The person at the door is Isabel. I only feel a little bit suspicious, but I didn’t think it would be like this.
She smiles, revealing her disdain for me, “Where do you think you can go?”
Apart from panic, I have no other thoughts in my heart. Faced with Isabel, I am always helpless. She defeats me again and again, and destroys all my hopes.
Inside the room is my sister, with her hands and feet being bound again. She looks at me desperately.
We are all in her thrall and there is nothing we could do.
“Sister!” Elaine shouts at me, her voice trembling.
“Isabel, what do you want to do?” I take a deep breath and say.
Isabel invites me into the room and says, “In fact, I don’t like to use this method, but you are too uncooperative. Can you see how hard your sister is? I don’t want to be a bad person.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Tell me what you want to do.” I say.
I will never forget my sister’s gaze. She is very tired and very disgusted with all this, but I get her involved again and again.
Isabel snaps her fingers and says, “Good. That’s what I like.”
In fact, I have guessed what she wants to say, but…
“I want you to go abroad. We’ll decide when you can come back. Can you do that? I’ll keep an eye on your sister. Rest assured, if you are good, she’ll be safe, and even better than when she was with you.” Isabel says.
Sure enough, I still have to leave.
“Do I have to leave?” At this point, my inner thoughts are very simple, and I don’t have any feelings at all. Angry? Sad? No. I only feel helpless.
“Yes.” Isabel’s eyes darken, and she says firmly.
“There really won’t be anything between James and me. Why don’t you believe it?” Why no one believes what I say?
“We really broke up.” I plead, “I just want to live a simple life. Isn’t that OK?”
“No! It’s not just because of James. You know what you want to do. If I don’t get you away, I would feel uneasy.” Isabel finds a seat and sits down. In this dilapidated room, Isabel appears more aggressive than usual.
“If you don’t go, I will be restless. You are just like a bomb, threatening me at any time.”
“In other words, I have to leave?”
Isabel nods and says, “Yes.”
“Can I go abroad with my sister?” I make the final negotiation with her.
Isabel smiles, “Your sister must be in my hands. I’ll help you take care of her. You may rest assured.”
When I look back at my sister, she says nothing, but keeps looking at me. I read the fear and uneasiness in her eyes.
I don’t know how to make this decision.
Isabel stops talking; maybe she wants to give me one last chance to think about it.
I walk towards my sister and say to the people next to her, “Untie her. We can’t run anyway.”
They glance at Isabel embarrassingly, and Isabel nods.
My sister’s tied hands are released, but she is still staring at me.
I help her rub the mark on her hands and say, “Elaine, you have heard it all. What should I do?”
In fact, we know the answer, but we have been evading it. There is no way out.
The light in my sister’s eyes grows dim. “You can decide as you like. It doesn’t matter.”
She says, pretending not to care, and looking away, “How many troubles have been caused since you fell in love with that James. It’s really annoying.”
I firmly hold my sister’s hand and say, “Okay.”
I really regret it, really. If there is another chance, I really don’t want to meet James again. It’s really difficult to fall in love.
Happiness is so short, but pain conquers the rest of your life.
“Okay, if you make the decision, then leave as soon as possible. I don’t want to worry about his anymore.” Isabel says.”You can’t come back without our consent. Your sister is in my hands, and you should weigh the pros and cons before you take any actions.” Isabel’s eyes exude the confidence of mastery that terrifies me.
“Fine,” I say.
Suddenly, I feel tired to be alive, and there is no chance or hope.
She is the chief culprit of our broken home, but I can only be controlled by her at the moment.
I simply pack my luggage, and my sister is always with me without saying a word.
Neil also appears, and I can learn that he knows everything from his expression.
“You don’t feel surprised, right?” I ask knowingly.
A perverted smile appears on Neil’s face, “As long as you can’t divorce me, everything is fine. Even you are abroad you are still my wife.”
I know that he has been on Isabel’s side since the beginning; otherwise, how could his business come back to life.
I just don’t know what will happen if James knows my leaving, but even if he knows it, what can he do?
He will not say anything to persuade me to stay since we’ve broken up and we have no relations anymore.
Because I love him, I got such a consequence. I have nothing left but hatred and unwillingness.
