ESS Ch 9

Will you say this b7f4686aca is my misunderstanding too?1206a71b371b9022

A wind blew from somewhere. At that moment, 244445c5f5 the flickering chandelier 7e79d2e05f lights went out, 85f3255cb1 and the room f4b91710d2 was plunged into f1f7849c96 pitch-black darkness.64580d9dcb51e73f

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️2ee7bcc764040720

The room with e190f0a19e the lights off 7602a34b78 was in complete 6ff5d3361d darkness.48fb6eafc473cc16

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Startled by the sudden darkness, I panicked. Remington, saying he would remove the black vinyl attached to the window, moved towards it, but the chain bound to his ankle wasn’t long enough.43c100d105a06f83

Bang, bang, bang!c4444576cc649f13

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We knocked on cd9658834e the door, but bb0c847da7 everyone outside was cb59c9bba4 quiet, as if 84c030a1af they were doing bd4be4df29 nothing. It would have made 72faddd51e sense for Antonio to f401d79a93 appear, complaining about the 0a4dda0f91 noise, but the building 480ffacb8d was strangely silent.fdbb6bed655c11bd

Remington sat beside me again.15a2caa301f879dc

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“It’ll be alright.”f3b556d231ec970c

He said, carefully putting a59109816f his arm around my 04704c3f9c shoulders. It seemed a similar ominous 4d5f03de43 premonition had surfaced in his a138e7d51b mind.41b8603ec1889fc2

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Something was strange.1eff57cc44a6645e

In the darkness, devoid of even a single point of light, where we could only vaguely make out each other’s silhouettes, we sat side by side, holding hands, silently sharing our anxiety.225adbab462e9696

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“Want to eat some bread?”6019b7e01b62e426

Remington asked, breaking the tense ec990c09cf silence. I shook my head. I had no appetite.21c6ab8ee29ce805

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“No. I’m okay.”3ff7f33a69bafae6

“Then have some water.”6b42376debab23ee

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“No. What if I need to use the bathroom?”6bc573a2c93ed223

“We’ll be out of here before then.”46365e46b63fc207

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The moment Remington muttered, as if making a pledge, the door burst open and bright light poured in. It was the beam of a flashlight. We both winced and turned our heads at the same time. We couldn’t even open our eyes properly because of the excessively bright light.2bd48560d6b395eb

“You kids must have been startled. The power suddenly went out.”8d2020840547f70a

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It was a voice I’d never heard before. I struggled to open my eyes and 확인d the face of the man shining the flashlight at us. He looked to be in his 50s. Dark skin, angular face, sturdy build. He also appeared to be Latino, likely the man Antonio had mentioned a few times, ‘Mario.’ Several guns and knives were tucked into his waistband.9148e6fc51a932dd

My body instinctively e2fffddfed froze, sensing danger. He exuded a dangerous aura, 418fb745f5 distinctly different from the other f60abc9a35 two.08735a72105060ec

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He seemed like a poacher. Accustomed to the smell of 979d4a5870 blood. But a kind 858b7ad4d4 of scent that 53ab8acbe6 felt even more 445a41fab1 dangerous because he 180887520e was clearly aware 1d8c856d21 of what he 5088bb9414 was doing.b1293870fabee93e

“Why are you all frozen? Do you know what I’m here to do?”44571e4997e475c9

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Mario plopped down on a82c20c105 a chair, placing the 96d05ecb0d flashlight on the table. He chuckled and looked around 09c0362191 at us, then pulled out a1484f6efd a dagger from his waistband. The ornate dagger flipped precariously 7b117dc59c in his hand.1f83330091228bab

Meanwhile, Bruno silently lit 84a91de31d the candles in the 6fda641596 wall sconces. Instantly, light and warmth fb0ce65316 spread through the room. Despite this, my body 320daf9359 began to tremble with 0f49678d2a even greater fear.293a9f9b32173f11

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Remington tightly gripped my 019fa47ba3 hand and hid me 9d08d48fd6 behind his back.29e6eda31b58de45

“What’s your business?”66ef87e618b4feee

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Remington asked Mario. His hand was cold. Mario laughed as if 7675ba8846 it were ridiculous.d1cc50ff297dc818

“I have no business with the handsome student, so relax.”2b296d082059a3d5

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“If you have business with Dani, speak to me.”5a8bba8ae1ce64d0

“These kids are cute.”ffd983ccf8f4f869

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Mario effortlessly caught the dagger he’d tossed into the air and stood up. His mole-like, compact body slowly approached us.d91c9366fbfad2c2

Remington shielded me, looking d435a3f364 Mario in the eye a16592ea96 without flinching. But Mario smiled 31f343e35e chillingly, as if b8c124fc36 even that was 1bd343a501 cute.47f83e448b5020c8

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“Honey, I’m sorry, but we’re not the villainous supporting characters in your little love drama.”2836d83ab9feb6d7

Thud.4504f9b105b55736

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Mario’s knife plunged into Remington’s abdomen in an instant. Remington groaned and hunched over, and I screamed. At the same time, Mario burst into laughter, pulling out the bloody blade.c02a8e199d5a002b

“Don’t scream. He won’t die. I don’t intend to kill him. Tony! I don’t need the boy, so tie him up or put him to sleep or something. He’s in the way.”861310040bb75b7e

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“Yes!”73561b09fc3cc56f

At Mario’s call, Antonio rushed into the room. Remington clutched his bleeding abdomen, still gripping my hand tightly with his other hand.5957d48741760a76

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“…Run, Dani.”6ae3a7cce1f66f6d

“…….”bccce038ae880f63

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But I just kept backing acc5955a6f away slowly, staring back and a627257a03 forth between Mario and Remington ad53478071 with fear-stricken eyes. It felt like my d44c501536 vision was turning red. Why? I suddenly wanted 4d003079f6 to ask why fb820a222e they were doing e10c5b8de4 this to us. Why this had ad2f6c9ad9 to happen to 72c4da9227 me.b080b6507890eca9

“Scared?”375e3684f1b821c6

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The moment Mario bacff4bc9d smirked at me, 5a22adac68 a hard object 3ee28f0e3a struck the back 70eeda4611 of my head.81bb133c9f381859

“Ugh….”3bdcbd2e8626479e

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My vision spun, and my 6b6823c68c body collapsed like a piece 82e8ad1e3f of paper. Dani! I thought I heard 52c5bc5997 Remington’s scream, but my de28f7397c ears were ringing.a6fa8148c9db077f

