Yasminâs face turned pale. She had been trying so hard to climb the social ladder by clinging to Michael, but now, everything was ruined?
âMike, you promised meâ¦â Yasmin said with red eyes, Michael remained silent and didnât explain.
I tried hard to break free from Michaelâs grip, but he refused to let go. âStephanle, whether you can attend tomorrowâs charity banquet and meet the president of Crowdstar Group depends on how cooperative you are today.â
Sure enough, he didnât have that much patience. âWho else can take you to the charity banquet besides me?â
I looked at Michael. âSo what? Are you going to take both of us? Not a chance.â
Michaelâs grip on my wrist tightened. âIâll take you.â
Yasmin cried and ran away.
I sneered. âIâm really not interested.â
âDo you have any other choice?â Michael asked me.
To be honest, I really didnât have any other choice.
âAlright, Mr. Ford. What are the conditions for taking me there?â I looked at Michael. He wouldnât be so kind as to just take me there.
âDonât have this attitude toward me, Stephieâ¦â Michael begged me.
âWhat attitude should I have toward you?â
âCan we be like before?â Michael pleaded.
âYou want me to please you like before?â I laughed. âAlright, keep on dreaming.â
I pushed Michaelâs hand away and turned to leave.
Before doing anything, we had to always leave a way out for ourselvesâ¦
Michael had already blocked all his paths to me in the past.
I went back to my room and continued reading my parentsâ diary on my bed.
âToday, Stephie fit in with the other kids like a regular child. Itâs great to see her so happy.
âHere is Stephieâs first group photo.
âStephie and Georgie.
âStephie and Georgle are becoming closer. Georgle only listens to Stephie now.
âA child purposely brought a fierce dog, frightening Stephie. Georgle got injured while trying to protect Stephie.â
Most of the diary entries detalled the daily lives of Georgie and me growing up.
âToday, Stephie hid in the orphanage. Her dad couldnât find her and was very anxious. This mischievous girl makes us so worried.
âStephie made a friend!â
I could tell that my parents were very happy back then.
In the photograph, young Steven, Simeon, and I were on the playground, crouching in the bushes.
We seemed to be up to something.
âStephie, earthworms can regrow if cut in half. Why canât people do the same?â
âWhen people die, theyâre really gone.â
âWhat about souls? Could they exist in other forms? Could we capture them with calculations and then⦠put them into new bodies?â
Suddenly, my head started hurting again. A voice exploded in my mind.
Who brought up this topic?
Was it Steven?
Just then, someone knocked fiercely on the door.
âStephany! Come out!â It was Yasmin.
Michael must have gone out. Otherwise, Yasmin wouldnât be so bold.
I didnât want to deal with Stephany. My head ached, so I lay on my bed, trying to remember something.
Suddenly, the window moved, and the curtain blew in the wind.
Instinctively, I looked up and saw a halfâhidden head with big, innocent, and aggrieved eyes staring at me.
âStephieâ¦â
My heart tightened like an electric shock. I stood up quickly, rubbing my eyes.
Was it just my imagination?