Chapter 1

During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the brakes on my brand-new car suddenly fail, causing a massive pileup.

Two people die at the scene, another 24 are injured, and the total property damage runs into the millions.

The authorities determine that I am entirely at fault.

I desperately try to explain that the brakes had malfunctioned, but when they have the car inspected, they find absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I'm stunned. When I pressed the brake pedal earlier, it simply wouldn't move.

I refuse to accept it and have the car examined by several reputable automotive inspection facilities, but every single one comes back with the same conclusion—there's nothing wrong with the car.

Even the state troopers and the insurance company are speechless.

"Ma'am, if you're trying to commit insurance fraud, you're going about it the wrong way."

"If you don't know how to drive, you shouldn't be on the interstate. Think about all the families you've destroyed. They didn't deserve any of this."

In the end, I am convicted of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to prison.

To compensate the victims' families for their losses, my parents work themselves to death.

When I hear the news in prison, I tie up my sheets into a noose and end my life as well.

Then, when I open my eyes again, I am back at the beginning of that fateful road trip.

Chapter 1

The moment I found myself sitting in that car again, I couldn't help but shudder.

Memories of the horrific ending from my previous life came rushing back, leaving me feeling as if I had been plunged into an icy abyss.

My parents had gone gray almost overnight while trying to compensate the victims' families. They were both retired, yet they worked themselves to death because of me.

Meanwhile, I had been sitting in prison, unable to even see them one last time.

Then there were all those innocent families whose lives had been ruined because of me. I could still remember the hatred in their eyes whenever they looked at me.

But one thing didn't make sense. I was sure that the brakes had failed, so why had every inspection facility insisted that there was nothing wrong with the car?

I was just an ordinary person. There was no way all of them were conspiring against me.

So, where exactly did things go wrong?

The car was still speeding down the interstate, so I gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands.

I had been driving for nearly two decades and considered myself an experienced driver, but for the first time in my life, I began to doubt myself.

Looking at the cars flying past at high speed, cold sweat broke out across my forehead.

I slowly pressed the brake pedal. Just like before, it wouldn't move!

My heart hammered so hard it felt like it was trying to burst out of my chest. What should I do? Was I destined to suffer the same horrific fate all over again?

No. Absolutely not!

I slapped myself hard, forcing myself to calm down.

Taking my foot off the gas, I switched on my right turn signal and carefully guided the car onto the shoulder.

I let it coast along the side of the road until it finally came to a complete stop.

The moment the car stopped, I called the highway roadside assistance.

"Hi, my brakes have failed. I need a tow truck."

I waited a long time before a technician finally arrived.

He carefully inspected the car from top to bottom, and his conclusion was, "Ma'am, there's nothing wrong with your car. The brakes are working perfectly."

How was that possible? Just minutes ago, I had pressed the brake pedal as hard as I could, but it didn't work at all.

I told him exactly what happened.

The technician asked me to sit in the passenger seat while he started the car, demonstrating the brakes for me on the shoulder.

No matter how many times he pressed the pedal, the brakes worked perfectly!

"Ma'am, try not to panic. Maybe you were so nervous that you accidentally stepped on the wrong pedal."

Watching how effortlessly he repeatedly applied the brakes, I couldn't help but question myself. Could that really have been the problem?

But I had been driving for nearly 20 years. I had spent years driving on roads in terrible conditions, but never once had I failed to remain calm behind the wheel. How could I possibly have panicked on a perfectly straight interstate?

I still wasn't convinced and asked the technician to tow my car away.

The technician looked exasperated. "Ma'am, it's Thanksgiving weekend. We don't have any extra tow trucks available right now. If you're really that scared, take it slow in the right lane. Get off at the next exit and stay off the interstate.

"Once you're off the highway, call your insurance company. They'll arrange a tow for you."

Chapter 2

Helpless, I had no choice but to accept the technician's explanation.

After all, Thanksgiving weekend was indeed one of the busiest travel periods of the year. I could tell just from how long it had taken roadside assistance to reach me.

Furthermore, my insurance company's tow trucks couldn't come onto the interstate to get me.

After the technician left, I climbed back into the driver's seat.

The moment my hands closed around the steering wheel, memories of the crash from my previous life came flooding back.

All I could hear were the sounds of metal screeching, people screaming, and the shrill blare of emergency sirens.

Images of my parents' hair turning gray overnight and the bloodshot, furious eyes of the victims' families glaring at me filled my mind.