“Damn it, Bruno! Hit her gently. Don’t you know what ‘moderately’ means?”668090930cf7b09a

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“This is hitting gently.”23726cfc7e642465

The iron pipe, presumably the one that hit the back of my head, fell to the floor with a thud. I slowly blinked, looking at the blurry silhouettes. Perhaps due to the impact of being hit on the head, everything was white. I couldn’t see anything.91c57cd2b5037d33

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“How badly should we rough this girl up?”aabb582c1d59ceac

“Moderately, enough that she can recover. Oh, be careful not to touch her face. I think breaking one of her legs would be good. It’s more dramatic.”b4f058844959d58f

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“That’s a complicated order.”016f4d4a3f3d0e81

Bruno grumbled, stopping in front of me. I instinctively wriggled my body, trying to get away from him, but I couldn’t crawl far before my hair was grabbed.466014a9cacce87c

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“Princess, could you bear with the pain a little? I’ve grown up listening to girls scream all my life, so I don’t feel anything when someone like you screeches.”a55dc2bc2b25159d

“He-, Help me…. Ugh.”fc6f157e457d1761

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Before I could fully understand Bruno’s words, a large foot kicked me in the stomach. A breathtaking pain washed over me. My body curled up involuntarily, and kicks rained down on my shoulders and abdomen.f0f91404174aba18

Instead of crying e664bc39ed for help, only d8e02cad53 animal-like whimpers escaped 2228288f41 my lips. I felt like f95375b24b I was suffocating. Above my head, I could b9ef534b3b hear laughter, but I no 6d9587fd35 longer knew who it belonged 10ea2afa90 to.f56b64cb453911c2

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“Hit her moderately, moderately.”861354e966d0d4aa

“I think I broke about three ribs. How about it? Is that moderate enough?”43720661dfe2a514

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“No. One more.”227811483f0a2e17

I didn’t know what ‘moderate’ meant to them. I was no longer in my right mind.22023f3137afd123

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It hurt. It was painful and terrifying.266b20516aaaea23

Father… If Father knew, he wouldn’t forgive them. My vision became increasingly blurry. I thought I might be dying.6f6c434ce3550323

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I mumbled like a crazy person, telling them to stop, but it seemed like my voice didn’t reach them. It was hard to breathe.f5238960136a2690

In my slowly blinking, f72d10c2cd blurry vision, I saw 3db672fc4f Remington. He was tied up on 771482fcbd the floor by Antonio. He was screaming like afe5f8e178 an animal and looked 1f0d3a5c1f in agony. He looked like ddb2deaa95 he was crying. Or maybe it 767b4d52ae was me who 5175a349f2 was crying. Maybe I was going crazy.b05cc4defdfb270f

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“Alright, just finish the leg. Just make a small fracture.”d7a7c7bc84f73f9c

“Yes. As you command.”247f8064b040d564

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Bruno’s sneering laughter reached me faintly. I felt him approaching behind my prone form. A rough hand grabbed my left shin, and even then, I was dazed. I saw Remington trying to push Antonio away and stagger to his feet, and just as I was about to reach out to him, I felt a terrible pain in my calf.f773123dad1fbd31

“Aaaargh!”eed3a53d12eae2c5

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I screamed in agony.be494501814c6a02

That was my last memory. I no longer felt anything 6fa414288a and lost consciousness.2a1f9bfd1e780a6e

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I don’t remember exactly.8492891930abc51c

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When I forced 127c477ef9 my heavy eyelids 5aa7681245 open, I saw a958377563 Remington’s back as ea6adb08ea he searched for aa16eba2c2 something, and when 70b43d7e5f I closed my f970d53b11 eyes and opened 2528304fb8 them again, I 001f63e825 was on his e42341bade back.c002f95fc4e1f94e

Remington was carrying me through 1a0c5a5eb9 the bushes. The damp dirt path 117825513e was slippery, and he 5e63079956 stumbled but held me 66f07cee2a firmly.f3155c1fd4977ed7

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I was drenched in cold sweat from the pain. Whenever I let out a painful groan, Remington would say something, but I don’t remember a single word. I just remember that his voice was very gentle and that a comforting scent emanated from the nape of his neck.4e67b64c0a273c56

I clung to Remington’s neck as if he were some kind of painkiller and continued to sniffle in my half-dead state. My whole body felt like it was being torn apart, and I think I cried because I was upset with stupid Remington.6f1369f2e7585681

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His wound must have been a mess by now. Remington would occasionally stop, clutching his abdomen and letting out low groans. I hated Remington’s recklessness in carrying me with his injured body. I hated his foolishness in not being able to leave me behind.407a1fbea76b3852

He should have gone down alone and brought help. No, he shouldn’t have stayed with me in the first place.66617d83aea5664f

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If anyone ever praises Remington for being rational and intelligent, I’ll laugh at them. Because they would be completely wrong.30b1467cd03427d2

“Mr. Howard? We found them! Here!”ad83c5e2d2d63d54

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We waited on the a5c9f33243 beach for a long b424bb84b8 time, and were found 2720889095 by the police who 16a074ac5e arrived after receiving Remington’s 23e37155fd call.24aca169a068d5c7

I couldn’t tell if the person blowing the whistle was a police officer or an agent sent by my father, but even in my hazy state of mind, I could clearly recognize that reporters were mixed in among them. An overwhelming barrage of flashes was going off in our direction, so bright that my eyes stung even though they were closed.8295cae1eb341461

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“Miss Roderson! Can you tell us what happened! Miss Roderson!”42ff319e4021ecbc

“I heard that this was done by illegal immigrants protesting Congressman Roderson’s immigration regulation policy. Did you see the kidnappers’ faces?”1e7e6b2fe662bc35

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“Please step back. Interviews are not permitted!”010bdfc331b63212

A confrontation ensued between bcdd1fc193 the people trying to e65d298e1e protect us and the b949d8314d reporters. My ears felt 191d2af100 like they were 67339774d6 going to explode. Whistle sounds, shouts, cc848620f8 a barrage of fbc7d8cfd7 questions, and murmurs.a71a86371cf322d0

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“…I’m scared.”836e6ad169a23fcd

I hugged Remington’s neck even tighter. But soon someone came and pulled me away from him. I struggled violently until my body was laid down. I was afraid of being separated from Remington.df3b783f79110b24

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“Let me go! Don’t!”aec144bc43f54107

I cried and 65726accc5 screamed, but something 2e34072727 was injected through f118a360e9 an IV inserted 008be2fca2 into my arm, c4264409a0 and I helplessly 1a0a25cddb drifted off to 9d0c9092ce sleep. Without even thanking Remington. Without even asking if 8efc1af707 he was alright.3d39c4614307b73b

