“How does it feel to kill your own father?”
Winifred closed her eyes, fighting back the tears and the pain. Her head hung low, her expression hidden, but her shoulders trembled slightly.
At that moment, Winifred felt like a drowning person who had given up struggling, allowing the turbulent waters to engulf her. Leland felt a sharp prick in his heart, a fleeting pain that vanished as quickly as it came, almost like an illusion.
“So, you really hate me that much…” Winifred’s voice was faint, barely audible over the surrounding wind.
Even now, Winifred didn’t think she was wrong. It wasn’t her who killed Leland’s mother; it was that marriage and her abusive husband. Did Leland expect her to save his mother just because he asked?
There were so many pitiful people in this world; did she have to help every single one of them who came to her?
Besides, she believed she had been good enough to Leland. She provided him with food, clothing, and money. Without the money she gave him, would Leland have made it this far?
Suddenly, a force gripped her chin and lifted her face. It was Leland, his cold gaze fixed on her.
He said, “Yes, I hate you. But my love for you is deeper than my hate. Otherwise, why do you think you’re still alive?”
That day in Midlands, when Leland took out a ring to put on her finger, she had ruthlessly thrown it away. At that time, she also thought Leland loved her.
But now everything was clear. How could he call it love? It was merely hatred disguised as love, driven by revenge and resentment.
If he loved her, how could he violate her? If he loved her, how could he deceive her into killing Gregory? He pretended to be loyal while plotting every step to crush her today, making her life unbearable and filled with regret.
“You’ve really gone through a lot to act for so many years in front of me. I don’t care for your love. If you hate me so much, just kill me.”
“I won’t kill you. The way you treated me back then is how I’ll treat you now. Tonight you’ll stay here and reflect on what you’ve done wrong. Once you’ve figured it out, stay by my side. If you can’t figure it out, I’ll dig up Gregory’s grave and bankrupt the Reeves family, leaving Garrison with nothing.” With that, Leland released her chin.
“If you still have a conscience, think about them.”
Winifred felt an unprecedented sense of weightlessness in her body. She wobbled slightly, trying to grab something nearby to steady herself but found nothing around her. She was completely alone.
Leland was determined to make Winifred reflect in the cemetery tonight. He had made himself clear and wasn’t worried about Winifred seeking death at this moment.
He always believed Winifred wasn’t someone who would commit suicide. Even in Midlands with severe psychological issues, she never attempted suicide.
He had seen the scars on her wrist; they weren’t deep. If someone truly wanted to die, they would have done so long ago during those moments of solitude.
Leland stood tall and looked down at Winifred lying motionless on the ground. He lit a cigarette and sent a file to Winifred’s phone from his own.
A “ding” sounded as the file was sent. He placed the phone in front of Gregory’s tombstone: “I recorded what he said before he died and sent it to your phone. Make sure you listen carefully.”
Winifred glanced at the phone and clenched a sharp stone in her palm with all her might until it cut into her skin. Despite being afraid of pain all her life, she didn’t let go even when it hurt.
The surroundings were too dark for Leland to notice anything unusual. He turned around and called his driver.
Compared to Leland’s indifference, the driver seemed more concerned about Winifred. He looked back at Winifred kneeling on the ground every few steps, feeling pity for her.
Moreover, leaving a woman alone in a cemetery at night didn’t seem right. The place was eerie enough to scare even him; what if Winifred encountered danger?
“Mr. Burns, are we really leaving Miss Dawson here? What if something happens…”
“What danger could there be in a cemetery? Ghosts? If she figures things out, she’ll call me and I’ll pick her up. If not…” Leland paused and sneered, “I have other ways to make sure she understands the consequences of disobedience.”
His words were directed at both the driver and Winifred; he wasn’t afraid of Winifred running away since she had a tracker on her. No matter where she went, he could find her.
The footsteps grew distant until only Winifred remained in the cemetery. The surroundings were pitch dark; the streetlights were motion-activated and only lit up with noise. Now everything around her was shrouded in darkness.
A person who had always feared the dark no longer felt afraid.
Her cold hand slowly reached for the phone. As soon as she picked it up, an overwhelming fear surged within her.
She wasn’t unafraid of the dark anymore; something else had replaced that fear.