Chapter 478
I hung up the phone in tears. Then, I smashed the wine bottle and the glass like a madwoman and stepped on the broken glass. The blood from my feet stained the floor.
I went into the bathroom and washed myself in the shower.
My senses were amplified. I started going mad. I started feeling like there were cameras everywhere.
I began smashing the hotel room and its amenities. I broke the mirror and messed up everything in the room. Then, I chuckled bitterly upon seeing the camera hidden inside.
There was really nothing Genome Society couldn't do.
I slept in the hotel for an entire day. The following day, I used Steven's card to pay for the damages and left. Steven was waiting for me in front of the courthouse.
He wanted to file for divorce.
"So, you're sure?" Slight exhausted, I asked if he was sure that the woman was indeed Stephanie Carlson.
"I'm sorry... She's Stephanie," he looked at me and responded firmly.
"You used to tell me that I was Stephanie with the same conviction." I held eye contact.
He averted his gaze. "Sorry... I was lying to myself."
I scoffed. Then, we signed the divorce agreement. We were told to go through a cooldown period for one month before returning afterward to finalize the divorce.
"Is it possible to not wait for a month?" I asked.
The staff member shook his head. "No, this is standard procedure."
I didn't say anything more and turned to leave after signing the papers.
As I left the courthouse, the sky was gloomy, and it had started to rain.
I was walking along the road when I suddenly lost any form of motivation to stay alive...
Instead of living in a world where I would always be put under surveillance, I'd be better off dead but free from everything.
I walked to the edge of a lake and jumped in without any hesitation.
After the sound of a loud splash, I was engulfed by the icy water.
I couldn't breathe. My instincts made me struggle against the water, but my conscious willed me to continue sinking further.
Then, I heard a splash.
I looked toward the gleaming surface of the water.
Steven reached out and pulled me into his embrace. Then, he kissed me. He was trying to give me air underwater.
Assuming he did it on purpose, I clamped my mouth shut.
He looked somewhat resigned.
I coughed violently.
He had finally pulled me out of the water.
I took in deep breaths of air, my ears ringing from being filled with water.
"You're crossing a line..." Steven seemed to be mildly angry. He shot me a glare from a spot where no one could see him.
I lay on the grass and started laughing.
In order to deceive everyone, you first had to fool yourself.
Steven used to tell me to firmly believe that I was the original Stephanie. I was who I thought I was, and it didn't matter what the others said...
Genome Society underestimated me and Steven.
"Stay alive," he said to me before he left.
Stay alive.
"Steven Lincoln!" I yelled his name while lying listlessly on the grass, anticipating what was to come.
He stopped in his tracks with his back faced toward me.
"Stay alive..." I choked.
We both needed to stay alive.
Then, we needed to let those people know that we were humans! We were living people with rights and feelings, and we had unwavering hopes and beliefs.
I stayed on the grass for a long time. The rain fell on my face, and my thoughts gradually became clearer. From some point onward, Steven and I didn't require verbal communication to understand one another. After the grueling escape from the abandoned building, he seemed to have opened up to me completely. I didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. However, at the very least, I was willing to trust him unconditionally.
At Nancy's place of residence, the sky was dark when I finally got to her villa on top of the hill.NôvelDrama.Org content rights.
She seemed to have anticipated my arrival.
"I can go with you... but I want to know the truth." I stared at her, looking unusually disheveled. "You're not going to wait until the divorce is finalized?" Nancy asked with a smile.
I laughed coldly. "As long as I don't get the divorce done, Steven Lincoln's wife... will still be me."
Still smiling, she nodded and continued, "Where would you like me to begin?"
"The death of my parents and Andy Lincoln."