Reborn in the Enemy's Embrace

If I’d once questioned whether or not Dexter and I had met before, now, it was practically confirmed.

What’s more, not only did I know Dexter, but I also knew Simeon.

The fact that Carol had hung this photo in such a noticeable spot suggested that the bond between Dexter, Simeon, and me had been pretty special.

"What’s the deal with the three of them?" I turned to Carol and asked.

She cowered in fear, murmuring, "Simmy’s... buddies."

I stared at Dexter’s photo for a long time.

Back when he was a teenager, he seemed even colder and more aloof than he was now. It was also a trait typically seen in geniuses.

But his eyes often avoided direct contact, hinting at a shyness beneath his aloof exterior.

"The cops must’ve already hit you up, huh?" I turned around and whispered.

The cops would’ve definitely talked to Carol. But the reason they hadn’t cuffed her was probably because they didn’t have enough evidence, or maybe they had something to clear her name.

Carol muttered as she hugged her knees tight. "She should die. She’s just the worst."

"Did you have Cyrus kill Juliet?" I walked up to the bed and questioned her.

"Yeah... It was me," Carol replied, looking confused.

It was obvious she had some intellectual disability.

But she still confessed.

No matter what had been asked, she’d fessed up.

Maybe the cops were stuck with her too.

"Where did you get the chemical that Cyrus used to kill Juliet?" I asked again.

Carol looked up at me. "Paraquat... kills insects, pests."

Carol admitted to all the blame, but with her intellectual disability, lack of evidence, and a lack of a guardian, the cops’ lead to her was just another dead end.

"Who got you the paraquat?" I asked Carol.

"Paraquat is lethal. Once it’s in the bloodstream... No way out. The body slowly breaks down, and she’ll stay wide awake till the end," Carol muttered, holding her head, as if she was recounting someone else’s words.

Clearly, this was someone putting the idea of murder into action.

Someone had put Carol up to it and greased Cyrus’ palm to kill Juliet.

"Who told you that?" I asked,

Carol was intellectually disabled. How could she know that once paraquat gets into the bloodstream, it’s game over?

Moreover, paraquat didn’t allow for any second thoughts. It just brought pain and remorse, with no chance of survival.

Hardly anyone made it out alive after downing paraquat.

Once that paraquat dripped into Juliet’s body, her blood would get tainted in no time. Her insides would also slowly turn into a fibrous mess until she couldn’t breathe anymore. She would just suffer till death.

Carol kept shaking her head. "I did it, I did it.

She wouldn’t spill who it was that put her up to it, and I didn’t keep pushing her either. Besides, if the cops couldn’t get it out of her, there’s no way I could.

All I could do now was to keep a close eye on her and figure things out on my own.

I turned around and pointed at the photo. "Hey Carol, can you tell me about the three people in this photo?"

Carol appeared eager to open up to me and showed no signs of fear.

She swiftly hopped off the bed and dashed over to the photo. "Simmy, Dexter, and this one is...’

Carol introduced me with excitement, pointing to "Sophia" in the red dress in the middle. Then, she looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, "It’s you."

My heart skipped a beat as I stared at Carol in shock. "No, you’ve got it wrong. We just happen to look alike."

Carol shook her head, puzzled. "I remember you. W’s adiowaty you blamy didn’t like you at all. You were always competing with key for Geys

"... competed with him for Dexter?" My nerves Hypered,

"Dexter is Simmy’s closest buddy, we’ve been going for advanced classes together,"

"But Dexter’s always ditching Simmy to beng, one with you, may wash but Dexter shut him down," Carol said sadly "he was crushed cried for age.

Suddenly, Carol angrily glared at me, "Why’d you have to snatch Says away at hen set even bother to cherish him? Why’d you have to hurt them! You’re the one the loses to die!"

Carol’s words caught me off guard, and i swiftly stepped back

Then, she suddenly charged at me and gave me a shove,

I wasn’t able to keep my balance and tumbled backward. Then, my head smudged against Carol’s small stool, and the world went dark, in front of me,

I never imagined Carol could be so strong

"You’re the one who caused their deaths. You snatched Dexter away from Simmy and then you dumped him. You’re so mean."

In my daze, I kept hearing Carol’s cries,

"My name’s Sophia. What’s yours?

"Are you hurt?"

Old memories buried deep inside my mind started coming back to me,

Behind the orphanage on the lawn, a skinny mixed–race boy was covered in wounds and hiding in the corner.

The little girl in the red dress spotted him and took out a band–aid from her bag. "Does it hurt?"

The little boy shook his head, looking bewildered.

"Hey, blue–eyed little bastard! Never seen you shed a tear or crack a smile, and you act like nothing hurts!" A group of kids from the orphanage laughed and taunted as they threw stones at Dexter.

They called the little boy a bastard because he had a pair of stunning eyes, like the stars in the sky.

"Who are you calling a bastard?" The little girl in the red dress got angry. She

protectively stood in front of the little boy and picked up some stones from the ground." If you mess with him again, I’ll knock you out!"

"Hey, who’re you? Just got here? Don’t you know the orphanage rules?"

"Check out that dress she’s got on, real nice."

"It’s brand new!"

"Once we strip her of that dress, it’s ours."

The girls wanted the red dress the little girl was wearing. They bossed around the few boys there and told them to tear it off her.

Meanwhile, the little girl stood in place as tears streamed down her face.

The little boy observed that the girl was crying. Then, he swiftly seized a stone from the ground and aggressively tackled one of the boys, repeatedly striking him hard on the head.

The little girl in the red dress was terrified, screaming out, "Daddy! Daddy!"

Then, a figure slowly drew closer from afar, and the faces of everyone from the memory started to become distinct.

The little girl in the red dress was me when I was young, while the little boy who was fighting was Dexter.

And from afar, my dad, along with Ivan Hanks, the orphanage director, were rushing toward us. "What’s going on!"

Later on, Dexter was locked in the punishment room because Mr. Hanks wanted him to reflect on his behavior.

The girls who were bullying me mentioned that they liked my dress, so Dad promised to get each of them one next time.

After that, Dad lifted me up and took me away.

As we left, I noticed a teenage boy peeking at me from behind a window.

That was Dexter. His eyes were unmistakable.

So, it turned out I had known Dexter for a long time. But I’d just forgotten that memory.

"Dexter, I have feelings for you... But I need to prepare for the college entrance exam. Once we graduate, can we be together?"

"Dexter... Can you wait for me?"

Suddenly, there was a sudden intrusion from outside. I recognized the voices immediately—it was Violette, Zion, and... Damien.

The intrusion immediately brought me back to my senses.

Wasn’t Damien supposed to be in detention? How did he get out?

"What did you do to her?" Violette yelled at Carol and instructed Zion to call for an

ambulance.

"She’s Sophia," Carol said from the corner. Her head tilted as she pointed at me. "I can’t be mistaken, she’s Sophia."

"Do you believe in ghosts, like, in this world?" Carol asked Zion and Damien, sounding a bit crazy. "She’s like a lingering spirit... She’s back to be with.Simmy, to take Dexter away again."

Damien’s face turned pale as he held me tightly. "I’ll take her to the hospital!"

"Sophia, you’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you." In my daze, I heard Damien’s voice. He sounded like he was in tears.

"I won’t let anything happen to you again, I swear. I’m sorry, Sophia... I’m sorry." "I like you..." My mind was wandering. I didn’t even realize what I was saying.

Damien’s body briefly tensed up as he struggled to make out what I was saying, as if he was eager to hear the response he desired.

"Dexter..." Yet, I found myself calling out Dexter’s name.