Chapter 118: Cecilia Caldwell Recovered Her Memory?

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Cecilia Caldwell Recovered Her Memory?

’If my suspicion that Asher and I knew each other was just a guess before, now it’s practically a certainty.’

’I didn’t just know Asher; I even knew Charlie.’

For Charlie’s sister to hang this photo in such a prominent place, it must mean the relationship between Asher, Charlie, and me was something special.

"The three of them... what was their relationship?" I asked, turning to look at Peach.

She shrank back in fear, murmuring softly. "My brother’s... friends."

My gaze fell on Asher’s picture, and I stared for a long, long time.

The younger Asher was even more aloof and proud than he is now, possessing the particular detachment of a genius, yet his eyes were like those of a shy fawn, always darting away.

"The police have probably already spoken to you, haven’t they?" I asked quietly, turning back to her.

’The police must have questioned her immediately. The only reason they didn’t take her into custody is that they must not have enough evidence.’

’Or maybe they have evidence that clears her.’

"She deserved to die..." Peach mumbled, hugging her legs. "She deserved to die. She was the worst..."

"Did you tell Tiger to kill Erin Whittaker?" I walked to the side of the bed and asked.

"Yes... I did." Peach looked dazed, and it was obvious she had some sort of intellectual disability.

And yet, she admitted to it.

She would admit to anything you asked her.

’The police probably couldn’t do anything with her either.’

"The chemical Tiger used was lethal. Where did you get it?" I asked again.

Peach looked up at me. "Paraquat... for killing pests. Pests."

Peach took the blame for everything, but with her congenital intellectual disability, a lack of evidence, and no legal guardian, it seemed the police’s lead had hit another dead end with her.

"Who gave you the paraquat?" I asked Peach.

"Paraquat, no cure. Once it’s in the blood, there’s no cure... The body will slowly break down. She’ll be conscious... then die." Peach raised her hands to her head, mumbling softly, as if she were repeating words someone had told her.

’Clearly, this was incitement to murder.’

’Someone had incited Peach, bribed Tiger, and sent him to kill Erin Whittaker.’

"Who told you all this?" ’Peach is intellectually disabled. How could she possibly know that once paraquat enters the bloodstream, it’s a death sentence? And that... paraquat gives its victims time to suffer and regret, but never a chance to live.’

’Almost no one survives after ingesting paraquat.’

’Once that paraquat entered Erin Whittaker’s body through the IV drip, her blood would be quickly contaminated, and her internal organs would slowly fibrose until she couldn’t breathe, suffering until she died.’

Peach just kept shaking her head. "It was me. It was me."

She refused to name the person who had put her up to it.

I didn’t press her further. ’If the police couldn’t get it out of her, I certainly couldn’t either. I’ll just have to keep an eye on her and find the answers myself.’

"Peach." I turned and pointed to the photograph. "Can you tell me about the three people in this picture?"

"Charlie." Peach seemed eager to share, no longer afraid. She quickly got out of bed and ran to the photo. "Asher, and this is..."

Peach pointed excitedly to the ’Cecilia Caldwell’ in the red dress in the middle, then looked at me, puzzled for a long moment. "It’s you."

My heart skipped a beat. I looked at Peach in shock. "No, you’re mistaken. We just look alike."

Peach shook her head, confused. "I remember you... It is you. Charlie said he didn’t like you one bit. You were always trying to steal Asher from him."

My nerves tensed. "I... tried to steal Asher from him?"

"Asher was Charlie’s best friend. Asher was always with Charlie. They both got into the gifted class together... but Asher would always ditch Charlie to go find you. Charlie wanted to tag along, but Asher wouldn’t let him." Peach’s voice was sad. "Charlie was so hurt. He held me and cried for a long time. He said you and Asher didn’t want him anymore."

Suddenly, Peach looked up at me, her expression turning angry. "Why did you have to take Asher away? Why did you take him away and not cherish him? Why did you have to hurt them... You’re the one who deserves to die!"

I was startled by Peach and backed away quickly.

I hadn’t expected her to be so strong. She suddenly charged and shoved me.

I lost my balance and fell backward.

My head hit Peach’s little stool, and my vision went black.

"It was you who destroyed them! You destroyed them! You stole Asher from Charlie, and then you abandoned him! You’re horrible!"

In a daze, I could still hear Peach’s sobs.

"My name is Cece. What’s your name?"

"Are you hurt?"

In my mind, long-buried memories slowly began to surface.

On the lawn behind the orphanage, a skinny, mixed-race little boy covered in injuries was hiding in a corner.

The little girl in the red dress found him and took a bandage out of her small purse. "Does it hurt?"

The little boy shook his head blankly.

"Little half-breed, blue eyes! He doesn’t cry or laugh, so it can’t hurt!"

A group of children from the orphanage were laughing and shouting as they threw stones at Asher.

They called the little boy a half-breed because he had a pair of unusually beautiful eyes, like stars in the sky.

"Who are you calling a half-breed?!" The little girl in the red dress angrily stood in front of the boy, picking up a stone from the ground. "If you bully him again, I’ll hit you!"

"Who are you? Are you new here? Don’t you know the rules of the orphanage?"

"Look at the dress she’s wearing. It’s so pretty."

"It’s new!"

"If we take her dress, it’ll be ours."

The girls wanted the little girl’s red dress, so they ordered the few boys with them to tear it off her.

The little girl stood there and started to cry.

Seeing the little girl cry, the little boy suddenly snapped. He picked up a stone, tackled one of the other boys, and slammed it into his head again and again.

The little girl in the red dress was terrified and screamed, "Daddy! Daddy!"

Daddy...

A figure in the distance drew closer, and the faces of everyone in the memory became clear.

The little girl in the red dress was me as a child.

The little boy who hit the other kid was Asher.

And running toward us from the distance was my dad, along with the orphanage director and the others.

"What’s going on here!" Asher was put in solitary confinement, the director telling him to face the wall and reflect on his actions.

The girls who had been bullying us said they liked my dress, so my dad promised to bring one for each of them the next time he came.

My dad carried me away. As we were leaving, I saw a young boy hiding by the window, watching me.

It was Asher. I could never mistake those eyes.

’So it’s true. I really did know Asher a long time ago.’

’But I’d forgotten that memory.’

"Asher, I like you... but I have to study for my college entrance exams. After I graduate, let’s be together."

"Asher... can you wait for me?"

Asher.

Asher...

"Cece!"

The door burst open. I heard familiar voices—it was Madeline Quinn and Zeke Shaw. And it sounded like... Julian Fletcher was there too.

’Wasn’t he supposed to be in custody? How did he get out...’

"What did you do to her?" Madeline Quinn shouted at Peach, telling Zeke Shaw to call an ambulance.

"Cecilia Caldwell. She’s Cecilia Caldwell. That’s who she is." Peach cowered in the corner, tilting her head and pointing at me. "I’m not mistaken. She is Cecilia Caldwell."

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Peach asked Zeke Shaw and Julian Fletcher, her voice wild.

"Her lingering spirit... She’s back. She came back to fight Charlie for Asher."

Julian Fletcher’s face was pale as he held me. "I’m taking her to the hospital!"

"Cece, you’re going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you."

In my haze, I heard Julian Fletcher’s voice. It sounded like he was crying.

"I won’t let anything happen to you again, I swear..."

"I’m sorry, Cece... I’m so sorry."

"I like you..." My consciousness was drifting. I had no idea what I was saying.

Julian Fletcher’s body stiffened as he strained to hear what I was saying.

He seemed desperate to hear the answer he wanted.

"Asher..."

But I had called out Asher’s name.