ESS Ch 9

Will you say this eaed398b14 is my misunderstanding too?5712c4d98b505399

A wind blew from somewhere. At that moment, the flickering be654e1770 chandelier lights went out, and a2dc7940d4 the room was plunged into 9d541b66f5 pitch-black darkness.378d607822387843

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️9a0a3fe411184636

The room with the f2353eb6d8 lights off was in b85ceeae80 complete darkness.60bbf3bc5f10afe1

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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.dc190de272a1e0a2

Bang, bang, bang!53389ea4638a30d3

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We knocked on 1bc47010a0 the door, but 59db14865a everyone outside was a187579ae4 quiet, as if 8ad7f0b592 they were doing 0c5397f797 nothing. It would have made 900cacba89 sense for Antonio to 2350fe5ffb appear, complaining about the 5aa672d09a noise, but the building 3e5b8c2d1c was strangely silent.83b00ae8af197748

Remington sat beside me again.cec77f4341f74851

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“It’ll be alright.”228a6ad62f88812c

He said, carefully putting his cb543073fe arm around my shoulders. It seemed a similar ominous 7441adc11e premonition had surfaced in his 13537f04db mind.b1f754bf558dd206

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Something was strange.d55c52faa2507656

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.eb78c00e611be480

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“Want to eat some bread?”06789c222e2dd6c4

Remington asked, breaking 62166a1a95 the tense silence. I shook my head. I had no appetite.66a961e31230b93c

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“No. I’m okay.”c863b0500adb5c85

“Then have some water.”e30318987c280033

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“No. What if I need to use the bathroom?”c7814e65c6c5f7a5

“We’ll be out of here before then.”21c19ef076ba24fd

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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.3d3bad1c4dd24d83

“You kids must have been startled. The power suddenly went out.”4631bc5046b87001

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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.2322b49f1df7d15a

My body instinctively froze, 14b565aa49 sensing danger. He exuded a dangerous aura, 1768148323 distinctly different from the other 5100bcfba8 two.b1a354246facdee9

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He seemed like a poacher. Accustomed to the cbfd393b8b smell of blood. But a kind of 8e056d7387 scent that felt even e7c581dca4 more dangerous because he 96ccb6b38c was clearly aware of efa5bc0fcf what he was doing.9e4101cd16a208a2

“Why are you all frozen? Do you know what I’m here to do?”2780bb5983755914

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Mario plopped down on 51571c6fff a chair, placing the 6d692a25fd flashlight on the table. He chuckled and looked around 4dd4a16d32 at us, then pulled out 01d797f25a a dagger from his waistband. The ornate dagger flipped 9500b85cb1 precariously in his hand.d5481e40d3e79620

Meanwhile, Bruno silently lit the 29b559ca0d candles in the wall sconces. Instantly, light and warmth spread 9e07462416 through the room. Despite this, my body began 51b5832b95 to tremble with even greater 4acdffd5da fear.e18ab7d7647c092a

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Remington tightly gripped my 02949a324a hand and hid me b59b66729f behind his back.ef2947703ce805b3

“What’s your business?”0be6f09b69497ff8

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Remington asked Mario. His hand was cold. Mario laughed as if 3e5eb250a2 it were ridiculous.8626930dbb7a5432

“I have no business with the handsome student, so relax.”1516bc217170fe5c

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“If you have business with Dani, speak to me.”dce1e66d5230b191

“These kids are cute.”0fac78a63b0946bb

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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.9a575e43f56e4df5

Remington shielded me, 72aaa4c6cd looking Mario in 1e5d0e4f98 the eye without f444cffb02 flinching. But Mario smiled chillingly, b121e1b69d as if even that 786d3c8321 was cute.1999586357e8e0d0

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“Honey, I’m sorry, but we’re not the villainous supporting characters in your little love drama.”b6ee8ee887ca68b0

Thud.cd0c0a89ef753ab7

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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.b02f126bda88e0f4

“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.”090ae96e1e3b96ab

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“Yes!”e218050982aba971

At Mario’s call, Antonio rushed into the room. Remington clutched his bleeding abdomen, still gripping my hand tightly with his other hand.0afe72a84f1656ec

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“…Run, Dani.”f25d096a6dc5d0e2

“…….”4b84734d84f3466a

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But I just f755451bd5 kept backing away 0313d60147 slowly, staring back f0f0958d85 and forth between 6b7ba71a77 Mario and Remington b14e358805 with fear-stricken eyes. It felt like my 116e47fe9d vision was turning red. Why? I suddenly wanted to ask 674d4766e2 why they were doing this ac0bcceca7 to us. Why this had to happen 6c74c8d189 to me.34a5c437488bf00a

“Scared?”86155491319ec7ba

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The moment Mario b55eeea1eb smirked at me, 6f413a8363 a hard object 8dbd115222 struck the back a16c6c0be3 of my head.6f3254e31ce2432f

“Ugh….”3696320c3ef26779

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My vision spun, 7142a5b91f and my body 010cf4f0e5 collapsed like a d614b33f61 piece of paper. Dani! I thought I heard 07b6d948ad Remington’s scream, but my 8b47d4da02 ears were ringing.c9f9fcc291c10950