Sister, Neil, and Isabel follow me to the airport.
My sister’s calm face finally changes when I am about to board the plane. She breaks down and hugs me, “Sister!”
She hugs me tightly, her face buried in my arms, and her voice choking, “Sister, take care of yourself. I will be fine, don’t worry about me.”
“Okay.” I pat her on the back vigorously, not willing to leave her.
“When I am not with you, you have to think twice before doing anything. Go to school and be a good student. When we meet again, you must be very excellent.”
It’s time to board the plane. I push my sister away and say, “I have to go now. Take care of yourself.”
“Sister! I don’t want to leave you!” She cries and hugs me hard, her fingers turning white.
I am so sad as if something is going to drown me, which makes me feel suffocated.
I dare not to look at Elaine at this time.
“Elaine, let go of your sister. She is leaving.” Isabel says impatiently.
“Let go of me,” I say with a trembling voice.
I don’t want to cry, because I don’t want to show my weak side in front of my enemy.
My sister lets go of me, obediently standing aside and looking at me.
I take a deep breath, not daring to look back, and stride forward.
Vaguely, I seem to hear someone calling me, and it sounds like James, but I don’t look back, because I know James won’t be here, and he won’t come looking for me again.
It isn’t until I get on the plane that I completely collapse. I want to cry but I couldn’t. I feel so uncomfortable about the kind of heartbreaking pain. I gasp for breath, but always feel that I am going to suffocate.
When the plane takes off, I bid farewell to my homeland.
I will be in transit to America. When I get off the plane, I wait for the plane to the US.
Sitting in this strange place and looking at the strangers, I feel more and more distressed.
What will it be like if I go to America? Will I be imprisoned?
Will my sister really be fine? My doubts grow.
I can’t go to the US!
Once this decision is made, I put on the hat and mask, carry my luggage, and quickly walk out of the airport.
I don’t know if Isabel sends someone to follow me. I can only be careful.
I escape from the airport, go to the bus station, and buy a bus ticket to the South State.
The South State is next to Sheffield.
I am in panic all the way, as I don’t know what is waiting for me, and I don’t know if I make the right choice.
“Today, the flight MT379 from Sheffield to America crashes near Japan. No one survives. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.”
Listening to the radio in the car in a daze, I suddenly wake up.
Isn’t it the MT379 flight to America I took today? It is crashed? No one survives?
Suddenly I am sweaty all over.
If I get on the plane, I will be dead.
I’m so lucky.
I suddenly have a feeling of escaping from a vital accident, and I feel that all my strength has gone because of the fear.
Maybe it’s a chance to rebirth for me from now on.
When I arrive in the South State, it is already dark. I plan to find a hotel, but when I take out my ID card, I hesitate.
Would they all think I am dead? Then my ID card cannot appear again.
I can only find an illegal hotel. The conditions are very poor, the quilt is moldy, and the room reeks badly.
But it doesn’t need ID card to check-in.
I don’t know whether my sister and brother know about the plane crash.
I didn’t sleep all night. When I get up early in the morning, I put on my sunglasses and mask and go out.
I am going to Sheffield.
I just want to have a look on them, just a look.
Like a thief, I get on the bus to Sheffield and take a taxi to my house.
I don’t know if anyone is in the family at this time. I don’t dare to go upstairs, so I can only wait downstairs.
It is noisy at home. I finally see my sister. She is supported by someone and is crying. She is wearing a white cloth on her head and holding my black and white photo in her arms.
It is my posthumous photo.
My younger brother is also back.
Both of them are in pain, and I suddenly have an impulse to run over to them, but I couldn’t. I have to calm down.
I hide aside and look at them sadly.
So, they thought I am dead.
This is very good. Only in this way will I have the opportunity to do what I want to do, but I am sorry to keep my brother and sister from the truth.
Suddenly a black sports car stops at the entrance of the alley.
I see James coming out of the car.
I just didn’t see him for several days. How did he become so haggard and skinny? He is wearing big sunglasses and wears a sullen face.
He goes upstairs.
I look at his back and tears well up in my eyes, blurring my sight. I don’t know why I am so sad when I see such lifeless James.
James, do you also think I’m dead?