81 Aftermath 2 (1/2)

”May I borrow your phone?”

When Wendy asked this to Chris, the young man's brow only rose but he still lent his cellphone to her.

”What are you planning to do? We can't possibly stay here forever,” he asked.

”...I know. The police will surely come after me unless I go back there and pretend that I'm the impostor, which I obviously couldn't do.”

She grabbed his phone and then went back to her personal space and hugged her knees again. By this time, she had already washed her hands and face. However, nothing but time could lessen the insecurities and redness in her eyes.

While running her thumbs on the screen, she explained to Chris her plan to contact her best friend. She told him, aside from her family, only Sofony was the person she could trust.

”...Through her, we should know what happened after we fled from there. For example, if that fake claiming to be me had also fooled my family, if the police saw you or discovered that you helped me, if they managed to trace us here... There are just so many things I want to know.”

”What makes you think she'd believe you are the real Wendy? Don't forget, you just ...” Chris halted. When he saw that she was trembling again, he almost slapped his stupid mouth.

'Great, when did you become insensitive, Chris Meyer?' he scolded himself.

”Sorry. I was probably just doubting whether that friend of yours will believe us.”

”...I just know she will... I also just want to know if, if S-sir Matthews is still a-alive.”

This time, Wendy really burst into tears once done relaying to somebody what had been bugging her since the moment she regained consciousness. As a person who blanked out for a minute and woke up to a reality where she suddenly had stabbed another person, it was so hard not to be shaken, especially when she was not just any other girl, but someone who grew up tied to the two words 'law' and 'righteousness'. Even now, she was still wishing it was all a nightmare, that after she cried everything, she'd be able to wake up.

The devil in Chris' head commented.

'Ugh. Bastard.'

He cursed the system because when he heard its words he was about to reach out and pat Wendy on the shoulder. However, this damn troublemaker made him hesitate, and in the end, he didn't dare touch her!

With a troubled expression, he could only say, ”I... didn't mean to make you cry. Don't think too much. Maybe Mr. Matthews is still alive. Also, you are not yourself when you did that, so technically, it's not supposed to be your fault.”

Under the watch of the stupid bloke, the girl who was hugging her knees cried for a fairly long time. She hid her face through her long messy hair while curling into a ball. Chris could only stupidly let her vent her frustrations and worries out while receiving self-destroying suggestions from the damnable system.

A little more than ten minutes later, she muffledly blurted out, from time to time stuttering, ”Chris, I-I don't want to be a killer... I-I swear I... though I did it, I swear I don't remember why and how... I'm a l-law-abiding girl... B-believe me, I want to be a d-detective so t-there's no way I-I'll do a crime like that. I mean, i-it's just a no-brainer!”

She returned to crying and only stopped after a minute or two, stiffening due to the hand that suddenly began to pat her on the head.

”I believe you...” he said, the tone awkward. Maybe if she lifts up her face, she'd see him looking away out of embarrassment. She didn't know it took him a great deal of effort to do this.

”I know you're proud and annoying, but you won't definitely harm anyone... not out of your own volition.”

Wendy was no longer crying, but she went extremely silent. Chris didn't know what's currently on her mind as she was not letting anything show on her tear-stained face.

'...And how do I explain that? I don't have proofs, I only believe because I have the unwelcomed you in my brain. You want me to sound crazy to her?>

Not long after, as if she had finished gathering the willpower needed, she held his phone again. To what she typed there, he didn't know. But he was guessing, she texted that nerdy goddess friend of hers. He shook his head because in his opinion, the probability that Sofony Mendez wouldn't believe the real Wendy was higher. After all, that girl seemed to be not the type who would believe that a friend stabbed someone, even if explained that it was done due to a hypnotic spell.

”Did she reply?” he asked the nervous girl.

”Not yet.”

The sad shaking of her head made him sigh. He wanted to tell her that even if she was incredibly pretty, he still has no plans to become a runaway with her. But of course, his mind finally did its job and made him realize that it would not be the proper time to say this.

He stared out of the window nearby and pondered about the future. They were now in an unfamiliar city, in a place far from their family and friends. He didn't know what to think now that he realized how hasty and immature their running away act was. However, since they were now in this situation, there was nothing they could do but charge forward.

To what their next steps would be was a matter for tomorrow to decide.

After taking a deep breath, Chris reached out to his phone and took it from the girl. As he pondered whether to call his family, he heard the girl saying,

”Fortunately, you have wifi access... I have already logged in my banking account in your app. I have made some money from my part-time as a consultant.... so at least we can pay for food and others. Deduct the fare there. I already owe you for helping me. At least, don't let me owe you money. When you order later, you can also use my money.”

Chris' brow arced up but he didn't say anything. The girl spoke up again.

”Actually, I'm already okay. I'm a tough girl even if I have broken down earlier. I'll be fine on my own. After sorting out my memories, and once I-I learn that S-sir died, I'll turn myself over to the police....”

Then she smiled, forcibly, at him. ”You are different. You can say that you didn't know I killed, that you only saw me crying senselessly there, therefore, you sympathized with me. You can say you didn't witness me doing the crime, or that you didn't see the body... I think these are the truths anyway. You can still live your life once you go back to Alina.”