“Damn it, Bruno! Hit her gently. Don’t you know what ‘moderately’ means?”d01638b1bf1ab874

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“This is hitting gently.”3689e616eaeed9ba

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.a0a41d581375c758

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“How badly should we rough this girl up?”a8559bec0e7aabd2

“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.”85df39f9f5d243ae

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“That’s a complicated order.”aee41ed3ce9a37a4

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.4a7fad0725f8f036

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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.”1bfd5f3479c2189a

“He-, Help me…. Ugh.”13a42d7d430a037a

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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.6be3d791c189ca05

Instead of crying for help, f384609115 only animal-like whimpers escaped my 9f78bbdac7 lips. I felt like 53f17d0e9d I was suffocating. Above my head, 6cdfe056e1 I could hear ec917c6d55 laughter, but I 5f69b0efad no longer knew c6c196870e who it belonged 309eaeee54 to.a04cf5056b3a0a86

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“Hit her moderately, moderately.”3c58ecc6dd5dbcca

“I think I broke about three ribs. How about it? Is that moderate enough?”20bed23976b0763f

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“No. One more.”deb9f690bd6458bc

I didn’t know what ‘moderate’ meant to them. I was no longer in my right mind.9b6001a3f4a911bf

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It hurt. It was painful and terrifying.3dad15ea09d04b55

Father… If Father knew, he wouldn’t forgive them. My vision became increasingly blurry. I thought I might be dying.1c6180c69c213557

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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.0f42990be448cdf3

In my slowly blinking, 56b95dc2e5 blurry vision, I saw 2c65c550dc Remington. He was tied up on 94e67b1508 the floor by Antonio. He was screaming like 7cd5e46d6d an animal and looked 918c2747ba in agony. He looked like 7027dd362b he was crying. Or maybe it was me 0ae181a363 who was crying. Maybe I was going crazy.fc5706c59e3cc7e6

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“Alright, just finish the leg. Just make a small fracture.”0d79753475285a38

“Yes. As you command.”c662ed7e4008a07c

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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.cdf9f79d0528f812

“Aaaargh!”92bbd89a3cdf5f82

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I screamed in agony.11f04655001d9b87

That was my last memory. I no longer 5500561af7 felt anything and 6543e114b7 lost consciousness.6bc509fd41330fe8

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I don’t remember exactly.a50edc3fb42a94dc

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When I forced 4cc7321e33 my heavy eyelids 2e7db22751 open, I saw eee9baba1b Remington’s back as e7993ecb4c he searched for b645449854 something, and when 323ec60e96 I closed my a394a49099 eyes and opened d3754e661e them again, I c55975ab6a was on his 9a37bb1a4b back.35bdb3c5da08cd5a

Remington was carrying me through fc72fcaa7a the bushes. The damp dirt 81d5757ea0 path was slippery, 2254f8c35d and he stumbled 57a3973dba but held me 4e505a2d54 firmly.faacd44f46515b54

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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.df1268fbcfb147f9

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.8d1253aeb29be6bd

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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.bc5a39417a6a47f1

He should have gone down alone and brought help. No, he shouldn’t have stayed with me in the first place.f6a2aceccdf6ab1d

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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.e6ea513c9fd4c086

“Mr. Howard? We found them! Here!”4e625c718643c6b0

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We waited on the beach cdb32da7ba for a long time, and 3eabcf28b1 were found by the police 5823cda599 who arrived after receiving Remington’s b8b3e852fe call.ef55c2f336b15ca5

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.b739fcc6573f8cff

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“Miss Roderson! Can you tell us what happened! Miss Roderson!”d7271a06e491ed21

“I heard that this was done by illegal immigrants protesting Congressman Roderson’s immigration regulation policy. Did you see the kidnappers’ faces?”2289fd5d2fa109ec

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“Please step back. Interviews are not permitted!”89e0acf22bd7aa3b

A confrontation ensued between the 457aa53128 people trying to protect us 1f1e882571 and the reporters. My ears felt like they d3f03cce7a were going to explode. Whistle sounds, shouts, a bf80fc93d6 barrage of questions, and a2f87e3bb7 murmurs.bf2b3676eec2c6c8

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“…I’m scared.”b93b5b8ef883deb6

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.a959a28e9ee5441c

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“Let me go! Don’t!”8189e01ee26f2574

I cried and screamed, but 667bb4deb8 something was injected through an b55f1f13bb IV inserted into my arm, 94c7d9a900 and I helplessly drifted off f13df420b5 to sleep. Without even thanking Remington. Without even asking 20b4f09bdb if he was 2136bdaba7 alright.175555b2167d10b5

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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.07e3e88896b8c7ce

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“If God exists, why do humans have to suffer? If God loves us, shouldn’t He prevent suffering too?”ec5aa32790db76cb

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.c9c7a5f8114c8180

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My father slowly strolled through e1c1148499 the garden and replied.0236692fa0fa851d

“Originally, divinity is located at the extreme of misery. God destroys the things he loves and then saves them. He’s very naughty.”6dfc381a01d6a102

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“Father, that’s blasphemy!”8d6e3fe170a0a465

“God insults us so much to show off his power, so can’t we insult him a little? Is that not allowed?”dc486f10e45d7b74

