She just crushed her car on her own, and none of us three had any role in it," Ava says. "She was shouting at us to get out of the car like a madwoman," Ava continues, looking at Olivia and Sophia to gauge their reactions.
"Yes, yes," Sophia interrupts, "I have no idea what happened, she was shouting like a madwoman, I've never seen her like that before. I don't know why she did that, is she okay?" Sophia asks, looking at Jesse, but not getting a response, she continues, "I know we four don't talk that much, but we're not that bad, and then she suddenly does something like this and shocks all three of us. why she suddenly change? " Sophia spoke with a questioning gaze to Jesse's, but Jesse remained silent, not considering it necessary to respond. She simply stared, unsure of what to say.
Meanwhile, outside Sumi's room, Dezze was talking with the police. In contrast, Jesse was struggling to comprehend the situation. She couldn't fathom why Sumi, her intelligent and loyal manager, would suddenly behave in such a manner. Jesse found it difficult to believe, and her mind was filled with doubts.
It seemed that Olivia had become somewhat disturb by Jesse's silence so she broke the silence. "Amidst the partying, the three of us had forgotten to cut the cake on Sumi's birthday, which should have been the first gift. Perhaps this was the reason why Sumi felt lonely at the party. Although the four of us had danced together, Sumi was the only one who hadn't consumed alcohol. She knew she had to drive, but maybe she also abstained because she felt isolated. Before the accident, there were tears and anger in her eyes. She was telling herself that no one loved her."
Olivia continued, "Her sudden behavior shocked all three of us, but I'm not heartless. I can understand others' emotions." She glanced at Sophia and Ava one last time, noticing the pain and regret in their eyes. Both of them understood what Olivia was about to say, and both subtly shook their heads, signaling her not to speak. However, Olivia didn't remain silent.
"It's also possible that the tension between Sumi and us began with a fight earlier on," Olivia continued. "Ava had said something about Sumi's boss...I mean, your ex-husband, and also about your late father." paused, hesitant to speak further, realizing that if she continued, the situation might escalate. She could see the intensity in Jesse's eyes, a clear warning to stop.
Olivia cleared her throat, hesitating mid-sentence, and then fell silent, lacking the courage to continue. Jesse didn't press for further explanation either. Instead, she swiftly exited from the room, leaving Olivia and the others behind.
"What's wrong?" Dezze asked, approaching Jesse and noticing her sadness.
"Nothing," Jesse replied, still looking somber.
"If something's bothering you, you can tell me," Dezze said, her curiosity piqued.
Jesse letting out a sigh of relief instead. "I'll stay here with Manager Sumi tonight. You go get some rest. You have duty tomorrow,"
Dezze glancing at her watch, which read around 11:15 pm. "I can stay for a bit if you want," she offered, seeking permission, but secretly eager to stay.
"No need, I've got this," Jesse replied.
Dezze asked again, this time with a playful tone, "Really?"
Jesse smiled, expression softened. jesse knew that if she continued to look sad, Dezze might not be able to sleep that night. Jesse's smile put Dezze at ease, and she accepted that Jesse's was fine.
"Alright, I'll leave then," Dezze said, turning to go.
But Dezze's footsteps halted abruptly as she turned around to see Jesse still standing in the same spot, looking troubled. she wanted to help Jesse, but she knew that Jesse was the type of person who preferred to solve her own problems. but she suddenly wrapped her arms around Jesse, hugging her tightly, and stroking her hair. "Remember, no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you," said, her voice filled with emotion. Releasing Jesse from the hug, she gave her a final, reassuring look before turning to leave.
After Dezze left, Jesse put on a mask, hiding her true feelings.
A few minutes passed, and Sumi slowly opened her eyes, she feels pain her injuries head, hand, and feet. She was unable to move, but just then, Jesse silently entered the room, carrying a cake with three lit candles on top.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you." As soon as Jesse placed the cake in front of Sumi's face, she gestured with her eyes, signaling Sumi to blow out the candles.
"What's all this?" Sumi asked, her eyes welling up with tears, yet shining with happiness, like sunlight sparkling on water.
" let's cut the cake before your birthday ends. Then we can talk."
As the flickering candles cast a warm glow on Sumi's face, she exhaled a gentle breath, extinguishing the flames. Her eyes sparkled with gratitude as she clasped her hands together, her lips whispering a silent prayer. The room seemed to hold its breath as she opened her eyes, radiant with joy. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion. "Today has been an incredible day!"
Jesse's gaze narrowed, her eyes piercing with concern. A faint smile played on her lips, but her voice was laced with a hint of urgency. "It seems today is indeed your day... a day of triumph and turmoil. You bear the scars of a wound, yet it's a wound you've inflicted upon yourself. Why, Sumi?" Jesse's voice dropped to a whisper, her words dripping with empathy. "What demons haunt you, driving you to harm the very essence of your being?" The air was heavy with anticipation, as if the shadows themselves were waiting for Sumi's response.
"Today has indeed been a wonderful day for me, as I've received what I had wished for from within. I don't need anything else; this is the best thing that could have happened to me. When I leave here soon, I'll definitely come to the office. I'm resolute about my integrity, and I'll never compromise on it. As your manager, it's also my duty to take care of you." She spoke as if nothing was bothering her, focusing solely on her work. Her words didn't convey that something significant had happened to her, and she was now filled with regret. Instead, she behaved as if she was eager to leave the hospital and resume work, unaffected by what had transpired earlier.
Jesse was taken aback, witnessing this behavior for the first time. She was both surprised and concerned.
