Rachel didnât know what Stephanie had truly gone through.
Steven lifted me, struggling to control his emotions.
Being mentally ill, it was a hundred times harder for him to contain his feelings than for an ordinary person.
âLetâs go home,â he whispered softly, carrying me out of the hospital ward.
Rachel rushed forward, slapping Michael hard across the face. She shouted, âYou bastard, give me Stephie back! Give her back to me!â
I buried my face in Stevenâs chest and cried. At that moment, I didnât care if Steven was acting or not. I just wanted someone to lean on, that was all.
âSteven, letâs take the subway back, okay?â I rested my head on his shoulder and croaked.
Steven held me close as we walked. He gently replied, âAlright.â
I smiled. His acting was impeccable. How could his emotions be so stable? Was he really mentally ill?
âSteve, Iâm not Stephanie Carlsonâ¦â I wanted to see how he would react.
I didnât want to be Stephanie anymore. It was too painful.
Steven paused for a moment and looked down at me. âOkayâ¦â
Since he knew I wasnât Stephanie, I wondered why he wasnât getting angry.
âDidnât you say youâd kill me if I wasnât Stephanie?â I asked in a muffled voice.
He didnât answer.
He carried me in his arms as we entered the elevator, and I didnât bother to walk on my own.
He continued to defend me even after realizing I wasnât Stephanie. Was it because he knew I was carrying his child?
To me, it was all the same.
I didnât expose him and quietly leaned on his shoulder.
âWhy do you want to take the subway?â he whispered softly as we entered the subway station.
I didnât explain because he had been carrying me the whole way, and people around us were staring and gossiping.
But Steven remained true to himself. He didnât concern himself with othersâ perceptions.
Despite his past struggles with mental illness and wearing clothes that didnât fit properly, he paid no mind to what others thought of him.
Perhaps it wasnât rush hour, so the subway wasnât crowded. I left his embrace and leaned against a nearby pole.
Maybe I had gotten too worked up earlier, and I was feeling a bit lightheaded.
Like magic, Steven pulled out a lollipop from his pocket and placed it in my mouth before searching for a seat.
Finally, he spotted three vacant seats next to a middleâaged man. But the man was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed, occupying all three seats.
A young girl approached him. âSir, youâre taking up three seats by yourself. Can you give us one?â
She gestured toward me. âLook, this woman can barely stand.â
The man snorted. âI sat here first, so these are my seats! Mind your own business. And you, youâre dressed so indecently. I guess you arenât any good either.â
Without saying a word, Steven led me over and swiftly punched the man on the forehead. Instantly, the man collapsed to the ground.
Taken aback by Stevenâs brutality, I sat down nervously.
Steven then gentlemanly gestured to another seat for the young girl to take.
She sat down, admiring him and his appearance. âAre you a model? Youâre so handsomeâ¦â
Meanwhile, the man lay sprawled on the ground, pretending to be injured. âCall 911! My heart hurts!
He attacked me, you all saw it! Iâm calling the police!â