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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.bc44e7540142b7b0

Father bent down and met 2220a6912b my eyes.96c3c83a5bc8ca9d

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“So, Dani.”1bb0898c138a5dd2

“…….”ed10315533b2b543

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“Be careful. Someone’s trying to break you, right? That bastard might be trying to become your God.”b1855a0ed1cb983d

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.fc44d152d7d81639

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Father’s hand crushed my face like a walnut. I was in so much pain.0aad129d222c27ca

I wanted to scream.11291a0b2649b874

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But I had no mouth.90c3c6c364e08f8a

I barely managed 6b3e150e9c to open my 097628e574 tear-filled eyes and 850039ceec looked above Father’s db02973d6e head. I saw Daniel hanging upside 35a02c75b1 down from a tree branch a70b0c4306 like a bat. Caw, caw. He cried like a crow. As if Father had d05f6e8142 to hear it.2f0db49dcbd96c6d

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But Father had no ears.30e53deec1faaf96

I felt my tears flowing between Father’s palms and looked at Daniel through the gaps between his fingers.2318fc2f7de024aa

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I woke up gasping dad8eeafb2 for breath.d22076fc7df9e1a0

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The first thing I saw 86b05813ee was the bright white light 840d7b2bcb of the incandescent bulb, and 95d438771a when I turned my head, bec62f05e6 dazzled, I saw Anna sitting 2d5104d51f by the bed. Anna, who had her hands 9e6e1f086f clasped together as if in 08a7c8c63f prayer, saw me and jumped e572cfafae up with tears in her f21b199d91 eyes.ec32a5d79b6b9007

“Miss! Are you awake?”2f5848626b357ebe

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Hugging Anna, I dazedly a32b0164db nodded and looked around.e0786f2f629ca363

It was a hospital room. A safe and clean hospital 5b6d68953b room illuminated by bright white 0ad56b2d62 LED lights. My face, reflected in the 502e29ad16 mirror opposite, was clean. The hospital corridor, 45672e34d4 the splint wrapped 72e06ce96e around my left 172606d9e0 calf, too.aaef7bb97ada24c1

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“Are you alright? Are you dizzy or nauseous?”ad4e29d2e6cb9965

“…Yes.”7ac0d367f5b4f0c1

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“Even though they said the surgery went well, you slept for two days straight! I was so worried!”7be067d89c97aee5

Anna wiped her tears and e9f36e0347 warmly grasped my hand. At that moment, I a9bc73ca5b flinched and shuddered. I remembered Remington tightly gripping 52a53c0c24 my hand.45868f3a07ec3156

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“…Run, Dani.”6e0782119615e06c

Things like his broad back 662f4490f3 trying to protect me and c8d08ade7b the warmth of his large c20947d16d hand holding onto me.9da6c2ad726d892f

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“Are you alright, Miss?”1caa2f48d3567c4a

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.516302154b226cf4

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“…What happened?”a729222303ae6ef3

“Don’t you remember, Miss?”fc566d0b8b62ee0a

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“I don’t know. I remember bits and pieces, but my head hurts so much….”f7620ad3b53a1cdf

I answered, clutching my head, ebd97f822d which felt like it was 1dee4f41a2 going to split open. My vision was blurry, 397008b027 and my mind was 82cf84ab6b in a jumbled mess. Anna, her face looking e885b3dc78 like she was about 4fde3555e0 to cry again, hugged b93745f37b me tightly.db2472e6c290d82e

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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.”991dfe55aa21e9fc

Anna said, gently 9010c0ae4f patting my back.0780265559d399d1

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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….”a30924c36b7f5dd8

“…….”396fc978cd68a41d

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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.”3dcebaca765c3d68

I dazedly nodded 52d55fe408 and hid my 63616548c1 trembling hands under daad3f1723 the covers. My whole body 1917307c3d ached and throbbed.9dd28969a083edb0

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“…What about Remington? How is he doing?”cfb3cbb572381c49

“He’s fine. Fortunately, the wound on his abdomen wasn’t deep. The bleeding wasn’t severe either.”7b5e7694db83d608

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“Could you call him for a moment? I have something to say….”216967870d2a81bc

“He went home, Miss.”46c2399d6b8ea137

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“…Yes?”bfd97f00db9218ac

Anna said in a soothing 0a3019fa9b voice.96422fe9ffbcf654

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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.”2be8e39410f50048

“…….”c32119e72e608aad

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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!”5bd60754a6ec05a4

Anna said playfully.50c5c97f8fcaf598

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I just nodded blankly. I was relieved 39af990090 that Remington was 16946b7dcb safe. But while I 985415fc06 felt relief, the 7b1a631d7a fact that he f4122ba3de went back with 5aa6806c56 Eleanor made me 73bdfc43d7 feel strange. It felt like I f8d07fbe0d had escaped a long, d88dd61a9c arduous fairytale and returned 0bd4426289 to reality.f849c9fb2853d1f3

“…Did Remington leave any messages for me?”b8ba787ad3d1204a

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“Well, he hasn’t visited your room. Shall I ask the police to give you your phone back?”41b867bcabc0bb72

“No. I was just wondering.”4e3d5532655e6493

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Stop it, Dana. Remington went back. And with Eleanor, too.41dd298f303309f8

