After Rebirth: Smiling as She Moves the Trip to the Landslide River

My sons new teacher wanted to move the annual field trip from the Botanical Institute to Blackwood Forest.
In my last life, Id argued until I had to threaten to report her. An influencer obsessed with her Brave Little Lamb image, she finally gave in.
Just as Id predicted, a landslide hit the forest on the planned trip day.
But two days earlier, shed filmed a fake class adventure thereit went viral. Parents whod thanked me now sent hate, wanting fame.
She made students bully my son Leo, then pushed him down the stairs, whispering, Blame your meddling mother.
They framed his death as suicide. Before his body was cold, an online mob came for me. I took my own life.
Now, Ive woken up at that parent-teacher meeting again.
This time, when she proposes the trip, Im the first to agree.
Only true wilderness unlocks a childs potential, I say, smiling. I fully support it!

1
In my past life, when I arrived at the school, my sons body was already covered by a white sheet.
Everyone said he had jumped. But I knew the truth. I screamed and lunged for the real killer.
The teacher, Ms. Finch, feigned terror, but as they pulled me away, she leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"You exposed my video as a fake. I killed your son. Seems fair, don't you think?"
I clawed at her face, a desperate, wild animal, but they just called me a hysterical woman having a breakdown.
Ms. Finchs saccharine voice yanks me from the memory.
"Mrs. Reed, don't you think you're overreacting?"
"It's just a landslide warning. Is that really more important than building character in our children?"
My son, Leo, senses my detachment. He nudges my leg gently, his eyes wide with concern.
The other parents start to murmur in agreement.
"She's right. The weather service is always so dramatic, aren't they? They issue warnings every day, and nothing ever happens."
"This is about shaping our kids' futures. What's one little warning compared to that?"
I dig my nails into my palm. The sharp sting of pain is a welcome anchor, proof that this is real. I am back.
I look at Ms. Finch's deceptively sweet smile at the front of the room, and I have to grind my teeth to keep from screaming. I want nothing more than to destroy her right here, right now.
Seeing my silence, she taps her pen on the lectern impatiently.
"Mrs. Reed, we need to think this through."
"The weather service issues dozens of warnings a week. But an educational opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime."
Her most loyal sycophant, a woman named Karen, chimes in immediately.
"Exactly!"
"Mrs. Reed, just because your Leo is a little timid, you can't hold back the entire class from this amazing experience."
"We're not all renowned scientists like you. We don't have special connections. Are you really going to ruin this for everyone else? Can you take responsibility for that?"
Her words ignite the room. One by one, other parents join her crusade.
"Blackwood Forest has been there for decades. A sudden landslide? It seems a bit far-fetched, don't you think?"
"Ms. Finch fought hard to get this opportunity for our kids. What right do you have to stand in her way?"
"My son says Leo's always been a scaredy-cat. He's probably just trying to drag everyone else down with him"
Leos face pales, the accusations landing like physical blows. He opens his mouth, his voice trembling.
"Mom, I'm not"
I clench my fists, my knuckles white.
For a split second, I consider trying to warn them one last time. To do the right thing.
But then I remember. I remember the sincerity in their eyes when they thanked me, and the venom in their words when they cursed me. I remember how they fanned the flames online, pushing me toward the edge of a cliff until I finally fell.
No one in this room is innocent.
I look out the window at the fine, misty rain and offer an apologetic smile.
"I'm so sorry, Ms. Finch. I wasn't thinking clearly."
I stand up abruptly, and the chatter in the room dies down.
"I was the one being alarmist. I nearly jeopardized our children's future."
"Ms. Finch is so thoughtful to arrange this. Of course, she has my full support."

