Chapter 2

[Mom, listen to me, just stay away from them!

[There's something really weird about those two.] Cheryl said.

The shock hit me out of nowhere, and then came the ache in my chest.

"Cheryl, are you doing okay without me around?" I asked.

The chat box stayed quiet for a long time before Cheryl finally replied with just one word: [No.]

After that, nothing else appeared. The chat went dead.

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring blankly, feeling cold all over.

I can't even bring myself to kill a chicken, so how could I ever kill a person?

Besides, why would I want to murder someone who hasn't done anything to me?

"Ramona, get up! Abbott and Hattie are here. They want to take you to the movies in town," Dad called from outside my door.

He sounded impatient, like he couldn't wait for me to get moving.

As I stepped outside, I heard Mom grumbling, "What kind of date is this, bringing his sister-in-law along?

"People are saying there's something weird between those two. You don't actually believe it, do you?"

Dad shot her a sharp look. "What are you even thinking? Those boys lost their parents when they were little. Rhea is basically like a sister now. Don't you get it?

"She's had such a tough life. We really shouldn't be talking behind her back."

Then Dad turned to me, his voice earnest. "Ramona, try to be sensible. Don't let your imagination run wild. We're all going to be family soon, so make sure you get along with them."

I nodded, but deep down, something just felt wrong.

Cheryl's warning kept replaying in my head.

On the way to town, Abbott rode his bike with Hattie sitting behind him, and they were chatting away the whole time, looking all cozy together.

They talked about stuff going on in the village and work at the factory, and I couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Once we got to the movie theater and the lights went down, they kept laughing and chatting, leaving me feeling like a total outsider.

My chest felt tight, and I couldn't focus on the movie at all.

After the movie ended, Abbott hurriedly took off his jacket and put it around Hattie.

"It's windy. Stay warm," he said gently.

I forced myself to sound calm and said, "I need to grab a few things up front. You two go ahead. I'll head back on my own."

Abbott paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, take care on your way back."

I didn't reply, just pushed my bike and walked away.

Behind me, I heard Hattie say to Abbott, "Shouldn't we wait for Ramona? It's dark, and the road's not easy."

Abbott replied, his voice cool, "No need. Your health comes first. What if you catch a chill? Let's just go."

I didn't look back. The cold wind stung my eyes, making them feel sore.

For the next two weeks, I kept my distance from Abbott.

The gossip outside just kept getting louder.

Everyone was saying, "Wow, even Ramona, such a good girl, can't stand whatever's going on between Abbott and Hattie."

Rhea stood in my doorway, hands on her hips, and said, "Ramona! You've been avoiding Abbott for two weeks now.

"He really cares about you, you know. He keeps coming over, looking for you again and again.

"What's going on here? If there's some misunderstanding, you should just talk it out."

She had come all the way to my house, looking determined.

I felt a bit down, forcing a smile as I said, "Rhea, Abbott's a great guy... it's just... I don't think I'm good enough for him..."

Rhea rolled her eyes and tapped me on the forehead, clearly exasperated.

"Abbott doesn't have parents, so you won't have to deal with any mother-in-law drama if you marry him.

"Seriously, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You won't find another like it."

But inside, my thoughts were a tangled mess.

Cheryl hadn't sent me a single message in half a month.

The quieter things got, the more anxious I felt.

That evening, I was heading to the village entrance to buy some soy sauce. As soon as I turned into a narrow alley, Hattie blocked my way.

Her eyes were red and she was crying right in front of me.

"Ramona, did I do something wrong?" She sobbed.

"Even if you don't like Abbott, you can't go around spreading rumors about the two of us.

"There's nothing going on between us. We're completely innocent."

I waved my hands frantically. "No, no, Hattie, you've got it all wrong!"

But Hattie wasn't listening at all. Suddenly, she pulled a bottle of pesticide out from her coat.

She twisted the cap off and started chugging it down!

"Hattie, stop!" I screamed, lunging toward her, but I was already too late.

Hattie was crouched on the ground, clutching her stomach, her voice raw and desperate as she screamed at me.

"If I die... nobody will have anything left to gossip about..." Hattie sobbed, barely able to get the words out.

"And you won't ever think there's something between me and Abbott..."

I was so terrified my soul nearly left my body. Without thinking, I hoisted her onto my back and sprinted toward the clinic.

Soon, Abbott burst into the clinic like a madman, barely able to catch his breath.

He scooped up Hattie Dickinson, who was weak and pale after having her stomach pumped, holding her tightly in his arms.

Abbott glared at me, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying.

He shouted, "Ramona. I used to think you were a good person! Why would you hurt her?"

I froze, my whole body going stiff.

His eyes and tone were so fierce, it was like he wanted to devour me alive.

He was a totally different person from the gentle Abbott I used to know.

"I didn't. I didn't hurt her. She drank it herself," I stammered, my voice shaking.

"If it wasn't you, then who else could it be?" Abbott roared, looking like he was about to lunge at me. "Just you wait; if anything happens to her, you'll pay for it with your life."

His words chilled me to the bone.

Out of nowhere, an old memory hit me—one I'd buried deep for years.

After serving five years in prison, I searched everywhere for Abbott and Cheryl.

It took me ages, but I finally tracked down their new home.

But when I got there, I saw Abbott and Hattie holding each other close as they walked home together.

The look in his eyes was so soft, so full of affection—it was nothing like anything I'd ever seen from him before.

"Abbott!" I rushed up and grabbed his arm, my voice trembling with emotion. "Why are you doing this to me? You promised you'd wait for me to get out of prison."

He yanked his arm away, his face contorted with the same vicious look as before.

"What are you doing here?

"Why didn't you just die in prison?" he spat, his words like daggers.

"You're not welcome here! Get out!"

That look snapped me out of it, and I stumbled out of the clinic like a ghost, completely lost and shaken.

Turned out, the happiness I thought was real was just a dream.

Suddenly, it hit me what Cheryl meant all along.

When she was just a little girl, she could already sense there was something different about Abbott and Hattie's relationship.

That was why she kept warning me.

She didn't want me to go down the same path and make the same mistakes all over again.