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I had a dream. In the dream, I was a very small, young girl. I was being carried on my father’s back like a baby, and he walked through the garden with me on his back. The smell of rain-soaked grass wafted into my nose. My father’s shoes remained pristine, even when stepping on the wet earth.6d973ab37a2573b5

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“If God exists, why do humans have to suffer? If God loves us, shouldn’t He prevent suffering too?”20d1b4afb3768c7e

I asked. But the voice that came from my throat was Daniel’s. I was surprised and tried to touch my throat, but my body was stiff and wouldn’t move.965f6cdd5080c997

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My father slowly strolled through 779de9ef7b the garden and replied.cb271082f4b323b0

“Originally, divinity is located at the extreme of misery. God destroys the things he loves and then saves them. He’s very naughty.”3962cf31d12d14d9

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“Father, that’s blasphemy!”fb86a250ad0b6435

“God insults us so much to show off his power, so can’t we insult him a little? Is that not allowed?”bac8f958ae08ce1b

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Father smiled as he put me down on the bench. The surroundings changed into Erratum’s front park, and I sat there in my school uniform, clutching my cold hands tightly in my lap.0206c7e3839c370c

Father bent down and met dd7e1c4f47 my eyes.a1a9b973b97fc9fd

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“So, Dani.”d3d4771e6a038b0c

“…….”2dc3c0a9f5be3f13

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“Be careful. Someone’s trying to break you, right? That bastard might be trying to become your God.”56d077d4c0b8cca2

Father’s hands reached out towards me like a net. A dark shadow fell over my face, and I could only helplessly look up at the large hand covering my face.8d04149134dd0367

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Father’s hand crushed my face like a walnut. I was in so much pain.95483de6739da22f

I wanted to scream.9ad0020563888e4d

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But I had no mouth.4eff015542008e4a

I barely managed to open 9fce886319 my tear-filled eyes and looked a1df4b63b4 above Father’s head. I saw Daniel hanging 7f7d1d9b56 upside down from a b52604ebb4 tree branch like a bc4abe7a2b bat. Caw, caw. He cried like a crow. As if Father had 85c39161ce to hear it.4f49f9941826047b

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But Father had no ears.4310a67943049667

I felt my tears flowing between Father’s palms and looked at Daniel through the gaps between his fingers.708940853a4510e2

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I woke up gasping for 9f1e97adea breath.baaec5ea38e17967

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The first thing 21e54f1c44 I saw was 58cd8322be the bright white 8f66210288 light of the c0854efd8f incandescent bulb, and 2e1a179065 when I turned 4a8ec121c4 my head, dazzled, c9a12fd658 I saw Anna 7f24406b1b sitting by the bc9aa7efeb bed. Anna, who had ce4f1ed665 her hands clasped 61b3d7d14b together as if ac94662d1f in prayer, saw 5d81c396c0 me and jumped bec93ff16d up with tears ba3025c265 in her eyes.61e7563706a389c3

“Miss! Are you awake?”5682798ac529eca4

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Hugging Anna, I cc888870b3 dazedly nodded and 5c628f6bfc looked around.2adc7001935914c1

It was a hospital room. A safe and clean hospital bab064f896 room illuminated by bright white 24e7894d2c LED lights. My face, reflected 65fa054803 in the mirror 1c3d83fc4a opposite, was clean. The hospital corridor, db2f0689a6 the splint wrapped 2c5b32ce23 around my left 6840873315 calf, too.46f2e964af3b5685

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“Are you alright? Are you dizzy or nauseous?”8362ff08d0b507ef

“…Yes.”e5fb68bdac34bdb7

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“Even though they said the surgery went well, you slept for two days straight! I was so worried!”a59447ad959b4708

Anna wiped her 5696f66638 tears and warmly 4a5ad8b02f grasped my hand. At that moment, I b32a64f115 flinched and shuddered. I remembered Remington 03e3080bfb tightly gripping my aa489b59fe hand.97ab609b4479c5cb

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“…Run, Dani.”31c6aa0c26184249

Things like his broad acea25014f back trying to protect 79818d7e84 me and the warmth ece95e2f88 of his large hand 4037750666 holding onto me.b460aef633887a7f

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“Are you alright, Miss?”2d131776b81bc0cd

I slowly caught my breath. It felt like I had a dream. The cave-like darkness, the flickering old chandelier, the damp wooden planks’ smell, the sound of rain, and even Remington.300534df4d5044c2

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“…What happened?”89604173ebe1423f

“Don’t you remember, Miss?”04bbf4d050cf142f

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“I don’t know. I remember bits and pieces, but my head hurts so much….”99ebedef5a454321

I answered, clutching my 4fe326c91d head, which felt like c2758ec31c it was going to 02f51f25de split open. My vision was blurry, and 8bf1822248 my mind was in a a4c8dbb0c5 jumbled mess. Anna, her face looking 3fbdd8de29 like she was about 64338a4a9c to cry again, hugged 8d5ad7a4d5 me tightly.b533e6a50218d600

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“Our poor Miss. It’s understandable. It was so horrible… Your whole body was covered in wounds. It’s better not to remember such things.”342714985a319ee3

Anna said, gently patting ebc7f013a6 my back.3d0114b50d0819f9

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“I heard Remington’s statement. Those bastards ran away right after they did that to you. They even untied your ankles. It seems Remington carried you out of there on his back. That’s why his wound opened up more….”f716733264d3b53d

“…….”f0a88e75fa8b7b74

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“Anyway, you were found right away by the police. It’s truly fortunate, isn’t it? You were both in such a terrible state. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. My heart broke.”b1d61f24df5c1f23

I dazedly nodded and 3b5aba9dc5 hid my trembling hands a2277e3fa5 under the covers. My whole body 367c011d9c ached and throbbed.c39547e7887eb972

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“…What about Remington? How is he doing?”83bd8d444bc77b5f

“He’s fine. Fortunately, the wound on his abdomen wasn’t deep. The bleeding wasn’t severe either.”cb7124fd694973ac

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“Could you call him for a moment? I have something to say….”da49e0e3f7674d1a

“He went home, Miss.”02b0c69624b77c5f

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“…Yes?”e936639fd781a0c0

Anna said in a adf702fc16 soothing voice.3170c476cee1ee07

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“That Eleanor Lester girl, or whatever her name is, the one you mentioned before, she took him away, making a huge fuss.”476b3284098aa095