2
As my words hang in the air, the classroom falls into a dead silence.
Leo's hand, clutching mine, is ice-cold. I give him a reassuring glance, a silent promise.
"Are you are you serious, Mrs. Reed?"
A flicker of confusion crosses Ms. Finch's face, but its quickly replaced by a triumphant gleam.
"Of course," I say, nodding earnestly. "I want what's best for my son, just like everyone else."
"I was making a mountain out of a molehill. I nearly wasted all of your hard work, Ms. Finch. You've thought of everything. As parents, we can rest easy knowing our children are in your hands."
I put extra emphasis on the words rest easy.
A low murmur ripples through the other parents.
A satisfied smile spreads across Ms. Finch's face. She claps her hands together and pulls a stack of A4 papers from her designer handbag.
"Now that we're all on the same page, just to avoid any disagreements later on," she says, shooting a pointed look in my direction, "I'll need everyone to sign this safety waiver."
She hands me the form.
It's a liability waiver. By signing, parents agree to the field trip to Blackwood Forest and absolve Ms. Finch of any and all responsibility for any accidents.
She raises her voice, beaming. "Oh, and one more thing. The fee for the trip has been increased to three hundred dollars. Please transfer the funds to Karen as soon as possible."
The other parents nod eagerly, scrambling for their phones.
I look down at the paper and feel a cold, bitter laugh rise in my throat. I never saw this waiver in my past life. I had no idea she had planned to cover her tracks from the very beginning.
"Evelyn, what are you waiting for?" Karen's voice is sharp enough to cut glass. "Stop staring and sign it!"
I set the waiver down on the desk.
"Leo won't be attending."
Ms. Finch's smile instantly twists into a snarl. "But you just agreed!"
The other parents, led by Karen, glare at me.
"What are you trying to pull, Evelyn?"
"Are you playing games with us? Do you think we're fools?"
I simply adjust my glasses. "I do support you, Ms. Finch. I think it's a wonderful idea."
"It's just that my Leo" I let out a heavy sigh. "He has a severe case of acrophobia. Always has."
"He can't even look down from a second-story window without getting dizzy." I dab at the corners of my eyes with my sleeve, my voice thick with mock-sadness. "I'm just so worried about his health. What if something happens to him on the mountain?"
"He'd disrupt your plans, the other students would have to look after him it just wouldn't be right."
"To make sure everyone else has the best possible experience, we've decided to sit this one out."
Understanding dawns on Leo's face. He slowly hunches over, clutching his chest dramatically.
"Mom," he gasps, "I I can't breathe"
Ms. Finch stares at our performance, utterly dumbfounded.
The room erupts in whispers again.
"Mom, I don't want to have to take care of that weakling"
"He's how old and still afraid of heights? What a wimp."
"You know, my daughter is afraid of heights too. That mountain is pretty high, maybe"
A few other parents start to look hesitant.
Karen sees the tide turning and slams her hand on a desk. "You're undermining class unity!"
"A fear of heights isn't some terminal illness! Can't he just try to be brave?"
Her outburst backfires. The mother who had just spoken up retorts, "Are you going to be responsible if my daughter has a full-blown panic attack up there?"
"You know what, we're out too. I've never seen three red alerts issued for the same area before"
As the voices of dissent grow louder, Ms. Finch struggles to maintain her gentle facade.
"Everyone, quiet!"
Her hand, adorned with a dazzling diamond ring, smacks against the blackboard.
"This is a class trip. No one is skipping!"
"The entire point of this is to foster teamwork and cooperation! We need to be united!"
She throws a contemptuous look my way. "Mrs. Reed, a little fear is something that can be overcome. Do you really want Leo to grow up to be an outcast?"
"If this continues, his personality development could be severely stunted!"
She tries to sound like a concerned educator, but her eyes are dancing with smug victory. "This is for the good of all the children. Every single student will be attending!"
Her firm stance emboldens the others. They rush to agree, afraid of being left behind.
"She's right, Evelyn! This is a group activity. What does it look like if you don't go?"
"I bet she just thinks this school is beneath her son now!"
Hearing the other parents turn on me, a smug, triumphant look spreads across Ms. Finch's face.
"Alright, settle down."
She scans the room like a queen surveying her court.
"This trip will be incredibly beneficial for everyone."
"Not only will it teach the children independence, but I will also be livestreaming the entire event."
"I'll even edit the footage into a professional video. Every child will have a chance to be on camera!"

