“Are you telling the truth?” Flora tilted her head and gazed at me naively as though she was pondering over the credibility of my words.
“It’s true. Why would I fool you? I swear that I will only love Christopher for the rest of my life.” I would have raised my hand to formally swear an oath if I wasn’t restrained on the chair.
“Really?”
Flora kept pacing up and down in the room. One moment, she mentioned Christopher and Tobey’s names softly; the next moment, she gazed at me in confusion and mumbled non-stop. Meanwhile, I grabbed the chance to look around. I realized that we were in a small apartment.
When I saw my handbag on the coffee table, I thought I could escape once I managed to retrieve my phone from it. Unfortunately, I was tied up and could not move an inch. Meanwhile, Flora walked in circles repeatedly.
Is she mentally ill? But if that’s true, how could she speak coherently? Besides, how is it possible that she could plan so meticulously to abduct me?
Thinking that Flora was convinced, I mustered up my courage and said, “As I said, I don’t have any feelings for Tobey. I mean, it’s a waste of time to see him, not to mention marrying him. I’d rather spend my time with my beloved Chris.”
“You’re lying!” Flora shrieked all of a sudden as though I triggered her emotions somehow. Then, she grabbed the knife on the table and swung it before me. I was terrified and worried that she would accidentally stab me to death.
“You women always make up a lot of stories to be close to Tobey. In the end, all of you are liars! I’ll never fall for your tricks ever again!”
As Flora was shouting, she suddenly burst into tears and continued, “We only wanted to be together. Why is it so difficult? Why must everyone disagree with it? Why must everyone stop us? Why can’t we fulfill our simple wish—”
Unknowingly, Flora’s words assuaged my nervousness. Moreover, I couldn’t help but feel dejected when I thought of the obstacles between Christopher and me. As such, my eyes reddened and tears nearly streamed down my face.
I used to feel as confused as Flora and say similar things. Until now, I couldn’t say wholeheartedly that Uncle Robert’s death was an accident and that Julia was innocent.
However, I was relieved that I met Christopher instead of the indecisive Tobey. Christopher never compromised in the face of harsh reality but went against all odds to be with me. We went through ups and downs, yet he loved me all the same. On the contrary, Tobey always prioritized self-interest above all else.
“Don’t be sad. Try talking to Tobey to change his mind, and I believe things will take a different turn. Anyway, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Tobey has to give up some things that matter to him if he decides to be with you—”
“Shut up! Who are you to badmouth Tobey? I’m the only one who has the right to comment on him. No one can ever bully him other than me!” Flora stood up and wiped away her tears clumsily. With a grimace, she came closer and swung the knife in front of my face. I did not dare twitch a muscle because I was afraid she would disfigure me with the knife.
“Hehe, Tobey only looks at you because you’re pretty. Will he pay attention to you if you turn ugly? He won’t! In that case, you mustn’t look beautiful.”
With that, Flora grabbed my face and aimed her knife at me.
