't all of you insist he was dead? Why are you acting like this now?"

My words instantly silenced everyone around us.

The funeral home's staff looked at my in-laws in confusion.

"Sir, Ma'am, your daughter-in-law followed all the legal procedures. The death certificate was issued by the hospital, and every document has been verified," one of the employees explained.

Phineas opened his mouth, but no words came out.

How could he explain that the man inside the furnace had never been dead in the first place?

He couldn't.

Mandy suddenly rushed toward the control panel. "Stop the furnace! Open it! We have to stop it!"

A staff member immediately stopped her.

"Miss, the cremation process has already begun. Opening it now would be extremely dangerous."

"I don't care! Open it!" Mandy screamed hysterically.

Her panicked expression exposed far more than she realized.

I narrowed my eyes and asked deliberately, "Dr. Spears, why are you so emotional? My husband is dead. As his attending physician, shouldn't you know that better than anyone?"

Mandy froze.

Her lips trembled, but she couldn't answer.

The surrounding families gradually began whispering among themselves.

"Isn't she the doctor? Why does she seem more upset than the wife?"

"Something feels off here..."

"Could there be another story behind this?"

Seeing the situation slipping out of control, Phineas hurriedly grabbed Mandy's arm.

"She's just devastated because she couldn't save her patient," he said awkwardly.

I gave a mocking smile but said nothing.

Just then, an employee walked over with a clipboard.

"Mrs. Harper, the cremation will take some time. Please wait in the family lounge."

I nodded calmly.

Before leaving, I glanced one last time at the furnace.

In my previous life, I had died gasping for air beneath the freezing river while Dylan watched without mercy.

This time, fate had simply returned everything he deserved.

No one would ever know that the flames consuming him now had burned away the hatred I had carried across two lifetimes.

As I turned around, Mandy suddenly collapsed onto the floor, crying uncontrollably.

For the first time since my rebirth, I finally felt that justice had begun.