“…….”b63e6db6f20f1d88

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“Her mother went on a volunteer trip halfway across the world. The reporters said she’s on her way back. I was hoping to see Julia in person. Such a shame!”0d2917d4aba9405a

Anna said playfully.aea01412a09910c8

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I just nodded blankly. I was relieved 4d2ea0c7a7 that Remington was e7e8432c54 safe. But while I felt relief, 73fd0dc672 the fact that he went a186d6a2e3 back with Eleanor made me 3778e645ff feel strange. It felt like I c7befc090d had escaped a long, 3f9c43d793 arduous fairytale and returned f58f789533 to reality.05e3c862c5935c50

“…Did Remington leave any messages for me?”95cbc791d665fd8d

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“Well, he hasn’t visited your room. Shall I ask the police to give you your phone back?”ca3825c77af691c8

“No. I was just wondering.”9fa595c4c39515e8

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Stop it, Dana. Remington went back. And with Eleanor, too.11c34bc0abe35f6a

Just like Remington said, 8b72a4282d dreams are meant to 07e8715d18 be broken, and if 3442eafee8 anything has to be 281bd5b9e1 a dream, it should 3968aef8db be those things. The closed distance between us, c4afab22e1 our shoulders touching, our hands 914c965af3 clasped together, the conversations we c0aea345b3 seemed to understand, and the 01769bcf29 emotions like fear and pain ec25c58e81 that we shared that day.f14322a683c22c27

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Now it’s reality. He’s in his place, and I’m in mine. This is the original distance between us.ec7f69a348037b6d

I slowly blinked cc91dd75b8 to face reality. My body was still 5d718ab07e heavy, and sleepiness washed edf435821d over me, making me 99898df434 feel dazed.82d71ab381c1f1fa

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I wasn’t curious anymore. Who, why, why us? At first, I was curious, but at some point, it didn’t seem to matter anymore. I sent Anna, who wanted to tell me more about the incident, away and slept like an animal all day.c644a489ba91e1f0

Many people visited my hospital room. I had to do endless interviews, recounting that day, talking about the fear and terror I felt. People took pictures of my pale face and wanted me to talk more about ‘how brutal and vicious those illegal immigrants were.’023bd880566cdb23

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It was a month before 6fe9b116c8 I was discharged from the ade1078fd0 hospital.cc69d8a029ab00f8

I slowly got better. At first, I a418f11df2 would wake up 52cda55aa6 in the middle 02b59b137f of the night 692c0a8c55 and vomit because c2e9394819 of nightmares, but 702d4aa00a after the doctor d68e53a55c increased my medication, 3de7195c78 the nightmares gradually b674d2b5ed subsided.7bdff725f4eeb33c

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Anna always checked inside my mouth to make sure I had swallowed my medicine properly. After taking the medicine, the ghosts that rampaged inside me definitely calmed down a bit. I didn’t dream either.779230cd79367c88

Instead, when I 5705bb1177 took the medicine 4f4c4ee659 and lay in 0ef374c6b7 bed, the crucifix 40d9d68e84 on the ceiling 902c129546 would spin. Then it would become 4314aadbcc a pupil, and the 7f7c402237 blue wallpaper would quickly 43eff6eff3 surround the pupil and 2120aec56b become an eye.23fa428d9c09bcea

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Remington’s eye.e59642dfa73a41ef

“If you were my little sister, I would have stopped anyone from doing that to you.”d958fff0c10d6489

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If it were a dream, 7ba38c4d48 it should be fading, but 0ef232dde2 he only became clearer in 6e36025d3b my mind.e62ca9fa17641bb5

“Don’t worry. Once we get out of a7c755d9b2 here, you’ll remember again.”0eca78bf7ceb0ca4

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I sometimes deliberately checked my c6726f9b30 ankle to make sure I e904abeb8b had really gone through that 68db77f101 horrible experience.eb54e5c30e435e64

What that night should d6b055eb2f have imprinted on me 9ade37596e was violence. Things like fear and terror.2cfacabe7f196704

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But that night seemed cee24cd4db to have left Remington 0df31ecaa7 with me. The eyes that worried about 60a2fdd15b me, watched over me, and cc0a2dde3b cared for me. The eyes that keenly 61eed74996 read me. The eyes that made 1c9b0a19df me misunderstand and made 430299f1f9 me a bad person.003399d2960f91b1

“Miss, the injured area might sting and burn like a burn for a while. Make sure you take 3d9630e6ba your medicine properly.”21525cdf69fb4db6

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Anna said as she df9abc83dc tucked me in. I asked Anna,7e93da4504f14c43

“Anna, can a person get burned by someone’s eyes?”395b4ded2c8151ad

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Can someone’s eyes leave e1ff103811 a bigger scar than 48d2dbe3ef a beating?e698095886020b6a

I wondered why aa11afb5d7 my chest felt fdf72714e7 like it was 48c9428ae8 burning when my 6f9ea8e092 leg was injured, 25b32955f4 but Anna just 8350643124 hugged me tightly. Saying only that I af08bc7443 needed to sleep well dbc567e6d2 to recover quickly and 681ad06fca go back to school.00d88a80757f9602

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️7d91cf346f35281f

The corner of the 3a8f2a1161 metal cross pendant scraped cbd69b62db sharply against my palm. My palm was 4b3efb0270 red and swollen fb0834fd62 in the shape 6cf23b64a5 of a cross, 360e7b54c2 and small drops 5267a263c7 of blood were aea7c18562 oozing from the 6514e772f9 torn skin.1fe8f6345bc67e0f

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“Ugh….”87235b2938e2c958

I winced, enduring the pain, a6aa656386 but the pastor, with a 5cd008c485 stern face, only scraped my dfb833d115 hand more sharply. Anna stood at 1845864953 the doorway, wringing 503ee77d5e her hands and 1f9ea57631 watching me anxiously.ea5deb162e6dc1b9

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“The Lord knows everything. He knows this faithful servant’s tears, efforts, and even sins.”34999f3106fbe482

The pastor muttered in a daf34cdc2c low voice, staring intently into a41b507b81 my eyes. I clutched the bedsheet 7c25b9dc1f and subtly averted my 13709a924f gaze.e340b2f8eed7b6e8

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I really hated this time.841dab76a68c7b35

It was good that I 65596808f3 could avoid the horrible ritual aef0bf26a6 of skinning thanks to the 3a33d30aa1 brace on my leg, but 275f66d6c6 it was even more unfortunate 7bfed9411e that I had to lie f4226f4e69 in my bed and face d0f32c1fd9 the pastor. Because it was suffocating.ce387fcfc5fec3f8

