Now You See It, Now You Don't

I had taken a nasty fall. My ankle was swelling badly.

But I barely felt the pain. My heart was pounding, and a deep sense of unease gripped every inch of my body.

Madison hadn't been anywhere near the VIP room. So why was she suddenly taking the rest of the day off?

There was no way she could have seen Alfie and Demi's PIN from thin air.

I forced myself to stand, trying to follow her, but the moment I put weight on my foot, a sharp pain nearly sent me collapsing again.

I could only watch helplessly as Madison disappeared from sight.

I was just about to curse under my breath when my phone rang.

It was my boyfriend, Evan Watson.

I didn't answer right away. Instead, memories from my previous life surfaced.

If I wasn't mistaken, last time, Evan had called me right after Madison left too.

He never used to care about what I was doing at work. Was he tracking my movements?

Suspicion tightened in my chest. I finally picked up, and Evan's voice came through the receiver.

"Caitlin, are you at the bank?"

In my previous life, I had mistaken this for concern. But now, hearing that same familiar question sent a chill down my spine.

I could be certain now. Evan was checking on my whereabouts.

Something was definitely going on between him and Madison.

My body trembled from the sheer weight of that realization. Before I could even respond, the bank's automated voice interrupted, calling out the next customer number.

Evan let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"I heard the announcement. You must be busy. I'll let you go, babe. See you tomorrow."

He said those last words so casually, but all I felt was a heavy stone sinking in my chest.

Had they still succeeded?

Even without seeing the PIN, could they still steal an innocent person's surgery money?

And if they could do that, was my fate sealed once again?

Questions swirled in my mind. I was standing in a bright, open lobby, yet it felt as suffocating as a coffin.

Willow Pollard, my manager who had been holding me up, noticed my pale face and gave my shoulder a firm pat.

"Your face is turning pale from the pain, Caitlin. You should go to the hospital. I have nothing else to do today. I can cover your shift."

Her offer made me hesitate.

If she took my shift, would she end up as my scapegoat?

Just as I was about to refuse, a sudden flicker of hope took hold in my heart.

Hospitals had security cameras everywhere. If I checked myself in and convinced Willow to stay with me overnight, we'd both have alibis.

At this thought, I let out a deep breath. I thanked Willow and immediately left for the hospital.

Just as I planned, I got admitted, and Willow stayed with me the entire night after much pleading from me.

However, the moment I reached the bank entrance the next day, I was met with the exact same scene as in my previous life.

Alfie and Demi stood there, sobbing uncontrollably. Their hands trembled as they held up their bank card.

"Why is my money gone? We just deposited five million dollars yesterday!"

"That was my daughter's surgery money! She's supposed to have the operation this afternoon! What are we supposed to do now?"

Their wails twisted a knife in my chest. I turned to look at Willow.

Without hesitation, she rushed forward to help them, asking what had happened.

But Alfie and Demi were crying so hard they could barely form coherent words. All they could do was repeat, over and over, that the money was gone. That their child was doomed.

By now, most of the bank staff had caught wind of the massive deposit from the day before. People were gathering, whispering amongst themselves.

Then, from the back of the crowd, Madison's voice rang out, "Why is everyone standing around? If the money's missing, just check who withdrew it!"

Everyone turned to look at her, and I took the opportunity to study her closely.

Dark circles hung under her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept all night.

She was the thief. I was sure of it.

But how? How had she stolen such a massive amount?

The bank president, George Stewart, arrived soon after and wasted no time pulling up the surveillance footage.

The moment the screen flickered on, Alfie and Demi fell silent, their sobs turning into shaky breaths.

Seeing a clue to follow, Alfie and Demi finally stopped crying and turned to the screen with everyone else.

The moment the thief's face became clear, every gaze instinctively shifted toward me.

A chilling numbness spread through my body, and I could no longer stop myself from trembling.

The thief was still me.