I shuddered, cold sweat soaking through my clothes. For a long time, I couldn't bring myself to press the gas pedal.

I pulled out my phone and called home.

"Mom…"

The moment I spoke, tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hide the tremor in my voice.

My mother immediately noticed and asked in concern, "What's wrong, sweetheart? I thought you were going on a road trip. Did something happen?"

I was an only child, so my parents spoiled me since I was little.

After the pileup in my previous life, I had insisted that the brakes had failed, but no one believed me.

Only Mom and Dad were convinced that I would never lie about something like that. Even after every inspection facility reported that there was nothing wrong with the car, they still stood firmly by my side.

I wiped my tears away and forced cheer into my voice. "It's nothing, Mom. I just miss you. I don't feel like traveling anymore."

Mom laughed and teased me. "You’ve always been such a clingy kid. If you don't want to go, just come home. Your dad and I will be waiting for you."

Hearing this, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I hurriedly hung up.

All the fear and helplessness I had felt in my previous life came crashing back over me.

I let myself cry for a while. Eventually, the highway authorities called to urge me to move my car off the shoulder.

My hands trembled uncontrollably around the steering wheel, but I forced myself to calm down.

I glanced at the GPS. The next exit was nearby.

I had just watched the roadside technician test the brakes, and they had worked perfectly. All I had to do was drive slowly, make it through this stretch of highway, and get off the interstate.

If I were careful enough, the tragedy from my previous life wouldn't repeat.

I don't know how long I spent reassuring myself before I finally let out a long breath.

I started the engine, and the car began creeping forward. With nerves stretched taut, I carefully pressed the brake pedal.

The car stopped! The brakes worked!

I tested it several more times. Every single time, the brakes responded perfectly.

Could it really have been my own mistake in my previous life?

I breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, the important thing was that the brakes were working now.

As long as I got off the interstate as quickly as possible, I wouldn't have to repeat the same nightmare.

I eased the car off the shoulder and back onto the interstate. Along the way, I tested the brakes several more times and finally confirmed that they were working perfectly.

Still, I didn't let my guard down. I stayed in the far-right lane, keeping my speed around 80 miles an hour and driving as carefully as I could.

Before long, however, I caught up with a convoy of semis loaded down with cargo.

For my own safety, I turned on my left blinker and pressed the gas, overtaking the line of trucks.

Once the semis were behind me, I planned to move back into the far-right lane and continue at the lowest possible speed.

I took my foot off the gas and moved it over to the brake.

The moment I pressed down, cold sweat instantly broke out across my body. The brakes wouldn't move again!

Chapter 3

A wave of despair crushed me.

Why? The brakes had been working perfectly just moments ago. Why were they failing again? Was I really destined to suffer this fate?

The steering wheel was damp from my sweaty palms.

Seeing the traffic stream past me on every side, I even had an impulse to swerve into the divider.

Just then, a new message from Mom appeared on the car's infotainment screen.

"Gigi, are you on your way home?"

"Your dad went grocery shopping. We're making your favorite pot roast for dinner tonight. Cheer up."

No, I couldn't give up just like that! My parents were still waiting for me at home.

I couldn't imagine how devastated they would be if they learned that I died on the interstate.

My vision blurred with tears, but I quickly wiped them away.

It was going to be fine. Since I realized the problem before another crash, there was still a chance.

The brakes had failed earlier too, but I managed to get the car onto the shoulder.

I could do the same thing again.

This time, no matter what the roadside technician said, I wasn't going to drive again.

I could wait. I would stay there until the Thanksgiving holiday was over if that was what it took to stay safe.

Forcing myself to calm down, I took my foot off the gas and switched on my hazard lights. Once the car slowed down enough, I planned to ease over onto the shoulder just as I had done before.

I focused entirely on the traffic around me, waiting for the car to slow down on its own.

But just as I reached a speed at which I could safely move right, another wave of despair hit me.

Another convoy of semis had appeared ahead of me. The right lane was completely blocked!

I stared at the seemingly endless line of trucks, my heart pounding out of my chest. What should I do? What was I supposed to do?

Cars continued passing me one after another, and the traffic around me grew heavier.

Drivers behind me kept honking, urging me to move. The constant blaring hammered against my already fraying nerves.

Then, the cars ahead began to slow down. Traffic was backing up.

Soon, vehicles surrounded me on every side. Even if I wanted to crash by myself to save the others, there was nowhere for me to go.

Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. What should have happened in an instant stretched endlessly in my mind.