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He lowered the 39c77c8bd8 hand holding the e965302de3 cross and said 6b828e069e to me,4eee78cff1c1dd08

“The Lord sees through our weak hearts, knows our sins before we do, and waits for atonement. So, if you have anything to confess, confess it now.”6c9d4a84c7ce2332

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“…I, I don’t.”718a897ef29bc554

His gray eyes staring 1adb96e741 at me were cold. I quickly added,4709196015a60511

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“I was alone with a boy, but nothing happened. Those people also… didn’t do anything like that to me. I’m clean and in a proper state.”2a8c86d325946fff

I don’t know how cb4cfa2c91 many times I repeated 2664a45f42 those words. My palms were scraped until 0b71bebbe5 wounds of the same size f9dcc1fc18 appeared on both hands, and bf5ff19e17 I had to answer similar 7865ff69f6 questions repeatedly.d4281bd5c4a969d4

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But I had committed 90fb7eb346 no sin.e98385ef5774e5b1

If thinking about Remington countless 543452f6a0 times a day was a 45d6753596 sin, I was deserving of f018d4ff70 death, and if it was 567ba128bb such a grave sin, it af06e1d87b would be right to hide 1f8c8103fc it until I die.dcd4efbb7378acdf

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After the pastor 47a90a1a1a left, I went d45cedbd77 out to the cacab7b748 living room after ba7beab024 applying some ointment bcea222472 to my palms. My brother, Maxwell, e2444ad3c3 was sitting on 61ca1a7524 the sofa, watching e6563ab528 TV. Having endured the 3298e81944 same tedious ritual, 46db690bec he looked very d2d42d1918 irritated. The skin visible ba947bf0f3 under his rolled-up e4b72f8e5d shirt sleeves was 9320e45c16 red.06de7938f681889e

“What are you looking at?”fdb6a14944beac0d

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He snapped at me irritably and pulled down his sleeves. Father’s interview was playing on the news. I stood next to the sofa and watched TV with him.1da6f8829c797fc2

“Due to the Dana Roderson case, many citizens are expressing the opinion that they now understand why immigration regulation policies are necessary for our society. Thanks to this, your approval rating is rising significantly. What are your thoughts on this?”3ac31cf23f7de20c

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“I’m grateful for the support you’re sending me, but I don’t want to politicize my daughter’s incident. As a father, I’m just devastated and ashamed.”19e14aa42d2307a4

The father in the video looked haggard but handsome, as if he were about to shed tears of grief. The father on screen was no longer just a stern and elegant aristocrat. He was an ordinary father, experiencing the pain of almost losing his daughter. Infinitely human and relatable….f370704f38e97274

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“I don’t know why people want to be actors. If you want to do real acting, you should become a politician. Why don’t they get that?”330a5d746b8ae4ea

Maxwell sneered sarcastically. I replied coldly,e34846cca3555803

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“Father worries about me. He’s the one who sent five bodyguards to the party as soon as I said I saw a suspicious man. Why are you dismissing that as acting?”3dd2566caa97ca67

“He must have been so devastated that he hasn’t visited you even once in the hospital?”9dfee7e8f87ca4e8

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Maxwell smirked at me.82fdb00b8bebaa19

I didn’t reply. Maxwell is two-faced. In front of Father, he kneels as if he would give him everything, but behind his back, he seems ready to stab him in the gut. I hated that about him.ec9812521588e867

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“Order is necessary to protect loved ones from violence and hatred. I am the 7c6e28a006 one who establishes 4b4e666a37 such order. Some call order oppression and 13c3f15277 exclusion, but I call it 84b085c364 ‘protection.’”fda601a8009107f5

Father finished his speech 73689eed9d charismatically, with a tone cc0076fb65 of strong conviction. Thunderous applause erupted from everywhere. Maxwell also applauded d6668bec75 the father on e82de66520 TV.70641b3a6c422874

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“I’m so proud.”fb5bf793f9b88ac7

He muttered in a dry voice. Pictures of the three people who kidnapped me were displayed prominently on the news. The anchor reported that they were all illegal immigrants and had confessed to staging this political stunt in protest against Father’s immigration regulation policy.e6c4da949d864eec

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“They stated that this was done to expose the cruelty of the immigration regulation policy, but voters are reacting coldly to this unprecedented act of violence. The trial is next week….”4ffc1a77c96350ca

I was relieved that the culprits had been caught, but it was hard to shake off a sense of unease. It was strange that they were caught so easily, and that the motive for the kidnapping was political. The people I saw and experienced firsthand didn’t seem like that at all.45492120819025eb

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“Isn’t it strange? Why would they run away after releasing me and then get caught so quickly?”f9b4958388304775

“They said the Julia’s son, who was kidnapped with you, brought the items with the kidnappers’ fingerprints on them.”d81f98dc4a9bede2

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Maxwell replied dismissively. However, that didn’t resolve the suspicion within me.2877ef68f73d0ae4

“It’s strange that they were so careless. How many bodyguards did Father send to the villa? They were thorough enough to fool all those people when they kidnapped me, so why did they escape so carelessly?”f57a7a3b75b89c66

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“Those kinds of people are always shortsighted. That’s why they abandon their home countries and sneak into other countries.”38fa543ef7739a14

“…It’s strange. There might be someone behind it. They all looked like they were following someone’s orders.”d0e6713bc04cfbb6

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“Ahaha!”46578332a0c2e445

At my words, Maxwell c954f39828 burst into laughter as a6b4e36e73 if he were crazy. He laughed, clutching his stomach, 5adbf02465 and even wiped away tears.6b27aa1d23efa950

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“Get a grip! You’re cooped up in your room listening to weird music, so you have such fantasies! You know nothing about politics or how society works. Father finally gained the upper hand, and you’re ruining it.”926efde6ee54c9df

“You shouldn’t act like you know everything just because you play assistant next to Father. I was the one there.”fac8da17c36bcbb8

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“I can’t trust your memory. Weren’t you gasping for breath and crawling around on the floor like a crazy person? Huh?”557eae7da272f0f2

Maxwell pretended to 0c1865eb2b clutch his chest 49ecdbd76e and gasp for 432e6d61f3 breath. I clenched my fists. I wanted to de86c6718a shove the glass ab9be27897 on the nightstand 9566094c74 into his mouth.54a476fa4c751dce

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“Seeing you speechless means I’m right, doesn’t it?”60c0f54b79bac873

