After I Died, the Scumbag Went Mad

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Julian Fletcher Is a Waste of Air

”Julian Fletcher! Don’t you touch her!” Madeline Quinn tried to snatch me from Julian Fletcher’s arms, but she was afraid of hurting me.

On the way to the hospital, Madeline Quinn cursed out Julian Fletcher non-stop.

”You’re just a piece of scum. Your very existence is a waste of air.”

”Julian Fletcher, why don’t you just die? Didn’t you say you were going to be buried with Cece? So just die!”

”Julian Fletcher, even your death would be a waste of land. Get Cece’s headstone changed! You think you’re worthy of having her as your wife...?”

”You’re so shameless.”

The whole way there, Madeline Quinn’s mouth never stopped moving.

I had to admit, she was saying everything I wanted to say. It was incredibly satisfying to listen to.

I tried hard to wake up, desperate to see Asher.

”Mr. Fletcher, you’re currently out on bail. I suggest you don’t go running around,” Zeke Shaw also warned Julian Fletcher.

Julian Fletcher was silent for a long time before finally speaking. ”She’s Cece, isn’t she...?”

Madeline Quinn froze for a moment, her expression darkening. ”Julian Fletcher, have you lost your mind? When Cece first passed, they said you’d gone crazy, and I didn’t believe it. Now I see you really are.”

”You know... that she’s Cece,” Julian Fletcher asked Madeline Quinn, his eyes bloodshot.

Madeline Quinn seemed a little flustered. ”I think you’ve really gone mad...”

”It doesn’t matter if she’s Cece or not. She has to be mine.” Julian Fletcher’s voice was low, hoarse, and tinged with ruthlessness. ”I won’t let her get near that madman Sebastian Lancaster again.”

”Sebastian Lancaster seems perfectly normal to me. You, on the other hand, look like the madman,” Madeline Quinn retorted, then muttered quietly to Zeke Shaw, ”He was in custody for a few days, how did he get even crazier? Did you guys brainwash him?”

”Who knows? He went on a hunger strike in there just to get bail,” Zeke Shaw murmured.

...

The doctor gave me a full examination and said there was nothing wrong with me.

But for some reason, I just couldn’t wake up.

’My consciousness was perfectly clear, and I was trying so hard to open my eyes, but for a moment, it felt like this body wasn’t under my control.’

’A strange panic seized me. I desperately tried to open my eyes, but I just couldn’t wake up.’

’The feeling was a bit like sleep paralysis.’

”Nothing wrong with her? Then why hasn’t she woken up?” Julian Fletcher asked the doctor nervously.

”Perhaps she’s just exhausted. Let’s keep her under observation.”

”Asher...” I cried out his name in my panic.

’Why can’t I wake up?’

”Asher...”

’I remember now. I remember meeting Asher when I was a child.’

’We met at the orphanage.’

’For my sake, Asher beat up a boy who was bullying me. Afterward, the director locked him up.’

’And after that?’

’I can’t remember anything that happened after that.’

’My memories are fragmented. Right now, the only complete memory I can piece together is the scene of when Asher and I first met.’

’The photo at Peach’s house also showed that Asher and I met when we were eight or nine and stayed close all through our teenage years.’

’But why did I only forget the memories of the orphanage after the car accident?’

’Why did I only forget Asher, Charlie, and everything about the orphanage?’

”Asher...”

I kept calling Asher’s name.

A voice was telling me: ’Asher is waiting for you. He has always been waiting for you.’

”Asher!” Perhaps because I was so desperate to wake up, I suddenly broke free from some invisible restraint and my eyes flew open.

”Cece...” Julian Fletcher was the first to rush over, calling out ”Cece” in a panic.

I ignored Julian Fletcher, got out of bed, and tried to run out the door.

’Asher is waiting for me.’

”Cece.” Madeline Quinn was just coming back with the test results as I was running out.

”Cece?” Madeline Quinn tried to follow me.

I ran frantically out of the hospital and hailed a cab to go back to the Lancaster residence to see Asher.

’I don’t know why I wanted to see him so badly.’

’Now I know that I have indeed lost some memories, and they’re slowly coming back.’

”She’s Cece, isn’t she...” Madeline Quinn stood not far from me, watching me hail the cab.

Zeke Shaw ran out after them, breathing a sigh of relief. ”Just let her be. The doctor said she’s fine, and the baby is fine too.”

