Chapter 6 Absurdity

• It was the voice of the murderer! Hearing that voice again, I still couldn't control my trembling. But what exactly did he want to do? Wasn't I already dead?
• "Kenneth, call the police!" I urgently shouted at Kenneth.
• Even though I knew he couldn't hear me, the fact that the murderer was calling meant there was hope that my body might be found! I didn't want my body to stay in that cold, damp place any longer. Touching my abdomen, my heart ached painfully. At least don't let the child stay there...
• "Where's Rachel? What trick is she pulling now?"
• Kenneth frowned, full of impatience.
• Me?
• I was obviously already dead, Kenneth. I was killed by the assassin hired by Camelia, on the night you chose Camelia over answering my call.
• My gaze was vacant, unsure if it was because spirits couldn't shed tears, or if I was just utterly disillusioned.
• "685,000 dollars to redeem your fiancee, or else..."
• The sinister voice was like a demon crawling out of hell, startling even Madison who was immersed in her resentment. Yet, this voice was the last thing I heard before I died.
• The call was abruptly ended. Only a message detailing the time and place was sent.
• Kenneth then realized something was wrong and desperately tried calling back. There was no response.
• The Johnson family fell into a dead silence, with only the busy tone of the phone beeping. Powerless, I stood by. Kenneth, this is the third time you had abandoned me.
• "Kenneth, even if Rachel deceived you all, it's still a human life..."
• Camelia clutched Kenneth's sleeve, her face filled with worry.
• "What if, what if this time it's real?" This undoubtedly stirred Madison's lingering resentment, as she immediately seized on the key point in Camelia's words.
• "Camelia, what do you mean by 'this time it's real'?" Madison asked suspiciously.
• This played right into Camelia's hands! Feigning innocence, she hesitated for a long time before cautiously mentioning the previous threats of suicide I had supposedly made.
• Madison looked at Camelia with sympathy and held her hand.
• "Good girl, I misunderstood you before..."
• She believed Camelia with just these few flippant words, without ever considering whether it was something I would do.
• After all the years I'd spent supporting the Johnsons, standing by them when they had nothing, I couldn't believe that a few words from Camelia would mean more than everything I'd done.
• I scoffed, torn between thinking Camelia's act was just that convincing, and wondering if they had ever truly trusted me at all.
• "Kenneth, her being kidnapped like this, she might lose her reputation... It's good the wedding hasn't happened yet, and the license isn't issued. You and Rachel's relationship hasn't been made public. We can't let such a dirty woman into the Johnson family!"
• That face, which once looked at me with kindness, now showed disgust as if I was some dirty thing that had clung to it.
• A wave of mockery washed over me as Madison placed Camelia's hand in Kenneth's.
• While I was being kidnapped, she was plotting to drive me out of the house and even considering marrying off Camelia?
• "Kenneth, Rachel has troubled us for three years, I think this whole thing is a scheme she orchestrated herself. Why not use that 685,000 dollars to arrange your wedding with Camelia instead?"
• I unconsciously turned to see Kenneth's reaction. He stared at the delicate hand resting in his palm, his expression clearly hesitant.
• In that moment, my heart chilled completely. Yes, my judgment of character was truly flawed, and not just with men.
• I smirked bitterly, realizing I had wasted my life on these people, giving them everything I had—my heart and soul—only to end up like this.
• My life was worth less than his wedding with Camelia.
• But regardless of whose the original 685,000 dollars was, my years of contributions to the Johnson family made that amount insignificant. "Mom, let's consider the 685,000 dollars as a breakup fee for Rachel. I'll give her the money, and then I'll break up with her. The wedding, let's forget it..."
• Kenneth was completely disappointed in Rachel, looking at Camelia with her eyes welling up, he could no longer restrain his guilt and tightly held her hand. I knew Kenneth too well.
• Knowing him so well that I could tell what he was thinking just by his actions, he surely couldn't wait to marry Camelia and fulfill his youthful dreams.
• Facing this hypocritical mother and son, I had no desire to explain anymore. No matter what I said, their hearts had already sided with Camelia.
• Six years, a whole six years, and it didn't compare to one sentence from Camelia. I laughed at myself for being foolish.
• After comforting Madison, Kenneth walked out of the Johnson residence with Camelia.
• "Kenneth, I'm leaving first, take care."
• Camelia reluctantly watched Kenneth, then got into the taxi.
• As she watched the passing figures from the window, a smug smile appeared on her lips. Kenneth couldn't see it, but I did. Camelia, did you win?
• I followed Kenneth all the way home. The house was still pitch dark.
• I watched coldly as Kenneth packed away everything related to me. That framed money was from the first big deal we landed.
• Back then, Kenneth had nothing, and I endured a whole week and accompanied a major client until I developed a stomach perforation, just to secure our first major turnaround deal. The day we signed the contract, Kenneth took me to the rooftop.
• Under the vast stars, he swore that he would dedicate his earnings to me for the rest of his life.
• I believed it then. At the time, I thought we could overcome any difficulty, as long as Kenneth was by my side.
• Kenneth seemed to remember too, his pace slowing as he packed.
• The first piece of clothing he had bought me, the photo album from our outings together, and the ring for our wedding...
• I watched as traces of my life were slowly erased from this home.
• Would you soften, Kenneth? I silently pondered. Yet, he eventually packed everything up.
• After hesitating for a long while, he placed the boxes at the entryway.
• So, my six years were just these two small boxes. I silently floated beside Kenneth.
• Watching him withdraw 685,000 dollars from the bank, he followed the instructions in the text message and arrived at the designated spot.
• Just five minutes before the deadline set by the kidnappers. Is my body here? I felt an urgency to move forward but was pulled back by an unseen force next to Kenneth.
• “Hmm…”
• A faint sobbing sound came from behind the iron door.
• There was a sound? But I was already dead, who was inside? The iron door opened to pitch darkness. Kenneth tossed the suitcase full of money in front of it.
• “I've brought the money. Where is my fiancee?”
• So, he still remembered I was his fiancee. A kidnapper emerged, clutching a woman with her hands tied behind her back, her frail body shivering in the dark.
• Kenneth grew anxious. I've always been afraid of the dark, and Kenneth knew it. Once, when a power outage struck at the office, he ran through the rain to comfort my panicked self.
• After six years together, Kenneth’s heart softened.
• I took two steps forward then stopped. I was long dead, my body still unnoticed in the darkness, and no one even knew I was dead.
• Yet, absurdly, “I” appeared in the kidnapper's hands.
• The kidnapper glanced at the bag of money and, with a sneer, pushed the woman towards Kenneth.
• She staggered into Kenneth’s arms.
• “Rachel…”
• As he pulled off the black cloth, Kenneth saw Camelia's eyes, filled with tears and panic.