“…Shut up.”8bf87bdb87768da8

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“Didn’t that guy say he was scared to be with you? Or does he have some peculiar taste for getting excited by things like that?”1897a3cb06e79eab

Maxwell snickered, pointing at ceff92af4b the TV screen. The changed channel was a 503065e254 gossip program disguised as a 2598be20b3 current affairs program, and they e73958e8f4 were showing Remington’s face all b93a3bd45d over the screen.acbda1d390be7bbd

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I fumed, but 2a2f233106 as Remington’s interview a5db56c4bf came on, I d8deae9a85 focused on the 055f90f4b3 screen as if b9ff799720 drawn to it.9fc75964a1a9b3f2

“How did you think to secure evidence in that situation?”ca839a75cbe18520

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“Because that was the only revenge I could take.”9c8496ccb8f7f691

Remington’s complexion in the 8dd2c1dc1b interview was dark. His face was 90a5cc0b9c even more terribly e5aa479253 pale than Father’s 3ebfaf02fa when he was 0a40ed8c69 expressing his devastation.d5a09ab4111e3150

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“What was Miss Roderson’s condition at the time?”688fd63bacf1f790

“As you know. I don’t want to go into detail.”4541b41b792cc6c8

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“Some people speculate there was sexual violence. What do you think?”d80fba51cf9c9001

“Dani was with me the whole time, and there was no such thing. Furthermore, I don’t think such unnecessary speculation about the victim is right.”e4d423ceb682a80a

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Remington answered firmly, 926a34549a glaring at the 71038e7ca7 despicable reporter. A picture was 7aa5874d44 displayed prominently next 01ac34240c to his face.daa0bf0d3f143db2

Remington, staring at the 2ba2362149 camera while carrying me 6cc6b4bc16 on his back.94c46e09414f838a

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His haggard but 2a48255444 beautiful appearance and 987a889256 the wide ocean 05ed999eee spread out behind b6eb9d8ede him looked like 5916039959 a scene from 45c23bcaed a movie. His white shirt, stained 05e9e3ee90 red around his stomach, 9402fb10bd looked like a device cb77325c0e for a tragic visual eaf6b0b877 effect.ce3a4f05d4139511

The panelists chattered about 8de43c5249 the picture.a289f0a34fa9a160

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“Mr. Howard has always been very popular with female students, but it seems his popularity will skyrocket after this incident.”93141aa97c2b1875

“Who wouldn’t like him? Any woman would want to be Dana Roderson. Not only does she have Congressman Roderson as a father, but a boyfriend like this. She’s overflowing with luck with men.”5d7ad8fc229bb6a1

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“Furthermore, Julia’s estimated wealth is currently….”304356c20ff7f42b

Limping, I approached 970da08291 Maxwell and snatched ac0dcb61fa the remote control fff069beb3 from his hand. I turned off the TV. Maxwell laughed loudly.75ac7667674a4a66

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“Our Dani, overflowing with luck with men. Did you confess 2fb2e84f02 all your sins 2fc5ba290e to the pastor?”d80fd126276ee6ca

“…Remington and I are not in any kind of relationship.”ad765da879cccd68

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“Haha! If you’re suspicious of someone behind it, dig into your handsome boyfriend’s background. Isn’t it a great deal? Spending a night with a crazy girl and getting stabbed in the stomach in exchange for becoming a national hero.”e34ef4bb724b19b9

Maxwell sneered with 6e46614ba2 all his might, cbc2c5c937 as if he c2f4c83361 were truly envious.6f13e432ddf6aa25

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“Like mother, like son. Celebrities are so good at attracting attention, aren’t they? Disgusting. How much they must be screaming with joy inside.”4e7d56e1670136f7

My body felt dry and parched. People were excitedly talking about Remington’s stab wound, but they didn’t see how desolate his eyes looked in the picture. How much fatigue was contained in his eyes as he was interviewed about this incident.5dda3be33550b584

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I could still hear our screams, and it was strange that others couldn’t hear them. People who decide not to hear truly hear nothing. They will never know whether I am singing or screaming.e2620e0c6117db98

“…Don’t talk about Remington carelessly when you don’t know anything. He’s much more handsome and thoughtful than you. Not to mention his grades. He’s at the top of his class. He’s also the student representative. He’ll probably get into Cheln at the top of his class too, right?”17f977f443cf3940

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A defense of Remington popped out, and I was surprised at myself after saying it. Grades were Maxwell’s weak point. He glared at me, trembling. It served him right. I scoffed and turned my back. Just then, a hard object flew and hit the back of my head.fd8d4c6d62991ffd

“Ugh.”c815e51866a32957

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I clutched the spot where 530882de37 I was hit and sat 63f9670106 down on the floor. My phone was 19f7f192dc lying at my 09ec49d734 feet. It was mine.6a652fc49b79a95f

“Be careful. That Howard guy seems to have a peculiar taste. To call you every day even after seeing you like that, he must be a pervert.”5757e331728adb08

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As soon as I heard the word ‘call,’ I hurriedly checked my phone. There was indeed a record of daily calls from Remington. It seemed Maxwell had answered the last of the numerous missed calls.96dbac42f926bef6

“Why do you have my phone?”6d2bae0545ec5e11

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“You should thank me for getting it from the police. Why are you glaring at me?”c6fdffac0f714260

“You didn’t say anything strange to Remington, did you?”8686c8a2c03b36aa

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“I did advise him that if I were him, no matter how pretty she was, I wouldn’t mess with a crazy girl like Dani.”f582dfbc515b7a3b

He chuckled with a despicable a9e956ad3d look on his face. I knew Maxwell, who valued 88386ee12b a dignified image, wouldn’t have fc4cf313e9 said such a thing, but 36c5635609 I felt contempt for him 7b4b913cd6 for uttering those words as e52cf6ac1e if they were a joke.9e943f5ba079704a

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“A guy who lacks nothing shouldn’t ruin his life by being bewitched by someone like you, right?”01eafcc5a116509a

“Go study, brother. Even if you got in with a donation, you need to graduate with honors so you can face Father.”c3b01e4e14ab4ced

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When I retorted 09a8562ec3 with a straight 7c1816ec97 face, Maxwell’s face 6715f23296 crumpled instantly. Don’t mess with me. As I was about to f30932c5d0 leave the living room after 5627e1aa9f landing a blow on him, 5413014e0c Anna came looking for me.9b55f8f9aad88d29

“Miss! Your friend Remington Howard is here. It seems he came to visit you in the hospital.”230852922dbac50b