Just like Remington said, dreams bce0e65ab4 are meant to be broken, 72f6568331 and if anything has to e1b6628b10 be a dream, it should c766c2c715 be those things. The closed distance between e81ffe3ddf us, our shoulders touching, 89d76e8a85 our hands clasped together, 173476ca93 the conversations we seemed c4b6e9a85e to understand, and the 872ca9062f emotions like fear and c59d161895 pain that we shared 826b21ae73 that day.09ec4c9df4676a29

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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.f131846142ef088c

I slowly blinked to face 952c4ef457 reality. My body was still heavy, f5b2922eb6 and sleepiness washed over me, 82bba78310 making me feel dazed.ab4299b38ce73672

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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.abe41bc5b0832b63

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.’33d304894253c2f7

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It was a month before 066249cd2c I was discharged from the bb87fa123a hospital.a49a72a48a723070

I slowly got better. At first, I would d827d536a2 wake up in the 875b769b9e middle of the night d032737830 and vomit because of 733d650560 nightmares, but after the b22ebde1a4 doctor increased my medication, 7d1c5e702e the nightmares gradually subsided.5833ec4f1f984276

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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.d7c3fe697fca3bf4

Instead, when I took the 46ffd0171e medicine and lay in bed, e42578d797 the crucifix on the ceiling 7a41edb330 would spin. Then it would ea41dc0b19 become a pupil, d5ad432633 and the blue c4952c00d4 wallpaper would quickly 5c5651d378 surround the pupil d63f4989ec and become an 68c6caa3a0 eye.929cdd18caa71ad1

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Remington’s eye.2e834b45278a6ea7

“If you were my little sister, I would have stopped anyone from doing that to you.”531de011e8de241c

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If it were a dream, 9f36e1addf it should be fading, but 30af460c2f he only became clearer in 00ce31597f my mind.c94119ac617e183a

“Don’t worry. Once we get e283b98764 out of here, 60e759ea6b you’ll remember again.”68b7bb40ac4d998e

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I sometimes deliberately 5d9f1be2da checked my ankle 74bbc5875d to make sure 5ec6604827 I had really 4746f05a45 gone through that 8777796503 horrible experience.9c80943c0e2aa6a0

What that night should 95136e52c1 have imprinted on me c28f074574 was violence. Things like fear and terror.3691e90f06898bb7

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But that night seemed 2d5fb85c50 to have left Remington 9cd5bed447 with me. The eyes that 543b2ec5a7 worried about me, 4b7f295a01 watched over me, c274b9c36b and cared for 95286c4eae me. The eyes that keenly 179c2b6284 read me. The eyes that made 5ba830b58a me misunderstand and made 4ac0db3b8b me a bad person.4072dceb32bbb109

“Miss, the injured area might sting and burn like a burn for a while. Make sure you take 51268f0209 your medicine properly.”97681c2bab851f02

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Anna said as 79d0533a73 she tucked me 7242e53786 in. I asked Anna,f4b91d16afdd2ef8

“Anna, can a person get burned by someone’s eyes?”a0e9d322cdad7baf

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Can someone’s eyes leave 5fbfa5e443 a bigger scar than 05fc26f57e a beating?6759fec284d70015

I wondered why my chest 7865b0f9c5 felt like it was burning bb5de36e4c when my leg was injured, 0a9fd8a582 but Anna just hugged me d019247e52 tightly. Saying only that I needed 24bdf7cc0c to sleep well to recover e44b062386 quickly and go back to 3cf2336670 school.f19e00bf9fc1da1a

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️8b52eed64272d8ca

The corner of 793c7751d0 the metal cross b71b473559 pendant scraped sharply 5d974c2a9f against my palm. My palm was 8394e73266 red and swollen 687a0d8c57 in the shape 4ff8d64206 of a cross, b24e7679c5 and small drops 3ea2868757 of blood were 10d3c94838 oozing from the 8a3d915dc9 torn skin.5bfb2b226c9afb28

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“Ugh….”9a29013e9ff72f2d

I winced, enduring the 1842192b7a pain, but the pastor, 89afcfba44 with a stern face, c0ee2bba74 only scraped my hand c1ee796931 more sharply. Anna stood at the doorway, 93bc9e3a41 wringing her hands and watching 941a351358 me anxiously.2fdbb33ddd55eeca

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“The Lord knows everything. He knows this faithful servant’s tears, efforts, and even sins.”5a4daa328e76698d

The pastor muttered in a 7094db4f61 low voice, staring intently into 09a372486b my eyes. I clutched the bedsheet and 92d2b8f60c subtly averted my gaze.62a4ce7a50a4ecb2

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I really hated this time.218105efb56fd193

It was good that dcf5f4d9c5 I could avoid the 0cdaabaaa9 horrible ritual of skinning a6b906eace thanks to the brace da997b1072 on my leg, but 3bf3ca37a0 it was even more 0743bb4a9c unfortunate that I had 56e2e1410a to lie in my 58a87a2096 bed and face the e725fa7e86 pastor. Because it was suffocating.3e2ccdc78fdb6be6

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He lowered the cf77cf6b29 hand holding the 4f28051ec4 cross and said 7ab3b0d265 to me,675d75a12bcb5e64

