Chapter 524


    My mother''s silence had me even more worried. While nervously asking if she was still on the line, I


    was genuinely concerned about her health bingpromised as a result of her inability to handle


    this news.


    “I''m still here. Oh, Jte... my poor child. How could such a thing have happened to her?”


    She started to choke up as she spoke. It was understandably upsetting for her as a mother to learn of


    the tragic fate that befell her own daughter.


    “What''s happened has happened, so you should restrain your grief. Having just been discharged and


    have yet to fully recover, you need to be more mindful of your own health.


    Feeling no less disturbed by it as well, I was able to empathize with what she was going through.


    However, my concerns, at present, rested more on her physical well-being.


    “Where is Jte? How is she now? With everything that has transpired, why is it that she had told me


    nothing about it? This girl is really getting me worried sick.”


    Her voice quivered while she rattled off a string of questions pertaining to her daughter.


    “Emotionally, Jte isn''t very stable right now. I was the one who decided to withhold it from you as


    you were still in the hospital when this all went down. I chose not to tell you as I was worried that you


    might not be able to cope.”


    That was all that I could have said about Jte''s situation.


    “Where is she now? I want to see her. She needs someone to keep herpany.”


    “Okay. I''ll drive you over to see her in a bit.”


    Even though we were both her daughters, I could sense that the extent of her affinity for Jte was


    much greater inparison. Her sentiments toward me had been mostly rooted in guilt, whereas what


    she felt toward Jte was borne of genuine affection.


    This sentiment was hard for me to contend with, but now was not the time to wrangle over such things;


    Jte was in a position of vulnerability, and in much need of care.


    After we drove over to the house in Birchwood, I did not see Jte after we entered. That left me


    quite confounded.


    Whenever I came by these past two days, I could always find Jte seated on the couch in the living


    room, unspeaking and doing nothing else in particr. Her absence at the moment got me somewhat


    fretful.


    “Where''s Jte? Didn''t you say that she''s here?”


    My mother''s silence had me even more worried. While nervously asking if she was still on the line, I


    was genuinely concerned about her health bingpromised as a result of her inability to handle


    this news.


    My mothar''s snca had ma avan mora worriad. Wh narvously asking if sha was still on tha lina, I


    was ganuinaly concarnad about har haalth bingpromisad as a rasult of har inability to han


    this naws. Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    “I''m still hara. Oh, Janatta... my poor child. How could such a thing hava happanad to har?”


    Sha startad to choka up as sha spoka. It was undarstandably upsatting for har as a mothar toarn of


    tha tragic fata that bafall har own daughtar.


    “What''s happanad has happanad, so you should rastrain your griaf. Having just baan dischargad and


    hava yat to fully racovar, you naad to ba mora mindful of your own haalth.


    Faaling noss disturbad by it as wall, I was a to ampathiza with what sha was going through.


    Howavar, my concarns, at prasant, rastad mora on har physical wall-baing.


    “Whara is Janatta? How is sha now? With avarything that has transpirad, why is it that sha had told ma


    nothing about it? This girl is raally gatting ma worriad sick.”


    Har voica quivarad wh sha ratd off a string of quastions partaining to har daughtar.


    “Emotionally, Janatta isn''t vary sta right now. I was tha ona who dacidad to withhold it from you as


    you wara still in tha hospital whan this all want down. I chosa not to tall you as I was worriad that you


    might not ba a to copa.”


    That was all that I could hava said about Janatta''s situation.


    “Whara is sha now? I want to saa har. Sha naads somaona to kaap harpany.”


    “Okay. I''ll driva you ovar to saa har in a bit.”


    Evan though wa wara both har daughtars, I could sansa that tha axtant of har affinity for Janatta was


    much graatar inparison. Har santimants toward ma had baan mostly rootad in guilt, wharaas what


    sha falt toward Janatta was borna of ganuina affaction.


    This santimant was hard for ma to contand with, but now was not tha tima to wran ovar such things;


    Janatta was in a position of vulnarability, and in much naad of cara.


    Aftar wa drova ovar to tha housa in Birchwood, I did not saa Janatta aftar wa antarad. Thatft ma


    quita confoundad.