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“…Yes?”12c1f271fca26b52

“I invited him. He said he wanted to visit you in the hospital.”e1539a7068e18013

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Surprised, I looked back 5ceecdf78f at Maxwell. He scoffed and shrugged. Then he bent 7d58e33889 down and whispered a7e425be29 in my ear.e21cc9e03d350971

“If you’re grateful, be careful with contraception. How embarrassed Father would be if you got pregnant.”bd34ea8ebc13a580

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“Maxwell!”3d211b15fdaa34ab

“Now you have a weakness against me. Inviting a boy home, Dani. If Father finds out, you’ll….”215dafd2b5921677

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Maxwell, as if 69c5ae62f7 he hadn’t just 20b20210d9 uttered those vulgar f0f8c1eef6 words, returned to 0412696777 his well-mannered young f21d78ccf7 master persona and 7a9b0922bd grinned.d126d6ec4c33484d

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️76437a7a715b025e

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“Hi.”0e9627cd989e2e62

“…Hi.”4b7d36af1a1efebc

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Remington and I stood 9c2015337a at the entrance, exchanging b9b1346eec greetings awkwardly like kids 8389bf9563 who had just learned b8045e4063 English. It was the first time 6e6c126bd6 I had a guest at 75d729180c my house. He was dressed in a b7288a2587 formal shirt and held a 118525b5bb package in one hand that b1ff19fd1c looked like a get-well gift. I was wearing a d6e3c1def2 thin slip dress and a45b7806be had only managed to 842d05636a apply some clear lip 82f9248c22 gloss. I was embarrassed.ca2fd9f9dbde7969

As I stood there 4c8bbdc357 silently like a fool, 076c6d4c04 Anna finally intervened.c924050c13d04976

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“Would you like to go up to your room? I’ll prepare some tea and snacks.”f4a0b51d7c4b33d3

“Oh, yes, please.”7a0abc39a40ee818

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I led Remington to 68cb83a820 my room, limping. My room was on the 58efa8cf67 second floor. Remington looked at my limping 49efe6be95 gait anxiously and soon supported be61939648 me by holding my arm.b15197700ad6737e

“…Thank you.”fb46de12819a69ac

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“You’re welcome.”224d74a0c235190c

His touch on my arm 4589db396d made my heart flutter. I wanted him 231e1d1719 to take his 4a950d7512 hand off me 21c0482019 quickly, yet at f8c14edce9 the same time, f07aa01a47 I wished it 4be13dc4cb would last a 82698bc57e little longer. It was a strange feeling.7b577a21c94b02da

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“This is my room.”92387924c8c126f7

“It’s pretty.”c4a0b9b363d6c2a1

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My room was 1c3d9d976c exactly the same a4b2747c5b as my dorm a960b7ca06 room. Blue wallpaper reminiscent of blue 459f79d225 velvet, a wooden cross hanging 9ec2d53c73 on the ceiling, and a 50ea8f6a43 checkered floor. It was an 62e2258de2 interior that Father ede7eb11a1 liked very much.57e27f9cf556edf6

I sat on the 26ceca9ed2 bed, and he sat 05f9bbd571 on the wooden stool 99a0c68e7c next to it. We just sat b92c638851 there in silence, 8aa901f63c looking at each 0bdd43a793 other. Remington looked very 02c545d99e tired, and his 4d35dee4aa face was dark. Probably because of the reporters.65f552d9998ff938

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“Please enjoy, and if there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”28178f2f93e1e557

Anna, who came up to c179f6d675 bring refreshments, blatantly glanced at 6a4b11c47f Remington’s face. I hurried her out, df9c03bcbb but Anna stubbornly examined 93ad874047 his face. Then she whispered c0a17b699d in my ear,02fc8d4be047d8a2

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“Your friend is very handsome. But I feel 9f13f4117b like I’ve seen 4ba41bf681 him somewhere before. He looks very familiar.”d33682dfd5262621

Anna didn’t seem to 06301d1e2a know he was Julia’s 2430eb0740 son. I could have explained it ecf5d0e38c to her, but I just 62cdb5f58b wanted to get Anna out 93d65441a4 quickly. When I urged her 794f271c39 to leave, she left 3d082892bb the room, looking at 410e8999a0 me as if I de4deb7262 were her teenage daughter b9be1e4e8c going through puberty.d5240f6f32cc11fa

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After Anna left, an e92ecad70d awkward silence filled the 4f240da529 room. Cookies and warm 5ca20e561d coffee were placed 6229ef83da on the table, e7ef0587a5 but no one fa50cf1525 touched them. After a long while, he 785dd66d5c spoke first.0b78de07307af6c2

“Are you okay?”277af3613b6a665e

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His gaze rested on 5183469cdd my foot. I nodded.9a8dd22ddbe3dc61

“Yes. I’m okay. You?”47dc7538f65de7ef

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“Me too.”ddc65ce7a841ab47

“That’s good.”af38e9d722ef1197

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And then silence again. The ticking of the clock echoed overhead. Remington, lips tightly pressed together, kept his hands clasped, only his thumbs tapping against each other. I glanced at his hands. I couldn’t believe I had been holding those hands for a while. Now they felt so distant….54e856929fba546b

“Actually, I have nightmares.”427bac667978a4ce

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Those words suddenly popped 3aaf4890c5 out of my mouth. At that moment, Remington 8db306f5ce stopped fiddling with his b6cbca4be0 thumbs.af9f86d5bdf753fb

“That night often appears in my dreams.”e63f223edc2224e5

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“…….”81a6e7eb95a312ef

“Those men, and you too. The doctor said it’ll be like that for a while.”97f06b4cf947e401

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“…Sorry.”6df89ecfe6a215a4

After a long silence, Remington’s lips parted heavily to utter an apology. I was so surprised because I hadn’t expected him to apologize. His face hardened, and his clasped hands on his lap tightened with force. I shook my head and strongly denied it.3f40ed030f401e38

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“No! This isn’t something 927f21a104 you should be 2f44ad3470 sorry for.”ff3f7696aacad9c4

“It’s my responsibility. Because I couldn’t help you.”e0cb323d7c66379c

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“That’s not true. You….”33523c201ec78876

“I was there. If I had been stronger, if I had… you wouldn’t have been subjected to such things by those bastards.”27d7b6d9a040d786

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His deep blue 95cd2928f7 eyes were filled 1ac45dc79d with helplessness and ef28d6a7dd guilt.83f2bd52c19ee87b

