Chapter 5
She drives to the seaside and lights a cigarette.
In the sea breeze, the smoke is hazy, dispersing with the wind.
I don’t understand why she still looks so melancholic when she’s already done such extreme things.
She stubs out the burnt-out cigarette and takes out a photo from her phone case.
It’s a picture of me and her.
I thought she had thrown it away long ago. After all, it’s been ten years.
The photo shows signs of being torn apart before, but it has been pieced back together.
She smokes and cries, cursing my name at the sea.
“Jack, you’re a dog, an ungrateful bastard, a fool who doesn’t know how to make money.”
“Be a loser for life, you’ll die in some godforsaken corner with no one to bury you. All you know is how to be a cop, too cowardly to show your face, you coward!”
I sit beside her, listening to her grievances. I owe her a lot.
As she wished, I’m dead. I don’t know if anyone buried me. Maybe I’ve been dismembered. After all, those criminals hated me to the bone, wishing I’d die without a proper burial.
Rachel sits there for a long time until her phone rings with a text message.
“Is my gift ready?”
I’m a bit curious. Is she going to attend a birthday party?
Rachel starts the car and heads in a direction.
As the road becomes more and more familiar, I finally realize—she’s going to find Emily!
I desperately try to stop her, not wanting her to find Emily.
Emily is an orphan I used to support. She has intellectual disabilities and has always lived in the orphanage.
When she arrives, Emily has just finished class and is playing in the yard.
Seeing Rachel, she happily rushes over to hug her, “Rachel, big sister!”
Although it’s been ten years since they last met, Emily still remembers her.
“Jack, where’s big brother?” Emily curiously looks behind Rachel.
Rachel looks at her with complex emotions, “He’s not here. Do you want to leave with me?”
Emily happily nods and skips off to find the orphanage director.
“She’s yours now.” Rachel releases Emily’s hand and pushes her towards the man in front of her.
The man gropes Emily up and down, a look of satisfaction on his face.
“Rachel, big sister…” Emily struggles desperately, but is slapped by the man, leaving a clear handprint on her face.
Rachel coldly watches this scene,
“Don’t blame me. Blame that brother of yours. This is what happens when you’re associated with him.”
“Since he still hasn’t shown up, I’ll force him out.”
After saying this, she calls her subordinates to set up cameras.
“Remember, full coverage, no blind spots. I want that man to know the consequences of offending me.”
She slowly adds, “Do whatever you want with her, just one thing—record everything.”
Thinking about how Jack will be heartbroken watching the video, Rachel’s eyes curve in a smile, feeling somewhat happy.
The broken scenes cause me pain.
Emily is like my daughter, the child of my comrade.
I couldn’t save my comrade, and now I can’t even protect his child.
I close my eyes, wanting to escape, but Emily’s painful cries pierce my ears.
It’s my fault. I’ve been dead for ten years, but death is no excuse for me to escape.
This is my retribution.
My heart is like dead wood, already numb.