Novel Squares
Chapter 618
Chapter 618
"I want to pull you down into the abyss with me. I want you covered in mud, so when everyone else turns their back on you, you'll have no choice but to stay with me..."
Chloe sat bolt upright, her body tense as a bowstring. It felt like her blood had turned to ice. Her face didn't give anything away, but inside, a storm was brewing.
She had run through countless scenarios in her mind. Maybe Linda hated her, wanted to make her suffer, couldn't bear to let her die, felt guilty, or was clinging to some last shred of decency. Or perhaps Linda was just acting on a whim, or she had truly lost her mind. But in all her musings, Chloe had never imagined that Linda might actually love her.
Love... really?
Seeing Chloe sitting so primly, Linda's lips curled into a wry smile. It was almost like she was mocking herself, "Chloe, did I scare you?"
Chloe turned, locking eyes with Linda, confusion written all over her face. She couldn't wrap her head around the things Linda had done in the name of love. This whole idea of dragging her into the abyss-what was that about? In Chloe's world, love meant responsibility, fulfillment, sacrifice, and wanting the other person to be happy.
"I don't get you," Chloe said, her voice flat.
Linda's eyes seemed to lose a bit of their shine. "Chloe, do you think I'm disgusting and awful now?"
Chloe finally snapped back to reality. After a moment of silence, she replied, "I don't. There's all sorts of love in this world, each with its own logic. But I think you're too extreme. You call it love, but all you do is hurt the other person. That's not love; it's selfishness."
Linda paused, then chuckled, "Yeah, I am selfish. My life has been so empty that when you came along, I just wanted to hold onto you for dear life. Remember that movie we watched together, 'The Shawshank Redemption"?"This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
"There's this line that stuck with me."
"After Andy makes his escape, Red talks about how some birds aren't meant to be caged because their feathers are just too bright. Keeping them locked up feels like a crime: When they fly away, you truly cheer for their freedom, but you're left here, stuck in the drabness..."
"Every time see that part, I end up in tears. Kthought about letting you go, genuinely wishing you well, but I can't bring myself to do it, because my life is so bleak and shadowy. I crave a ray of sunshine."
Linda's voice softened: "I could've endured the monotony, the darkness, and the storms if you had never crossed my path."
Suddenly, Linda was racked by a violent cough. Her face changed color dramatically, and the machines around her started blaring alarms. Chloe was startled and moved to get up.
"Don't leave, Chloe, let me finish."
"We've got time later."
But Linda held onto Chloe's hand, "Chloe, I'm dying, I know it. Please, let me finish, okay?"
Chloe glanced at the blood on the
pillow, horrified. She wanted to press the call button, but Linda clung to her arm with surprising strength, even trying to sit up.
Chloe quickly helped her lie back down, "Linda, don't move, or your wound will open. I don't have enough blood to save you again."