“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.”9d37ab5b4cebedb4

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“…I, I don’t.”51f784b3d4963d84

His gray eyes a4b756977a staring at me 83fb743a36 were cold. I quickly added,aabd5fb6f7450cbd

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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.”a0d3512543e35164

I don’t know how b38844b316 many times I repeated 4a01ba2f4b those words. My palms were 12c501eb47 scraped until wounds 1922800bf0 of the same dd9ae8bb5e size appeared on ec24d81fbd both hands, and 711857e361 I had to 541bd145e0 answer similar questions e62632e963 repeatedly.c521e90e30ed9718

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But I had committed no dffb189068 sin.8e408cdf6ee9ee71

If thinking about Remington f27af38465 countless times a day 7f6d36055c was a sin, I 2e3e42ce15 was deserving of death, 627ac3bd5e and if it was 9b89595156 such a grave sin, 019d1b6385 it would be right 13ed969b29 to hide it until 2b813d9b18 I die.2f6436a1b6902433

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After the pastor left, I f1ba5d75b9 went out to the living 037cd5f386 room after applying some ointment 6cbbc63a47 to my palms. My brother, Maxwell, was 940f5d5f27 sitting on the sofa, 9bd6ffadda watching TV. Having endured the same 4561d3e077 tedious ritual, he looked c6510c4578 very irritated. The skin visible 06e35852b3 under his rolled-up be0580bf53 shirt sleeves was 1968ded07f red.af31ad44ddd587a5

“What are you looking at?”45b92f134f0e7483

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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.b286ed69ebd62b6e

“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?”d81da1877eab7754

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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.”6a8a6f4c2f4c8a59

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….b51b0b0ce063d402

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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?”47beca3432ea7fe5

Maxwell sneered sarcastically. I replied coldly,e232761a4f31f7fa

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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?”104ddf4fe2ad17b9

“He must have been so devastated that he hasn’t visited you even once in the hospital?”ed9b4af0365202f2

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Maxwell smirked at me.c184761596990fd0

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.5d7906332661b974

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“Order is necessary to protect loved ones from violence and hatred. I am the b70da7f9e3 one who establishes 15406df17a such order. Some call order oppression 7abd1deeec and exclusion, but I 905cbaa477 call it ‘protection.’”3dfdf2d19878cfb7

Father finished his e324d0f5dc speech charismatically, with 3a05bc74c3 a tone of c11c681423 strong conviction. Thunderous applause erupted from everywhere. Maxwell also applauded the 310ddc861a father on TV.53ceb5ea1b0185d4

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“I’m so proud.”49264b07d9672d8c

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.a6622e0e3c9ff3cb

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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….”ef4b9bb07f4d75f3

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.223587374c3c59ec

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“Isn’t it strange? Why would they run away after releasing me and then get caught so quickly?”77f0d6f9921ca3a5

“They said the Julia’s son, who was kidnapped with you, brought the items with the kidnappers’ fingerprints on them.”f7025bb9b9187eda

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Maxwell replied dismissively. However, that didn’t resolve the suspicion within me.0b6fe1c04e708bcd

“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?”4bd2344dd6f0f821

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“Those kinds of people are always shortsighted. That’s why they abandon their home countries and sneak into other countries.”eb5bf3ea39e68026

“…It’s strange. There might be someone behind it. They all looked like they were following someone’s orders.”0c2cd316b523446b

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“Ahaha!”152919d19586f1b5

At my words, 86b1a635bf Maxwell burst into 64c19698a4 laughter as if 0ea1de0ae7 he were crazy. He laughed, clutching 6f2506ac64 his stomach, and 91ee3c2f0e even wiped away 2ecaa945d1 tears.f0c5bd40bf791ac5

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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.”2643ebaa680a2564

“You shouldn’t act like you know everything just because you play assistant next to Father. I was the one there.”dbe6145c5082cfb8

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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?”58bc0da9aa82d2e7

Maxwell pretended to clutch 98bca952d7 his chest and gasp b4f25630a2 for breath. I clenched my fists. I wanted to 260113b190 shove the glass a3c17be28a on the nightstand 2cf76b6ad7 into his mouth.5ba33840c492ee7b

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“Seeing you speechless means I’m right, doesn’t it?”b466b72d859e1069

“…Shut up.”e66013447b6d8c88

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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?”af5fafadd33854b4

Maxwell snickered, pointing at the 8af83c1f12 TV screen. The changed channel ecbaf91a99 was a gossip 123915f1d2 program disguised as fb513cd53b a current affairs 472ea6a294 program, and they fde5848f54 were showing Remington’s 7b034686f8 face all over 8001fa5de1 the screen.8b0943368cc6b54e

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I fumed, but as 5593a72138 Remington’s interview came on, 56932ac6b4 I focused on the ca4a6710ed screen as if drawn 30a67f79e4 to it.fc37d0d26f4c234c

“How did you think to secure evidence in that situation?”573ae119ae035d8b

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“Because that was the only revenge I could take.”961a3cc27a1dfd6f

Remington’s complexion in the fced7d73c5 interview was dark. His face was 86412b7815 even more terribly 399381d1ce pale than Father’s 6aacf1e1a7 when he was 89fe986bc7 expressing his devastation.46a03011ab18171e

