crumbled like a puppet
crumbled like a puppet
Suyin flipped the magazine pages and found a page with something written, but she decided to read it once she's out of here. "Thank you."
They turned to left.
"Brother, isn't we supposed to receive a reward. Why is she—"
"Shhh…."
Wang Shi glanced at Suyin, who was lost in the magazine, ignoring the kids. That's against her personality! His hand went to rub her back to get her attention, and he turned, "He said, she will give you a lot of money?"
The kids looked vacantly.
Finally, it caught Suyin's attention, and she looked up.
The group of over seven children was scrawny with an oddly grown-up look. They were dressed in an odd assortment of worn and mismatched clothing. Their scruffy shoes looked out of place not suitable for upcoming winters, and their toes hung a good centimeter or more over their ends.
The old granny taking care of them herself needed medical help.
"How about I take you somewhere where you will get to live in a good place, get tasty food, receive education, and meet lots of other kids?" Wang Shi asked.
"W-What about our granny?"
"She can live there as well and continue taking care of you. And… we will also get a doctor to help her with her knee pain, and eyes." He was not lying but had already planned to send them to the foundation jointly founded by Jianyu, Xiu Mei, and him.
Having said, he grabbed Suyin's hand and walked out; only to hear the cheering voice behind them that brought a subtle smile to her lips.
"Hold that!"
She looked up in question.
"A beautiful smile has broken on to the lips of the most beautiful woman in this world. Please hold that for me. I want to take a picture."
She hit his arm, but he pulled her closer and placed a kiss at her temple. "I forgot about kids today. Thank God you were there."
"I'll always be there."
*******
Right below Zhao Suyin's photograph in the magazine, Gong Li had written his last words in his sloppy handwriting, squeezing into the little space he got. Words were stretched, falling; it showed he wrote the letter in a hurry.
The paper had dried bloodstains, but nothing comes near Suyin's photograph. He was afraid to spoil the photograph that could hinder the kids to recognize her.
While driving Wang Shi looked at her face, her eyes rest at the magazine, not blinking but slowed yet it looked as if she was frozen. Knowing she was reading Gong Li's last message; he didn't dare to ask her anything.
Every passing second was like an eternity.
His fingers curled at the steering wheel; heart pounded so hard against his ribcage as his pulse jerked the veins within. It was the constant fear of the future that loomed before him. He was stuck at the crossroad of truth and losing her forever.
Don't know how, but he somehow managed to drive her back to the hospital. After reaching, he parked the car, waited for her to give a response but all he got was silence.
She was lost in the scribbles on the magazine.
It was terror!
Helpless, he got down from the car and reached to the other side to open the door for her.
"Suyin," with his hand under her elbow, he gently pulled her out. However, Suyin seized on a pale look, as if she were a china doll. Then with one staggering step she crumbled like a puppet suddenly released of its strings and fell into Wang Shi's arms.
"SUYIN," A horror-stricken, it came as an electrical storm to him. He swiftly picked her up and dashed to the emergency.
*******
[Suyin,
If you are reading this, this only means I'm dead.
There's something you must investigate about your baby, his death was not natural. Though I don't know the actual truth, it's something related to Gilbert and some unknown influential people behind it. In an inebriated state, he once revealed that not only he got rid of you but earned a fortune from your baby that helped him become a shareholder of Ace.
According to him, your baby's death was inadvertent the day you brought him to the hospital and situations turned to his favor.
Upon asking more, he told me your baby was already brain dead when brought to the OT and there another doctor operated on him to harvest his heart. But the old skunk zipped his mouth when I inquired who the doctor was.
I tried to investigate more, but someone had erased every piece of information from the hospital's system. There's no registered record. Even the doctor treating your baby died in the car accident two months later.
You can start your investigation with your aunt Zhao Feiyan as she was in the hospital that day and I had seen her meeting Gilbert frequently. Years back, after you had left the country, Zhao Feiyan's company had received a huge investment overnight.
I know I should have told you about this years back, but the selfish me…..
For the time I hurt you, for the times I never trusted you, and for hiding about your baby. I know just being sorry won't be enough for my evil doings. Maybe that's why I'm dying without getting justice for my family. I absolutely take responsibility for my actions, my end, and the terrible pain I have caused you.
But one last time, let me be selfish again and request you to bring justice to my dead child and wife and punish everyone. Please! I beg you!
This is my last wish.
Gong Li]
…..
...
…..
Some pain crushes you, leaving you paralyzed. Broken inside-out. The tears won't roll down, and the screams won't escape past your quivering lips. Some truths do not allow you to react and let the steam go. They'd force the steam to keep burning, staining you.
It was the shock of her life. No words were enough to describe what she felt. The reality was beyond her wildest dreams; too much for her to deal with.
Tough times do last. Tough people don't last, always.
Will she?
******