Madeline Quinn looked down, her eyes reddening. ”If she really is Cece, will she blame me for not recognizing her at first?”

Zeke Shaw sighed, then glanced at the dark-eyed Julian Fletcher. ”I think you’re both crazy.”

Madeline Quinn lowered her head, clenching her fists. ”Is it possible... that some things can’t be explained by the science we’ve learned...”

Zeke Shaw’s phone rang, and he stepped aside to answer it.

”I’ll give you a ride.” I couldn’t get a taxi by the roadside, and Julian Fletcher came over, his voice hoarse, offering to drive me.

I ignored Julian Fletcher. Right now, all I wanted was to get back to the Lancaster residence and see Asher.

’To tell him I’m sorry...’

’It seems I really did forget him.’

’But I’m trying so hard to remember, to recall all the memories between us.’

”Silvia Lynch...” Seeing that I was about to run again, Julian Fletcher reached out and grabbed my wrist. ”Snap out of it!”

”Get off me!” I forcefully threw off Julian Fletcher’s arm, my eyes filled with disgust and hatred.

Julian Fletcher stood frozen, staring at me for a long time.

”Cece...” I finally managed to get a taxi. Before I got in, he called my name.

”Cece... it’s you, isn’t it?” Julian Fletcher rushed forward, pounding on the car door.

I gave the driver a cold look. ”Drive.”

Julian Fletcher chased after the car for a few steps before stopping, his figure looking desolate as he stood there.

”Cecilia Caldwell!” Julian Fletcher shouted my name. ”Come back, I’m begging you...”

”Stop acting! Who are you trying to fool? Do you really think this is some novel where people get reincarnated? You’ve lost your mind! Let me tell you, Cecilia Caldwell is dead. You killed her! And your child with her,” Madeline Quinn continued to provoke him. ”Why don’t you just die, Julian Fletcher?”

”You think I haven’t tried to die?!” Julian Fletcher yelled at Madeline Quinn, his voice trembling.

I glanced at them in the rearview mirror until their voices faded into the distance.

Belated affection is as worthless as dirt. I couldn’t care less about Julian Fletcher’s tardy repentance.

...

「The Lancaster Residence.」

I scrambled out of the car and looked everywhere for Asher. ”Asher...”

”Hasn’t Sebastian Lancaster come back yet?” I asked Mrs. Wright, grabbing her arm nervously.

Mrs. Wright shook her head. ”The young master won’t be back today.”

’I suddenly started to panic. Was it because I didn’t eat the little cake today? Did that upset him?’

”Assistant Foster, where’s Asher... I want to see him.” I called Owen Foster; he would definitely know.

Assistant Foster was silent for a moment before speaking. ”Ma’am, you should get some rest. Let the young master have some time to himself today.”

”I want to see him!” My voice was firm.

’I want to see him...’

’A voice in my head kept repeating: Go see him. He’s been waiting for you for a long time.’

”Alright, I’ll be at the Lancaster residence to pick you up right away.”

Assistant Foster arrived in twenty minutes. I had been waiting anxiously at the door the whole time.

’I finally understood what it felt like to wait. Every day felt like a year, every second an eternity...’

’When you’re waiting, all your emotions get magnified—anxiety, panic, fear...’

’Over and over, my mind replayed my first meeting with Asher as a child.’

’The bond between us couldn’t be that simple.’

’Otherwise, Charlie wouldn’t have been so jealous of me.’

”Where did Asher go?” I asked Assistant Foster impatiently as soon as I got in the car.

”The young master has his own secret hideout. It’s a house he bought with the money he saved up... from scholarships since he entered the gifted program, prize money from competitions, rewards from Mr. Marcus Lancaster, and money he earned himself. He said the Lancaster estate isn’t his home, that he wanted a home of his own. It was a promise he once made to the person he loves.”

”Did he go there to hide from me?” I asked nervously.

”No...” Assistant Foster hesitated, then spoke after a long pause. ”The young master doesn’t just have self-harming tendencies; he’s also suicidal. After Miss Cecilia Caldwell died, he attempted suicide many times. Then... you appeared. We all thought you were his salvation, that he would get better.”

My heart felt like it had been viciously stabbed.

”He said that you can start over after death, that he wanted to go back to the place where they first met.”

”He’s afraid he’ll scare you if he self-harms again, so he’s hiding in a place he considers safe...”