3
The room explodes.
"Oh my god! Ms. Finch has over three million followers!"
"If my kid gets famous, he could be an influencer! That's way more money than he'll ever make with a college degree!"
The parents who were hesitating just moments ago are now overcome with a feverish excitement. They practically trample each other to transfer the money to Karen. Even the mother whose daughter had a fear of heights.
I just shake my head, a bitter taste in my mouth.
Ms. Finch's smile grows wider. Karen looks like she's just won the lottery.
"Evelyn, aren't you going to sign and pay?"
"If she won't sign, I will! Karen, check your account, the money's there!"
A mob of parents surges forward, shoving desks and chairs aside. I pull Leo close, a deep sense of irony washing over me.
In my last life, Ms. Finch never had to use these elaborate excuses. This was never about the kids. It was a pre-planned script for her social media channel. The children were just props, a brief cameo in her show. The idea that any of them would become famous was a cruel joke.
As if on cue, the drizzle outside intensifies, the rain now hammering against the windowpanes.
But inside, the atmosphere is reaching a fever pitch.
As a geologist specializing in mountain hazards, I know the conditions at Blackwood Forest better than anyone. The loose, saturated soil, combined with days of relentless rain a landslide isn't just a possibility, it's an inevitability.
While the classroom is in chaos, I take Leo's hand and pull him toward the back door.
"Stay close, Leo."
We crouch low, moving as quietly as we can. The back door is just inches away. My hand is reaching for the handle when
"They're trying to run!" a sharp-eyed parent shrieks.
The room falls silent. The only sound is the frantic drumming of rain against the roof.
Ms. Finch slowly raises her head. Her eyes are filled with a cold, hard malice.
"Evelyn," she says, her voice low and dangerous, "have I been too nice to you?"
Her crude language ignites a fire in my chest.
"Ms. Finch, is that really something a teacher should be saying?"
Leo, bristling with indignation, steps forward, but I pull him behind me.
"I told you, Leo has a severe phobia. We are not participating."
"Who the hell do you think you are? You don't get to decide that!" Ms. Finch's face is flushed with rage. She pounds her fist on the lectern. "This is a class-wide activity!"
"Leo is already timid. If you don't push him now, are you trying to raise a coward?"
Her vulgar words make my blood boil.
"The weather service has issued three consecutive red alerts! The park service has issued its own danger advisory!"
"And field trips are voluntary. You can't force us to go!"
Ms. Finch scoffs. "I never said I was forcing you. You're just trying to divide the class!"
Karen points a finger in my face. "Listen here, Evelyn. Ms. Finch is being more than patient with you. Sign the damn paper and pay the money!"
The room descends into chaos again, parents shouting accusations at me from all sides.
Leo clenches his fists, but I pull him toward the door.
"Let us through! What you're doing is illegal!"
A wall of parents blocks our path. I try to push through them, and the argument turns into a shoving match.
Suddenly, I feel a sharp tug on my hair. A split second later, Karens hand cracks across my face.
My vision explodes in a shower of stars. I stumble backward and fall to the floor. Someone's foot comes down hard on my hand, and a bloom of pain radiates up my arm.
"Mom! Are you okay?"
Leo shoves the other parents aside and helps me to my feet. A fiery pain shoots through my knee as I stand.
Karen takes a half-step back, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "Drama queen. It was just a little fall."
Ms. Finch watches, her expression cold, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.
"This is what you get for disrupting the harmony of this class!"
"If you don't sign that paper and pay today, none of us are letting you leave!"
Leo's eyes are red with fury. He looks like he's about to launch himself at her.
"Leo, calm down," I say, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We won't stoop to their level."
"We'll use the law to protect ourselves."
I hold up my swollen, bruised hand. My voice is like ice. "Your actions today constitute assault."
"This is the kind of class Ms. Finch runs, is it? So committed to 'unity' that you're willing to break the law?"
I scan the pale, shocked faces around me.
"A class like this isn't worthy of my son."
Ms. Finch is clearly unprepared for me to bring up the law. She stares at me for a second, then screeches, "What are you trying to do?"
I lead Leo to the back door without a backward glance.
"We are not going on the field trip."
"And right now, I'm going to find Principal Davies and arrange for a transfer."
The room is silent.
Then Karen bursts out laughing as if she's just heard the funniest joke in the world. She slaps her thigh, her body shaking with mirth.
"Oh, 'Principal Davies'! You really think you're someone important, don't you?"
Ms. Finch crosses her arms, a smug look on her face. "Go ahead. The second you walk out that door, Leo is no longer a student in this class."
"And Principal Davies? He's at a district conference today. Let's see who's going to sign your transfer papers now!"
I take a deep breath.
I pull out my phone, dial a number, and put it on speaker.
A kind, familiar voice answers on the second ring.
"Evelyn, what a surprise. Is something wrong? Is it about Leo?"

First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "285669" to read the entire book.