"By the way, someone threw a stone at the office at night, but I couldn't see who it was. her face was too unclear to make out their features. However, I instructed the security guards to investigate and review the CCTV footage. Perhaps they've already looked into it. If you'd like, you can keep this in mind when you start your duty again after discharge. Your first task will be to check the CCTV footage and provide me with detailed information on its placement throughout the office, including which areas are covered and which are not.
I must say, this is the first time our office has experienced such an attack. I'm curious to know who could have done this. However, I don't want to involve the police just yet, considering the ongoing issues in our company. Those five judges are already causing enough trouble. I'd like to handle this matter internally first, without police interference. I hope you understand what I'm saying."
Sumi listened intently, her eyes cast downward. jesse tried to read her expression, but sumi's gaze remained subdued.
Sumi slightly hid her face, as if trying to conceal her emotions. Her expression was puzzling, making it difficult to discern her feelings. Sumi picked up a slice of cake and extended her hand towards Jesse, offering her the cake. "Today is my birthday. Can you eat this?"
Jesse's voice trembled as she replied, "Y-yes, of course." Her hands shook as she reached out to take the cake from Sumi. But Sumi withdrew her hand "Can't you take it from my hands?" she asked, her face innocent and childlike. "It's my birthday today." She spoke with an endearing expression, like a puppy craving affection.
Jesse smiled faintly, though her actions seemed somewhat forced. Nevertheless, she ignored her reservations and eat a bite of the cake from Sumi's hand.
"thank you so much" sumi said. her happiness radiating unmistakably. Her euphoria knew no bounds, soaring to new heights. but Jesse felt a bit peculiar, but she knew that on someone's special day, they deserved special treatment. What's the point of a special day if it's not celebrated accordingly?
she was well aware of this, having same experienced it since childhood. If anyone had ever made her feel special, it was only Dezze. There was no one else in her life who could bring her joy. Perhaps this is why, despite separation with Dezze, she kept turning to Dezze, repeatedly glancing back at her.And perhaps she will continue to do so in the future as well.
Next Day,
Jesse and Mark are seated inside an investigation room, with a table between them. On the table, places a recording tape to captures every word. Mark begins, "Excuse me, Miss Jesse, I apologize for summoning you so suddenly, but I have some questions I need to ask. Are you prepared to proceed?"
As Jesse nods her head to indicate "yes", Mark asks his first question:
"Before Andi's death, you get permission to met him in jail and you did meet him. May I ask, what kind of conversation did you have with him during that meeting?"
"Actually, the only reason I went to meet him because that day his mother's death anniversary. Somewhere in my heart, I also wanted to tell him that today was his mother's death anniversary, so if he wanted, he could pay his respects to her with full devotion. But instead, he burst out laughing at me like a madman."
Mark, raising his eyebrows and narrowing his eyes, asks, "Why were he even laughing?"
"Because even then, he thought I couldn't forget him, which is why I went to meet him. But I got extremely angry. I couldn't understand why I was even talking to him. It was my last time to visiting him, and after that I definitely made up my mind that I would never meet him again."
Mark accepted this explanation without further questioning and moved on to his next query. "Did you notice anything unusual or strange about his behavior that day? Was he acting strangely or saying things that didn't make sense to you?"
"Looking back, I shouldn't have gone to see him, especially to tell him that it was his mother's death anniversary and that he could pray if he wanted to. That was my mistake. But I went anyway, and after seeing his behavior, my mood only worsened. I didn't feel like paying attention to what he was saying. Just being around him made me uncomfortable, and I wondered why I even bothered to act normally around him. Maybe it's because my lawyer told me to hide my weaknesses in front of him, or perhaps it's because people say to conceal your weaknesses when interacting with others. I'm not sure, but one thing that did come up was his mention of our mutual friend Erick during our conversation. Erick was a friend to both of us, and we all went to school together. Erick, Erick's wife Cristian - who has passed away, Andi and me - the four of us were quite close."
"What did he mention about Erick?" Mark asks, looking deeper into her eyes, his ears perked up to listen more intently.
"There was a lot of fighting between Erick and him in the prison. He would also say that Erick bullied him a lot. But I don't agree with that."
"Why do you think that?" Mark asks again.
"A person who can accuse their friend for such allegations, despite being guilty themselves, can never be truthful. Absolutely not. Even if the law may have wrongly convicted the innocent person and sentenced them to jail, you and the whole world know who the real culprit was. Yet, many people, perhaps including my late father, played a role in somehow hiding the truth from the world. (As she falls silent for a moment, she glances into Mark's eyes. Mark appears perplexed, struggling to comprehend the context of their conversation. However, she quickly steers the discussion back to the actual issue at hand.) What I meant to say is that Erick could never bullied Andi. Nothing like that happened to him in school, and I don't think it happened even in jail."
"Oh, (Mark replied) . I've heard that your office was attacked. Can you tell me more about it in detail?"
"I don't think there's a similarity between this case and the death of Andi , so I don't think I should be answering these questions." She wraps her arms around herself, as if trying to hide something within.
"Okay, I won't ask you any more questions because not everything can be forced out of someone. If you feel this is a personal matter, I'll find another way to handle it." Smirks and says, "Actually, I could have you summoned here right now, but I won't do that."
Jesse smiles enigmatically, her smile conveying a multitude of secrets that would be incomprehensible to anyone seeing her for the first time. Then she responds, " I hope you can catch the person behind the murder of Andi, the one who killed him." She flashes her sarcastic smile again and responds, "How ironic is it that you're trying to seek justice for someone who was already accused of sexual harassment, kidnapping, and murder. But I suppose that's the law for you, always providing justice to every individual, regardless of their guilt or not."
As she gets up from her chair and starts walking towards the exit, she stops after a few steps, turns around, and looks at Mark before saying...
"Hope your justice does work properly."