Aoife woke up, rubbing her nose and hoarsely saying, “I’m sorry.”
Hattie paused, then smiled wryly, “Why apologize to me?”
“It’s because of me that you ended up in jail.”
“Who told you I ended up in jail because of you?” Hattie frowned. “My imprisonment has nothing to do with you. I stabbed a scumbag 29 times, and was sentenced to prison for intentional harm, not murder.”
Stabbing someone 29 times and being convicted of intentional harm instead of murder was because Hattie’s knife avoided vital organs every time she stabbed.
Thinking of that person, Hattie felt nothing but disgust. She wished she had stabbed him more times but 29 was the limit, as the scumbag was already riddled with holes and stabbing him further would likely have caused him to bleed to death.
Hattie shrugged. She volunteered to go to jail, to get away from that scumbag.
This method of sacrificing oneself to harm the enemy was not recommended, but she had no choice. Despite the hardships in prison, she found satisfaction in stabbing that person 29 times.
Hattie told Aoife not to dwell on it. She wanted to ask how Aoife was doing now, but looking at her pale face and the seven to eight centimeter scar on her face, she knew she was not doing well. Asking too many questions would only reopen her wounds and make her suffer again.
“Survival is so hard,” Aoife said with red eyes. “Why are there so many bad people in this world?”
“It is tough, but when you think about how vast the universe is, our experiences seem so insignificant. Aoife, we must both live well. If I can’t bear it, I will use a knife, if stabbing doesn’t work, then I’ll use poison. I will just keep trying not to kill,” Hattie said firmly. It’s our first time being human, why should I endure your insults?
After hearing Hattie’s words, a bitter smile appeared on Aoife’s face, and she nodded.
Hattie also smiled, “I’m happy to see you today. I hope you can come pick me up when I get out next time.”
Aoife replied, “I will.”
“Promise, I will be out in two years.”
Hattie placed her palm against the glass window, and Aoife also pressed her hand against it.
“We must strive to live, harder than anyone else,” Hattie said with determination and a glint in her eyes.
With fifteen minutes of visitation time remaining, Hattie gave Aoife some instructions and suddenly mentioned “Elisa.”
Elisa was someone who had fought hard to live, but ultimately couldn’t overcome the illness. Hattie hoped that Aoife could live better and longer than Elisa.
Even though living was exhausting…
Her living caused her pain as an individual, but her death would cause pain to many, so Aoife could only live on through the hardships.
Even without Hattie’s persuasion, she would still live her life well.
“Hattie, I will wait for you to come out.”
The fifteen-minute visitation ended, and the guard patted Hattie’s shoulder and led her away. Hattie took three steps and turned back, waving at Aoife.
Aoife also waved back at her. As she watched Hattie walk away, she remained in place, looking lost until someone came over and patted her back, bringing her back to reality. Aoife blinked back the tears and suppressed the bitterness in her eyes.
When Finn saw Aoife walking out, he stood up and tidied his clothes, “How was it?”
With trembling fingertips, Aoife lowered her head as if she hadn’t seen Finn.
Finn felt a pang of anxiety, wondering if Hattie had said something she shouldn’t have. Glancing at the officer, he decided not to ask Aoife anything here.
Seeing Aoife heading towards the exit, he quickly caught up, “It wasn’t me who got her into this mess.”
After a long silence, Aoife finally spoke, “Can you help her get out early?”
Finn hesitated, “I can’t. Her case is quite difficult, and a two-year sentence is already the minimum for stabbing someone that many times.”
Hattie was fortunate not to receive a death sentence for stabbing someone so severely.
“If you want to visit Hattie in the future, I can bring you, but I suggest you keep your distance. After all, she almost killed someone.” A doctor who stabbed someone 29 times and then turned herself in with a calm expression and heart rate, such a person is hard not to suspect of having psychological problems, perhaps even being insane.
“Don’t talk about her like that!” Aoife glared fiercely at Finn. “I believe Hattie is innocent.”
Seeing Aoife’s eyes turn red with anger and her hands raise in defense, Finn quickly apologized, “Okay, I won’t talk about her. Don’t get upset.”
Who knows what Hattie told Aoife, causing her to change so drastically. Considering their limited interactions at the hospital, it was odd.
Aoife didn’t want to hear anyone speak ill of Hattie. She was willing to listen to Hattie’s advice and live better than any of those scumbags who were still alive. She believed that when Hattie was released, she would live better than anyone else.
Among all the words Hattie spoke to encourage her to live well, the one that stuck with Aoife the most was:
“If you can’t bear it, use a knife; if stabbing doesn’t work, use poison. Just keep trying not to kill!”
Aoife glared at Finn.
It had been a long time since she had looked at Finn directly, and he was pleased until he suddenly noticed the chill in her gaze, like two sharp knives. He shuddered.
After giving him a cold glance, Aoife got into the car with Finn and returned to North Bankshire.
Days passed one after another, and Aoife stayed indoors, spoke minimally, and didn’t move much. It was not normal to be so confined, and even a normal person would become abnormal.
Finn hired several people to help Aoife, including maids for laundry and cooking, as well as someone to keep an eye on her.
Aside from these measures, there were no sharp objects around Aoife to prevent her from self-harm.
To please Aoife, Finn brought back her luggage from abroad, filled with clothes, toys, prenatal books, and an unfinished sweater for the baby.
“Aoife, do you see anything you need in these?”
Aoife looked over and felt a pang in her heart. She started to doubt if Finn was purposely trying to upset her, as most of the items were prepared for her and Ethan’s child – baby clothes, toys, prenatal books, and the unfinished sweater…
Aoife picked up the unfinished sweater, still carrying her signature.
“Throw it away,” she said.
Finn asked, “All of it?”
Aoife sneered sarcastically, “The child is gone. Do you think I need these for a show?”