651: MAKING THINGS RIGHT

ARIEL'S POV After a short moment of silence, I laughed bitterly, shaking my head in disbelief. "You're turning yourself in? Oh, Harriet, you really must think I'm gullible. Your lies won't work on me anymore." Her face contorted with a mix of pain and frustration. "I'm not joking, Ariel. I'm going to meet with the authorities and confess everything." I crossed my arms over my chest, still not buying her words. "And why the sudden change of heart? Why now, after all this time?" Harriet took a deep breath, her gaze locked onto mine. "Because I can't live like this anymore. The guilt is consuming me, Ariel. Every day, I see the faces of the people I've hurt, and it's eating me alive. I need to face the consequences of my actions to make things right." Despite her impassioned plea, I couldn't bring myself to trust her. The memory of her past cruelty was still too raw, too vivid in my mind. Shaking my head, I began to back away, putting distance between us. "I'm sorry, Harriet, but