My entire body stiffened, and my thoughts seemed to shut down.

The sound of the crash rang out like a gunshot.

I could only watch helplessly as my car slammed into the vehicle ahead.

Just like in my previous life, the collision triggered the airbags. Before I could recover, another powerful impact struck from behind.

I immediately knew what had happened—the car behind me had crashed into a mine. The pileup happened after all.

Chaos erupted across the interstate. I could vaguely feel blood dripping from somewhere on my body, but I felt no pain. My body curled forward over the steering wheel.

The driver of the car ahead climbed out, blood oozing from his head, and stormed toward me, his face twisted with anger.

He pounded on my window, his eyes bloodshot as he cussed me out. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't you know how to use the brakes? Get out here!"

I was terrified. Even though I had already lived through this once, I still couldn't bring myself to face the nightmarish reality.

Gradually, more drivers approached my car and began pounding on the windows.

When the state troopers arrived, they saw me still inside the vehicle and assumed I was trapped. They quickly forced open the driver's door to get me out.

"Ma'am, are you all right?"

Chapter 4

After the two state troopers pulled me from the car, the first thing I said was, "My brakes… The brakes failed."

The roadside assistance that had arrived with the troopers was the same guy I had called earlier.

The technician stared at me in disbelief. "Ma'am, didn't we test them already? There's nothing wrong with your brakes. If you were nervous, why didn't you follow my advice and take it slow?"

The interstate had been brought to a standstill. Ambulances rushed back and forth, carrying injured people away from the scene.

Seeing their expressions, I couldn't hold myself together anymore. I dropped to my knees and broke down sobbing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do this. You have to believe me! My brakes really did fail. Please believe me!"

I didn't know how to explain myself. The brakes had indeed worked perfectly when the technician tested them. They had also worked when I tested them myself.

Only ten minutes had passed between then and now. I thought I could make it safely off the interstate, but the brakes failed again.

The technician looked at me suspiciously.

Several drivers who hadn't been seriously injured gathered around me.

"That's a brand-new car. I can tell by the model. How could the brakes possibly fail?"

"Exactly. If a brand-new car could have a basic defect like that, the manufacturer might as well shut down."

"Look at all these people who were hurt because of you!"

"If you don't know how to drive, stay off the interstate. Why would you come out here and put everyone else in danger?"

Despair, grief, and fear consumed me. I opened my mouth, but the only words that came out were "I'm sorry".

The furious drivers looked like they wanted to tear me apart.

Perhaps the devastation on my face was too obvious, or the troopers simply wanted to keep the situation from escalating.

Either way, they said, "Everyone, calm down. The emergency crews will make sure everyone gets off the highway safely. We'll get to the bottom of what caused the accident and give everyone an answer."

…

That evening, I was taken to the police station.

The moment I walked in, I saw Mom and Dad waiting anxiously for me.

I rushed into their arms, repeating the words I had said more times than anything else that day.

"I'm sorry, but my brakes really did fail! I didn't do it on purpose."

Tears immediately streamed down my parents' faces as they held me. "We believe you, sweetheart. Don't worry. The police will find out what really happened."

They stayed by my side as we waited for the results of the inspection.

Throughout the night, countless victims' families came to the station. Whenever they saw me, they cursed and screamed at me.

I understood their anger. All I could do was bow my head and apologize, trying to explain what happened.

My parents were respectable and dignified people, yet they stood beside me and apologized alongside me.

Eventually, Mom couldn't take it anymore and collapsed.

Because of how serious the accident was, the inspection results came back quickly.

At 10:30 the next morning, an officer came over with the official report. His expression was grim as he said, "Ma'am, there's nothing wrong with your car. Given the severity of the accident, you're being placed under arrest pending a full investigation."

Mom and Dad instantly froze. Then, their eyes filled with tears.

Mom grabbed the officer's hand and pleaded with him. "Officer, could you have it inspected one more time? Our daughter would never make a mistake like this."

Dad did not even look at the report and dropped to his knees in front of the officer.

"Please, sir," he begged. "She's my only daughter."

The officer looked both frustrated and sympathetic. "Sir, ma'am, I understand she's your only daughter, but the victims and their families are innocent too."

The world seemed to spin around me. My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor.

I couldn't understand it. Why? Where had things gone wrong?

As the cold silver handcuffs snapped around my wrists, the icy sensation sent a shiver through my body.

I lowered my head.

Then, I suddenly shot to my feet. "I know! I know what went wrong!"