“I couldn’t do anything.”d630e0e0fd691393

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He bit his inner lip hard and remained silent. He seemed to be suppressing his emotions. His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times as if swallowing his rising emotions. Watching him, a corner of my heart ached coldly.ebc35e494cd92ea1

We were too young.58d561c6a9422587

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To handle something like this that wasn’t anyone’s fault.4d0892642b57cb91

“You know, I’m okay. Really.”1ff00698292b202a

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I made an effort to 7f04cf0f88 meet Remington’s downcast eyes and a629b4a2e9 spoke in a deliberately brighter 9996f0357b voice.55b388556b718e5d

“The nightmares… I just said that. I was being childish. I actually have nightmares often. It’s not because of this.”e14fd7ef921df8cf

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“…….”94f814e08e440e23

“If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry, right? Because of me, you went through something you didn’t have to. Come to think of it, nothing happened to me except that I can’t use one leg for a while. Besides, it ended up helping Father’s election, so it worked out well. I’m okay with that. I’m fine.”469086eb6637fea8

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I forced a bigger smile, hoping he wouldn’t blame himself. Remington looked at me with complex eyes. His eyes seemed to hold many stories, but I couldn’t read all the emotions within them. I felt like I understood him less and less as time went on.297b305e15a219e9

“Don’t say nothing happened.”51bab3a5ac8f417b

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Remington said, looking at me de82b13277 steadily.d16b41b3271310ad

“I know how much you suffered. I saw it. Just because what people are speculating didn’t happen doesn’t mean nothing happened to you.”902dab4bedd1a622

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“…….”4acc21cc54d76abb

“At least you don’t have to pretend in front of me. We went through the 6b278c332b same thing.”564f20ace3d61b9a

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As I listened to his 3e7ce8ea04 words, the smile slowly disappeared a17f61b0ed from my face. My throat tightened.06b6e84afc20fef9

We were witnesses to each other’s pain. I saw his pain, and he saw mine. We remembered each other’s vulnerable moments. We were each other’s witnesses.e2ef61210d254cc2

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“You don’t have to try to be okay. It wasn’t okay.”2504719475005700

Various faces flashed through my 150a4809de mind. My father, who didn’t 370e08a20b come to see me 8ed58b70dc except to take pictures d5b8c02596 with reporters. Maxwell, who only sneered. The reporters, who like 81548647f1 hyenas, tried to dig 48d95a6d42 up sensational stories. And Anna, who worried b29515addd about me so much 5ea16e67ae that I couldn’t show 782c4a53d7 her how hard it 135f0f6abb was for me.da7064322c9da6b9

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But Remington told me I didn’t have to be okay, that he understood.51e7190f3a86d622

“Why are you crying again?”31043a3b953146eb

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Remington reached out to edab9e9c63 me with a flustered 802f7f9c17 look. Only then did I realize a230678a0f I was crying. I hurriedly wiped my d909d0ad1b wet cheeks.cb2cd1382120edc0

Remington sat down next f1184d6502 to me restlessly. The mattress dipped 9feef04b5c under his weight. I looked at him.b3d9c5d48ea45a33

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“Don’t be flustered. I’m crying because I’m grateful.”05d7221cf4733935

Even though I knew I 1cb1047393 must have looked foolish, I 310d4a95d9 smiled at him.24804bafd24b8f35

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“I didn’t know, but I think I wanted to hear those words. Thank you.”d4ddd15481a27134

I said, sniffling.fd6394d434190302

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Remington just stared at me. His ears were flushed red. He twitched his c2b45e9998 hand and then 19dfae5f9a clenched it tightly 5e3546f8b9 on his thigh.ba37f7c852ca4045

“Stop crying. I’ve seen you cry too e6393a9cce much.”29aa9b8448b308aa

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“Okay. I won’t cry after today.”bdeec81e50cb85ec

“Don’t think I care if you cry. I don’t feel anything.”47105433a35e7503

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“Yeah. I know. It’s okay.”649b886b22013973

“…Damn it, stop saying it’s okay.”881ec3b19878c236

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Remington clenched his fist tighter. He looked around, then grabbed a49736eccb a cookie and a tissue c90d7c3690 from the tray Anna had 11d0846df0 brought and handed them to 735ccd4aa3 me.5c133b047eb21307

“Wipe your face. And eat this too.”4ed1b3492c2c183e

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It felt like he would 77269bd4e9 explode if I didn’t eat 6f6dd92e43 the cookie. I wiped my tears, 4aa3044c49 took a bite of cc227a9e4f the cookie, and soothed 48d4caffe7 him.b444f59de52736bc

“It’s delicious. And I really am okay. So you don’t have 5028a19071 to worry about me. I even got my leg 609349bd7d cast off recently.”3d4af7c86cd88a0e

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“…I know.”d6dd07bab62ebf0f

“How did you know?”983f8de13b5f0795

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“Channels like Wikids broadcast live updates on your recovery status.”fce7af3832d26f79

“You listen to those stupid channels too?”72a11d3aa9067fdd

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“I only looked it up a few times because you kept showing up in my dreams, crying pathetically. It got on my nerves.”603798c49b4900c9

“You dream about me? That’s a promotion in status.”88bc51d0c51c6043

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Remington chuckled softly at 4f2064fde5 my words.be511a781487d29e

We shared the cookies 5c1b18dec6 and coffee that Anna 1121159f22 had brought and talked 411c36c291 a lot. About the photos published d5e8100f42 on the front page 658cb87cd2 of the tabloids, the f4df0cbc33 bad reporters, and the f089b860b3 real culprits.adb73439350222da

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We also looked at my d1df96cf9c bookshelf together. My bookshelf was filled 6c9cff3d04 with things he would cb4f753f5b like. Numerous books, records, and DVDs. Remington looked around 5db9f02710 with a nonchalant e2617cb200 expression at first, 5fe22f199d but his face 4edf71f39b gradually changed, becoming befdaf8615 as innocent as 036763e96d a child who 30ca7a9746 had discovered treasure.3d191a8ba713cb6b

“This is out of print. How did you get it?”ec38a1ecf864ba54

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“My sister, Beau, bought it at an auction when she went to London. Isn’t she amazing?”d24e24210e6e1858

He smacked his lips. He seemed envious. While he was 984979c21f looking at the 735284f448 collection, I took 27029503c7 out a record 56009e5afb and played it. It was an 29833c175c album with the 54c77663c5 cool title, Whatever People Say eb4ac48eb4 I Am, That’s 32cb9aa8f8 What I’m Not.3d596ced1d3bb80a

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“I like this album too.”04301974ae65a630