Chapter 4Rebirth: I'm Not Taking the Blame

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!"