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“What was Miss Roderson’s condition at the time?”e5dc2935cc91dc50

“As you know. I don’t want to go into detail.”5df5c3478ef73c58

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“Some people speculate there was sexual violence. What do you think?”b3bf8737a4a5b2df

“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.”1a4e42d23a642572

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Remington answered firmly, glaring at 26751bfb41 the despicable reporter. A picture was displayed prominently 86850532ee next to his face.cd97c6d43a1a2a90

Remington, staring at the b02f1e4a4e camera while carrying me 4c636e0b6c on his back.64988f825528e85d

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His haggard but f8df50172b beautiful appearance and b20441320f the wide ocean 063900dad5 spread out behind 24df9a13d0 him looked like 24b59c987e a scene from 0b499b5d46 a movie. His white shirt, 81f1d8de36 stained red around aeb3313868 his stomach, looked a635a9c68b like a device bbaf637ad0 for a tragic 71b916a5db visual effect.574147d484b63a60

The panelists chattered about the b521db97ce picture.18f17cc0f7a6e760

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“Mr. Howard has always been very popular with female students, but it seems his popularity will skyrocket after this incident.”c0a59c8144ffef76

“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.”10abaed8643fb33c

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“Furthermore, Julia’s estimated wealth is currently….”092e09b608654fa8

Limping, I approached Maxwell and a162e961e4 snatched the remote control from bcec2dac36 his hand. I turned off the TV. Maxwell laughed loudly.6974c63133b18b71

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“Our Dani, overflowing with luck with men. Did you confess all f4f4407aca your sins to the cee477ae44 pastor?”867b46df878a9097

“…Remington and I are not in any kind of relationship.”0cf7b1a197369eb5

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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.”3bbcb5224872d99a

Maxwell sneered with all dff7a06eb3 his might, as if 204b03fbfc he were truly envious.f43cf54a14dba38e

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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.”71dade88ab4774a1

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.fc81fc5822ced8ae

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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.dc5433417377b63b

“…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?”f607296c2da20c5c

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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.6035d57c6931fb41

“Ugh.”170af99370770ca9

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I clutched the 2e2d7649d8 spot where I a76148d197 was hit and 4c814a8a6c sat down on 293cd81a28 the floor. My phone was lying at 6339a4fce3 my feet. It was mine.a6c5a2d7f9d283e8

“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.”3f8bdb70bb560397

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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.8dc4ee4df52fdd23

“Why do you have my phone?”425adf25424896bd

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“You should thank me for getting it from the police. Why are you glaring at me?”48d288e0c438867e

“You didn’t say anything strange to Remington, did you?”ce06dc6ab258ca22

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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.”fd4539378df77134

He chuckled with a despicable fc28824587 look on his face. I knew Maxwell, who valued 937f9e12fb a dignified image, wouldn’t have 72ff0af0bd said such a thing, but 48e38817a0 I felt contempt for him 59f159aed6 for uttering those words as 89112d4498 if they were a joke.0e7f8841d18ed175

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“A guy who lacks nothing shouldn’t ruin his life by being bewitched by someone like you, right?”b78a6174441485f7

“Go study, brother. Even if you got in with a donation, you need to graduate with honors so you can face Father.”df50140eb4b2522f

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When I retorted with f44b1cbf61 a straight face, Maxwell’s 81143765df face crumpled instantly. Don’t mess with me. As I was about 2a5dffaccd to leave the living 8317a1a147 room after landing a 59453fa016 blow on him, Anna 9c7db55d05 came looking for me.80fcccec8bee5092

“Miss! Your friend Remington Howard is here. It seems he came to visit you in the hospital.”d531568781f6f0bf

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“…Yes?”006c7131c5993132

“I invited him. He said he wanted to visit you in the hospital.”2b304f4817c83801

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Surprised, I looked back c9b5e3cd7e at Maxwell. He scoffed and shrugged. Then he bent down a5f1839531 and whispered in my 526a0de12f ear.ebbd6e5d14c356b0

“If you’re grateful, be careful with contraception. How embarrassed Father would be if you got pregnant.”5f4be943d754124c

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“Maxwell!”c485bf6548403fd2

“Now you have a weakness against me. Inviting a boy home, Dani. If Father finds out, you’ll….”753de3789dfe9b84

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Maxwell, as if he hadn’t a1b77fcd76 just uttered those vulgar words, 5f53b26b79 returned to his well-mannered young d11f9779cd master persona and grinned.e97eb9ad0b0d2ac9

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️a8bcfe1e0593aee7

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“Hi.”70cee6f51d481217

“…Hi.”01cb77789a8c074a

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Remington and I 566914aa93 stood at the 63b9d9def7 entrance, exchanging greetings 0f0d97b722 awkwardly like kids f10983e3ff who had just a2362bd36c learned English. It was the first 92f08c6f51 time I had a cf5f338e0c guest at my house. He was dressed in 9f9fc8e349 a formal shirt and 14f4957857 held a package in 028ad1bbd8 one hand that looked 5b3d728522 like a get-well gift. I was wearing f331824cb9 a thin slip 29b9da60f7 dress and had de2ecdba5b only managed to f5f9cddd62 apply some clear cb099acac1 lip gloss. I was embarrassed.8b694f962d30627e

