“If you really wanted to kill someone, those 29 stabs wouldn’t have avoided the vital points. Besides, that scumbag doesn’t deserve to live.” Micah disagreed with her words, his voice heavy, “I know your capabilities, and besides, haven’t you always wanted to be a doctor? Why care about these things? It’s been two years, who still remembers the past? You’re in my hospital, I’ll protect your information, and if it’s necessary, we can leave the country together.”
Back then, when Hattie was in prison, she was the target of everyone’s hatred online.
In everyone’s eyes, she was a villain, and the only people who came to see her in prison were Micah, the warden, and Aoife.
Speaking of Aoife, she had promised to pick her up when she was released, but Hattie looked at the empty street, perhaps unaware that she was being released today, so she didn’t come to pick her up.
Micah drove carefully out of the prison.
“Where are we going?”
“Back to my place first. I’ve already prepared your room, and I’ll make something delicious for lunch. I remember you like spicy boiled fish.”
Hattie wouldn’t voice her embarrassment, but Micah knew her current situation better than anyone.
Hattie nodded and said, “Thank you.”
Micah’s house was not big, just a hundred square meters, two bedrooms, one living room, and two bathrooms.
Hattie’s room faced south, with good lighting.
Micah had bought this house many years ago; the Baker family was not short of money, and the house cost four million dollars, which he had paid in full.
Hattie still remembered when he moved into the new house, she had gone to his place for a meal.
Micah not only prepared a room for Hattie but also bought her some new clothes. They were all the smallest sizes, but they were still too big for her.
“Go take a shower, I’ll go to the kitchen to cook.”
Hattie held the new clothes. Unlike her previous cheerful personality, she now felt a sense of constraint and silence.
Some thanks are better kept in the heart, slowly repaid.
“Okay.” Hattie took off her clothes in the bathroom, revealing bruises on her snow-white skin.
She was beaten almost every day in prison, with new injuries added before the old ones had healed.
Her back had also been scalded with boiling water, leaving a fierce red scar that was uneven and rough. Just by looking at the scars, one could tell how severe her injuries had been.
This scarred body, even Hattie couldn’t bear to look at it; it was too ugly.
She looked at the stump of her right little finger. No matter how many times she looked at it, it still felt painful, bone-deep, just thinking about it was excruciating.
Hattie turned on the tap, and cold water rushed out. She walked straight into it, the piercing cold water blocking out all external sounds.
She tilted her head back, the icy water filling her ears and nose. She opened her mouth, letting the cold water flood her mouth.
She sealed off all her senses with the cold water, stopping her breath, as if only in this way could she not feel any pain.
Was she afraid of the cold? Of course, she was, but Hattie had long been accustomed to being drenched in cold water.
In prison, there was no gentle stream of water like this; she was often sprayed with a high-pressure water gun against the wall.
Perhaps it was because she often took cold showers that she now had a headache whenever she felt cold.
The hot water slowly flowed out, and Hattie tremblingly washed her body, as if washing away the filth of the past two years.
She hadn’t been in the shower for five minutes when Micah was still busy in the kitchen.
“Where are we going? First, back to my place. I’ve already tidied up your room. I’ll make you something delicious for lunch. I remember you like spicy boiled fish.”
Hattie walked out of the shower quickly. Micah saw her and was slightly surprised. “Why didn’t you soak in the hot water a little longer?”
Women usually took longer showers. Hattie used to love soaking in a hot bath, adding colorful bubble bath, which could last for 20 minutes each time.
Hattie shook her head. “Just being clean is enough.”
Micah asked, “Are the clothes fitting?”
“A little big.”
Micah glanced at her and said, “It’s not the clothes that are big; you’re too thin. Eat more at lunch and put on some weight.”
Micah was not a great cook, but he could manage simple dishes. He bought a packet of seasoning for the spicy boiled fish at the supermarket and added tofu to it. Finally, he sprinkled some coriander, scallions, chili flakes, garlic, and hot oil on top.
Two people couldn’t eat much, and they also had a vegetable dish and egg soup.
“Rest well today. We’ll go out to eat tomorrow.”
“This is already good enough.” They didn’t starve in prison. Their meals were balanced, but Hattie’s plate was often overturned, and sometimes she had to pick up food from the ground when she couldn’t bear the hunger.
Hattie had experienced everything to survive.
Her sleeves were long, covering her fingers. Hattie held the fork awkwardly, and even though she loved fish, she didn’t touch it this time.
She drank the soup in her bowl and ate the vegetables in front of her.
“Why aren’t you eating the fish? Is it difficult to remove the bones? Wait, let me get a plate.”
“No need…” Hattie started to speak, but Micah went to the kitchen to get a plate. He placed the whole fish on the plate.
“Eat.”
Hattie liked eating fish, whole ones, possibly because of her experience using surgical knives for various surgeries. She quickly removed the bones, and the meat came off easily, placing the bones intact on the plate.
She said that when she was in school, she used to pick out fish bones a lot. It helped improve her hand’s flexibility and mental focus. Every time she killed a fish, she would bring it back to the dorm to cook and eat.
Everyone ate fish every day. Many people got tired of it and fed it to stray cats, but Hattie never got tired of it.
Now, she stared at the fish without eating, not because she no longer liked it but because her hands could no longer remove the fish’s bones intact. Her stomach also couldn’t handle such spicy food.
She had developed a stomach disease in prison. When it flared up, she felt weak, and seeing food made her nauseous, while any noise exacerbated her pain.
In Micah’s expectant gaze, Hattie picked up a piece of fish shakily, forcing herself to eat a few bites and responded, “Delicious.”
“If it’s delicious, eat more.” Micah smiled gently, knowing that Hattie liked to pick the fish bones at her own pace.
Hattie picked up another piece, but this time, she was stung by the chili oil.
The pungent taste burned her throat, making her cough. The chili oil got into her windpipe, and she coughed harder, tears streaming down her face.
Micah was startled and quickly poured her a glass of water, handing it to her. Hattie gasped for air, coughing and wheezing, taking the glass and gulping down most of the water to wash away the spicy taste from her throat.
Setting down the glass, she looked up and saw Micah pale and staring at her hand, trembling as he asked, “Hattie, where is your little finger on your right hand?”
Hattie had always wanted to hide her injured hand, keeping it hidden in her sleeve. But just now, while she was choking on the fish, Micah handed her a glass of water, and for a moment, she forgot to conceal her hand.
Her mutilated right hand was now exposed to Micah’s eyes.
Hattie instinctively clenched her right hand. Her actions, in Micah’s eyes, seemed to be hiding something from him.
Thinking about what he had just seen, Micah’s eyes were filled with anger, his eyes burning red, his lips trembling.
Micah choked up and asked again, “Hattie, where is your right little finger?”