    Whanavar I cama by thasa past two days, I could always find Janatta saatad on tha couch in tha living


    room, unspaaking and doing nothing alsa in particr. Har absanca at tha momant got ma somawhat


    fratful.


    “Whara''s Janatta? Didn''t you say that sha''s hara?”


    Turning around to regard me, Alicia sounded even more anxious when she was unable to catch a


    glimpse of Jte either.


    “Stay calm. I''m going to check in the bedroom. Maybe she had been tired out over these past couple of


    days, and went in to take a rest.”


    With burgeoning disquietude, I picked up my pace and made my way to the bedroom. The sheets on


    the bed remained pristine and tidy. It was evident that no one had slept in it. Frantically, I looked


    everywhere, even in the washroom. Finally, I spotted a figure standing on the balcony.


    My heart sank when I ascertained that it was Jte. Ill at ease, I hastened toward her.


    “What are you doing, Jte? Don''t you know that that''s dangerous?”


    Jte stood over at the balcony with her eyes cast out into the distance, and I was seriously afraid


    that she might decide to jump down from there outright. As we were on the tenth floor, there was going


    to be little to no chance that she would survive the plunge if she really went for it.


    As though oblivious to my voice, she continued to stare vacuously into the horizon. Drawn to the


    commotion, Alicia had also hurried over by this time. She got herself quite a fright when she saw


    Jte in such a precarious position.


    “What are you standing there for, Jte? Pleasee back in. It''s dangerous out there!”


    She regarded Jte with a bundle of nerves as she spoke, and I saw that her body was trembling


    ever so subtly in the throes of fear.


    It was only upon hearing her voice that Jte turned this way, and the moment she saw her mother,


    she burst into tears.


    “I feel horrible. Mom... every minute that I draw breath feels excruciating. Do you think I''d be able to


    find relief by jumping down from here?”


    Bereft of expressiveness, Jte looked at Alicia as she said these with impassivity. Therein, I was


    able to hear the despair in her voice.


    “What are you talking about, Jte? Being as young as you are, you would be able to get through


    this, no matter what. Plus, you still have me. What am I to do if you were to jump down from here? Do


    you mean for me to join you?”


    Alicia''s tears fell like beads untethered from their string. The pain was palpable upon her face while she


    regarded Jte with tremendous sadness.


    “Did you know what I went through that night, Mom? How could I bear this stain for the rest of my life?


    How could I face other people from here on out? What would they think of me...”


    “Listen to me, Jte. You will get through this, so don''t do anything silly! If anything were to happen to


    you, I wouldn''t want to carry on living either!”


    Alicia approached Jte with tears welling in her eyes.


    “How could I get past this? How could I face anyone in the future? What man would ever want me? I


    feel so dirty, and I don''t know what to do with myself. Whenever I close my eyes, all I see are the


    images of those men tearing at my clothes. It hurts. It hurts so much...” Jte shuffled backward while


    she cried in anguish.


    My chest tightened as I witnessed this. Jte was just a few steps away from the edge and if she


    really wanted to jump, there was nothing we could do to stop her.


    That was when I heard the sound of the door outside opening. Shortly after, Michael''s silhouette came


    into view.


    “Aren''t you supposed to be in the office? What are you doing here?”


    Surprised at his unexpected presence, I could not help but ask.


    “With everything that is going down, would you have been able to handle it by yourself without me?”


    Michael kept his eyes focused on Jte while he spoke, and with his pretty lips tightly pursed, it was


    not hard to tell that he was simrly a little nervous, just as we were.


    “What should we do now? Jte''s in a bad ce, and she isn''t budging no matter what we tell her.


    I''m really afraid that things could spiral out of control should this persist.”


    Jte''s present state of mind got all of us jittery.


    When Michael heard what I said, he furrowed his brows slightly and began to walk toward Jte.


    “Aren''t you standing there because you want to jump? If so, stop wasting time here. Just go ahead and


    do it.” Michael regarded Jte coldly. If he was tensed up, it did not show.


    All of us present were shocked at his words. Even I was a little confused, unable to figure out what he


    was thinking. With the situation being as dire as it was, how could he go on agitating Jte like this?


    What if she really decided to go for it?


    Alicia looked upon him, noticeably upset. However, considering the circumstances at present, she held


    her tongue. I could nheless see the displeasure in her eyes.