As I stood 590865a4eb there silently like 9116fb950d a fool, Anna fddcf35f84 finally intervened.98c31b0a71f9ed31

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“Would you like to go up to your room? I’ll prepare some tea and snacks.”2ba7681352be7d45

“Oh, yes, please.”422f2bede2b45c6f

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I led Remington ee7d534283 to my room, b33a3b213c limping. My room was 68b61ba7e1 on the second 0468667a00 floor. Remington looked at my limping 97c4484cea gait anxiously and soon supported 7618377010 me by holding my arm.3f04dd7c1934249d

“…Thank you.”3423819b46a1bee5

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“You’re welcome.”eb9d9b5464b71085

His touch on edd8833ebe my arm made 68aecc5d8c my heart flutter. I wanted him 9f26193205 to take his b0910e213c hand off me 320ea1bf4a quickly, yet at 95ba0b5f6f the same time, 9fcdd5b593 I wished it 8d902e8b14 would last a f124bd93f5 little longer. It was a strange feeling.620f4d4d1423b2ae

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“This is my room.”348980a47018855f

“It’s pretty.”68f859dfc122b544

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My room was 40860f1819 exactly the same 2c2f27ba91 as my dorm c1ad88f0e3 room. Blue wallpaper reminiscent 299e8bcd97 of blue velvet, 73d2079fc2 a wooden cross d4067d3782 hanging on the 396b1147fd ceiling, and a 182829045b checkered floor. It was an interior that a0c979c832 Father liked very much.c54eca8d7f8a70fe

I sat on the bed, 911d340499 and he sat on the 9b95c97aff wooden stool next to it. We just sat there e2140c3b4d in silence, looking at 4a034617c3 each other. Remington looked very 8d465f4495 tired, and his d2e828e364 face was dark. Probably because of the reporters.84d96e4eb409f60f

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“Please enjoy, and if there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”aed297847ae90a13

Anna, who came up to 58746ab8ab bring refreshments, blatantly glanced at 91890ebc41 Remington’s face. I hurried her out, but a9a085b655 Anna stubbornly examined his face. Then she whispered in my 069a58f51b ear,aa149b45faf4ca0d

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“Your friend is very handsome. But I feel like 786142771e I’ve seen him somewhere fef879b75f before. He looks very familiar.”02c5c6d42e8f77f6

Anna didn’t seem a7179ed42b to know he 50fb3f8a2a was Julia’s son. I could have explained it 638d604ba7 to her, but I just e3b8cc2411 wanted to get Anna out 781b2ab3b5 quickly. When I urged her to 24c55aca9f leave, she left the room, 1ccae62440 looking at me as if 27b81ca67d I were her teenage daughter b30b2b3e65 going through puberty.ed6ef49f85f177f4

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After Anna left, a58beb3f74 an awkward silence fbbb71b053 filled the room. Cookies and warm coffee were 3d16eff5ad placed on the table, but 57ac57a53a no one touched them. After a long while, 7b12cb4369 he spoke first.e4bdb20b8e39eca2

“Are you okay?”8ef477887f0d815e

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His gaze rested on d1eaf55cef my foot. I nodded.f44d781e2749034c

“Yes. I’m okay. You?”9ec118637e9564d7

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“Me too.”09c285330f62550f

“That’s good.”53e0a14256a61003

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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….9d7208c3990d8879

“Actually, I have nightmares.”4fffcbba199a0092

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Those words suddenly popped out 4310e5fc95 of my mouth. At that moment, Remington cc2d7ac2b0 stopped fiddling with his aca40a1187 thumbs.5c4bfe18aa59fd27

“That night often appears in my dreams.”398fe02fb90e6a25

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“…….”88bfdae045e8f00f

“Those men, and you too. The doctor said it’ll be like that for a while.”a661c07810a6b68d

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“…Sorry.”f2cfe4dcb92003e6

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.91feb092409a347e

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“No! This isn’t something you fb41220496 should be sorry for.”efea50d313750e25

“It’s my responsibility. Because I couldn’t help you.”637db3713c7e16ac

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“That’s not true. You….”3411ae3ccaeede0f

“I was there. If I had been stronger, if I had… you wouldn’t have been subjected to such things by those bastards.”cb53b2a8a78aaa98

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His deep blue eyes were f782289a2b filled with helplessness and guilt.6b707a7fc8ab2415

“I couldn’t do anything.”d1cba18daf8f47f5

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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.0b8f67ce11d60583

We were too young.156043657e7daea7

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To handle something like this that wasn’t anyone’s fault.1dc1278b32af4c64

“You know, I’m okay. Really.”b0075a03a9866ad0

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I made an 22a00fd4cd effort to meet 86434319fb Remington’s downcast eyes 91a9656bbc and spoke in bf91a7b415 a deliberately brighter 70ca5986e4 voice.6b97972f2dacc1e7

“The nightmares… I just said that. I was being childish. I actually have nightmares often. It’s not because of this.”e40c2b8fa665f250

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“…….”8dc4f25b73261de4

“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.”a4fdd853d4b89ef7

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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.d04462ea799339a6

