After I Died, the Scumbag Went Mad

Chapter 255: Chapter 254: Asher Wanted to Leave Me from the Very Beginning

Asher’s brows knitted together as he finally shot back, glaring angrily at Erin Whittaker. ”Is your brain filled with shit? Is that why you spew it every time you open your mouth? If you’re going to be that stupid, stop embarrassing yourself!”

Asher was furious. He hadn’t gotten angry when Lynn said he was in contact with people from the organization, but now that Erin Whittaker was claiming he had created me, he was livid. He felt she was insulting both his intelligence and his feelings.

Honestly, I had rarely seen Asher this furious. He was actually swearing.

He was usually the kind of person who wouldn’t say a single word if he could get away with it.

After being cursed at by Asher, Erin Whittaker’s face went deathly pale. ”It’s because I told the truth. I’ve struck a nerve, haven’t I...”

Asher couldn’t be bothered with Erin Whittaker anymore. Swearing at her was a waste of breath.

”The person who forced Silvia Lynch to imitate Cecilia Caldwell used a child as leverage. That child was taken by traffickers and is connected to a human trafficking case. That case is about to be solved, and when it is, the truth will be crystal clear.” Julian Fletcher’s hands clenched into fists. It was as if his brain had suddenly switched on as he glared at Asher with rage.

”Sebastian Lancaster, no matter how good your disguise is, you can’t hide forever. Sooner or later, I will rip that mask off you and expose your evil deeds for all to see.” Julian Fletcher was convinced that Asher was behind all of this.

Then, Julian Fletcher’s gaze fell on me. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

I ignored him, simply tightening my grip on Asher’s hand.

”Cece... you’ll regret this.” Julian Fletcher gave a bitter laugh. Standing in the rain, he cut a pathetic, laughable figure.

”Regret?” I shot back. ”In my memories, it was raining just like this on the day you abandoned Cecilia Caldwell at Nocturne, leaving her to be tormented and humiliated by those people. It was raining just like this when those vagrants dragged her into an alley, about to devour her like demons.”

”You ask why I choose to believe Asher instead of you, but you’ve already answered your own question, haven’t you?” I looked at Julian Fletcher and spoke again. ”You say I’ll regret this. Well, Julian Fletcher, do you regret how you treated Cecilia Caldwell back then?”

’When she was crying and struggling and screaming for help in that alley, it was Asher who fought those men off...’

’The one who was always silently protecting me from the shadows was never Julian Fletcher.’

’Even if I’ve chosen wrong, I’m willing to accept the consequences.’

’I’m willing to lose myself for the one who loves me...’

”He doesn’t love you... He’s just like you, he doesn’t even know what love is! It’s all an act, he’s faking his devotion... Cece... You can’t condemn me completely just because I made a mistake... I have a heart, too, I just don’t know how to show it... At least I would never lie to you, or hurt you, or use you... Our issues were always just about our feelings for each other, there was never anything else mixed in...”

Julian Fletcher’s explanation was weak, his eyes bloodshot. ”Cece... if a person makes a mistake, do they... do they really not deserve to ever be forgiven? Do I really not deserve... for you to trust me, just one more time?”

I fell silent, lowered my head, and said nothing.

”Julian Fletcher... you’re just deluding yourself, too.” From inside the car, Erin Whittaker let out a mocking laugh. ”No matter what evidence I present to prove she’s not Cecilia Caldwell at all—that she’s just Silvia Lynch with Cecilia’s memories—you still refuse to trust me, don’t you...”

”You’re all deluding yourselves, arrogantly assuming she’s Cecilia Caldwell. Too bad! Cecilia Caldwell is already dead, and dead people can’t come back to life! That’s the truth!” Erin Whittaker started frantically beating the car seat and tearing at her hair like a madwoman. ”You don’t believe me either, do you? You used to say you’d treat me well for the rest of our lives! You said you’d marry me...”

”Julian Fletcher... you’d rather tell a puppet you love her than keep your promise to me.” Erin Whittaker was still wailing, as if something had snapped inside her.

Julian Fletcher stood dejectedly in the rain.

’He must be in agony right now...’

’He must feel trapped, with no good way out.’

’But he’s the one who created this situation for himself.’

’On one hand, he’s lenient with Erin Whittaker because of some supposed debt of gratitude, and on the other, he’s crying about how he regrets everything and that Cecilia Caldwell was his true love.’

’The human heart is the most complex and fickle thing.’

’We can’t judge its truth or falsehood; things just change with time.’

”You’ll regret this...” In the rain, Lynn trembled as she clenched her fists, her gaze fixed desolately on Asher.

Asher said nothing, only pulled me tighter into his embrace.

Julian Fletcher turned, opened the car door, and let Lynn get in.

After getting in the car, Lynn’s eyes remained fixed on Asher.

’A woman’s intuition is usually sharp. Even though Lynn was only an eighteen-year-old girl, she seemed to have an undisguised adoration for Asher.’

’She must have a crush on him.’

’She clearly likes Asher, but she wanted to take me away... What on earth did she mean by that?’

”Cece, let’s go home.” Asher took my hand and led me away.

”Only... qualified people can get into the organization. The hypotheses and propositions I put forward... they considered me a madman, but they were exactly what the organization wanted, what they were interested in...” He began explaining on his own, before I even had a chance to ask.

”Lynn is Victor Quinn’s daughter. I’ve always known... that’s why I wanted to use her to keep Victor Quinn in check.” Asher looked at me and continued, ”She has autism, but with Victor Quinn’s treatment and guidance, she’s able to integrate into normal society, even if she still doesn’t quite fit in.”

”Many children with autism have extraordinary talents. Lynn’s talent is drawing,” Asher said softly, taking a towel to dry my soaking hair. ”Anything she sees, even just for a moment—an object, a person, a building—she can recreate it perfectly, with incredible accuracy.”

”She likes you,” I said softly, looking down.

I wasn’t interested in Lynn’s talent. ”You know what I want to know.”

’I didn’t want to know about Lynn’s drawing ability; I wanted to know the meaning behind her words.’

’Why did she want to take me away from Asher? And what did she mean by repeating, ’You’ll regret this’?’

”To throw yourself into the game is to walk into a death trap,” Asher said, picking up a hairdryer to dry my hair. ”I would do anything for you, even if it means dying in the end.”

The hairdryer was loud, but I still heard what he said.

I grabbed Asher’s hand and switched off the hairdryer. ”You got into the organization by posing as a genius... are you trying to find the person behind it? What exactly is your plan?”

Asher looked at me in silence, still not saying a word.

’He wasn’t going to tell me his plan.’

’Because his plan was a death trap. One he wouldn’t survive.’

’And I would definitely lose him.’

I gripped Asher’s clothes tightly, my whole body trembling. ”If you die... how am I supposed to... live on my own?”

Asher wrapped his arms around me, patting my back. ”Cece, no matter who leaves whom, life goes on.”

”So, you’re going to leave me, aren’t you?” I clutched onto Asher desperately. ”We promised we’d be together...”

”Don’t let your imagination run wild. I’m not going to leave you.” Asher was still trying to placate me with lies.