“Don’t say nothing happened.”c0d31c46d03d9c08

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Remington said, looking 91934ff1c7 at me steadily.5c2bda924d7479a2

“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.”493aac9f3534c403

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“…….”2455da50926c1d11

“At least you don’t have to pretend in front of me. We went through the same c09b74360a thing.”52ce3039c130751a

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As I listened to his 90a6a3b5a7 words, the smile slowly disappeared 60c069d045 from my face. My throat tightened.b4cb8ecc41240aba

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.43516b41c0ee92b1

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“You don’t have to try to be okay. It wasn’t okay.”2133105240a7c98f

Various faces flashed through my 569f06f55b mind. My father, who f92832f903 didn’t come to 9d27dae63f see me except 70da88109c to take pictures 33ce291ea8 with reporters. Maxwell, who only sneered. The reporters, who like hyenas, 066c250efc tried to dig up sensational a3c039d366 stories. And Anna, who worried 06a298179e about me so much f2bf5a7b02 that I couldn’t show e686654c21 her how hard it f9b7066200 was for me.3fcfb5728962212a

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But Remington told me I didn’t have to be okay, that he understood.ee4a310e5dc52a28

“Why are you crying again?”f53ba34ad08b6be8

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Remington reached out to a4ed0f80d3 me with a flustered 000ba0885a look. Only then did I 0ef0779dfb realize I was crying. I hurriedly wiped 6070e2f3db my wet cheeks.4b6876379deeb6a8

Remington sat down next e8b81b6b34 to me restlessly. The mattress dipped 785def90b3 under his weight. I looked at him.b8f43cf3bfec70bc

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“Don’t be flustered. I’m crying because I’m grateful.”a993127fc2eae515

Even though I knew I 57d473302a must have looked foolish, I 934f1662a9 smiled at him.08a5ee0230758beb

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“I didn’t know, but I think I wanted to hear those words. Thank you.”78a1e1d2f3d0f117

I said, sniffling.9d96b7d4ceea8c1f

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Remington just stared at me. His ears were flushed red. He twitched his hand and 12558764e5 then clenched it tightly on 49b627d55a his thigh.9dcb42b55746cca6

“Stop crying. I’ve seen you cry 5c09d9ff7f too much.”8434cbf7a24f2b8c

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“Okay. I won’t cry after today.”3c6770008b1e751a

“Don’t think I care if you cry. I don’t feel anything.”6cca83352c2ee1ae

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“Yeah. I know. It’s okay.”97d96e93ddd95b1b

“…Damn it, stop saying it’s okay.”59fb9b4f8616167d

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Remington clenched his fist tighter. He looked around, 1183272aa7 then grabbed a 78d80d8ff8 cookie and a 448265d3f5 tissue from the e4be3bd176 tray Anna had 96c611f110 brought and handed 611e280f46 them to me.869e6376347e00cc

“Wipe your face. And eat this too.”cfd8a4a41f74e267

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It felt like 802cc03596 he would explode 60625474ae if I didn’t bfb19f2a74 eat the cookie. I wiped my tears, 0311a9d1a2 took a bite of 5b2948aec6 the cookie, and soothed cdbd58c620 him.04248bc5d51b0e70

“It’s delicious. And I really am okay. So you don’t have acbc5773a2 to worry about me. I even got my leg a0b0c8c17b cast off recently.”0b6a84b68bb56c5f

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“…I know.”9e8ddbf4038711f1

“How did you know?”2894ab72bbc85309

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“Channels like Wikids broadcast live updates on your recovery status.”5b4b808dbeeffb4a

“You listen to those stupid channels too?”10e4337601572df5

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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.”52752dbf3509209c

“You dream about me? That’s a promotion in status.”f87966770e5733d2

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Remington chuckled softly at 128c7911d2 my words.988e5b0e823e6c6c

We shared the 43342d5643 cookies and coffee 8ea00ebbc7 that Anna had 1cf0d433af brought and talked 3091d6c934 a lot. About the photos 5fed918713 published on the 6af3b7dba5 front page of c44a72a0a7 the tabloids, the 639d28759b bad reporters, and 17cee9fecb the real culprits.fcf535464bea497b

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We also looked at my 2518a641e9 bookshelf together. My bookshelf was c4552771b1 filled with things e852021ae8 he would like. Numerous books, records, and DVDs. Remington looked around with 396eafd350 a nonchalant expression at 7cdeb56482 first, but his face a8a0ecfdb0 gradually changed, becoming as e64190d8de innocent as a child 9c5762e314 who had discovered treasure.4915eab5deaaf24a

“This is out of print. How did you get it?”1d578be42f66b6fa

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“My sister, Beau, bought it at an auction when she went to London. Isn’t she amazing?”5e455d534790a55a

He smacked his lips. He seemed envious. While he was b295272819 looking at the c03df43992 collection, I took 1e6f304832 out a record 7f036c2ce2 and played it. It was an 52fcc9e1d2 album with the de63bc530b cool title, Whatever People Say I ffd14bfa30 Am, That’s What I’m 0b6c8f7089 Not.6f2d03122cdfda36

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“I like this album too.”b1aa65da4124cff8