Every time I had nightmares, I dreamed of that evening. I kept thinking that if I'd saved Mina then, none of this would have happened.
But. There were no more "ifs."
9
It was dark before Mina came back to the dorm.
I hid under my covers, watching her through a narrow gap.
Her eyes were bloodshot. The first thing she did was strip off her clothes and take a scalding shower.
Then, without a word, she climbed into bed, pulled the covers over her head, and called Linden in a hushed voice.
I could hear her forcing calm into her tone. It was pitiful—she was still pretending nothing had happened.
After that, for the entire summer break, Mina never left the dorm again.
I could always hear her crying in the bathroom, sobbing softly.
But I was also worried—had Mina recognized my voice that day?
Every time I had nightmares, Mina was barely clothed, grabbing my sleeve in the dream, asking why I didn't take her with me.
I was tormented night after night, unable to sleep. Mina grew more and more withdrawn.
She was only twenty-one.
But she looked like a walking corpse—haggard beyond recognition.
Her condition meant she couldn't possibly compete with me for the study-abroad spot anymore...
10
"Did you really never consider going to the police?"
Detective Shaw frowned, interrupting me for the first time.
I smiled bitterly and shook my head. "I didn't dare."
"Why?"
"Cade was a madman—clinically insane." I couldn't help rubbing my temples.
Recalling all this was making my head feel like it might explode. "Cade used his position to access every student's file. He threatened that if Mina went to the police, he'd kill her entire family. Plus, Mina's family lived close by."
Detective Shaw's brow didn't relax—if anything, it furrowed deeper.
He tapped the table and said slowly, "But according to your account, you kept from Mina the fact that you witnessed everything. And Mina certainly wouldn't discuss these things with you."
I froze, suddenly panicked.
"Sable, I've been listening to Mina's testimony." Detective Shaw caught my panic, his tone turning serious.
"She says you were an accomplice."
He tapped the table, speaking very slowly.
But my heart was pounding faster and faster.
"I look forward to hearing your explanation."
Detective Shaw's tone grew even colder. "For instance... who told you Cade was insane?"
The cramped interrogation room fell silent because of my bewilderment. Detective Shaw and the stenographer both stared at me.
The air conditioning was freezing. I couldn't suppress a shiver.
After a long time, I finally lowered my head, my voice barely a whisper.
"Cade told me himself."
"Why?"
"Because... he and I made a deal."
"Good." Detective Shaw's tone gained a hint of interest, and he sat up straighter. "Continue."
11
After August 6th, I lived in guilt and fear.
I comforted myself—even Mina hadn't gone to the police, so why should I stick my nose in it?
By rights, I just needed to maintain the status quo, pretend I knew nothing, and wait for the semester to start and compete for the study-abroad slot.
But on August 11th, while Mina was in the shower, I saw her computer screen—and Cade was messaging her.
Cade had sent her several messages.
"Darling, you don't need to avoid me."
"If we keep this stalemate going, it won't help anyone. Be with me, and I'll help you get the study-abroad slot. Half a year later, you'll go abroad and I won't bother you again."
When I saw that message, I couldn't sit still anymore.
It felt like a reward I'd been working toward—something I was determined to win—was being snatched right out of my hands.
I admit it—I'd lost my mind over that study-abroad slot.
My anxiety consumed me. All I could think about was how to stop Cade. I couldn't let him keep wielding such absolute power.
But how?
Then I realized I had only one weapon: I was the sole eyewitness from that day.
That chip was lethal.
There should have been a security camera in that hallway, though I didn't know if it was still working.
So one afternoon, when I was sure the monitoring room was empty, I slipped inside, hoping to get footage to use as leverage against Cade.
The monitoring room had many computers, and the filing system was complex.
I searched through the files for a long time but couldn't find the footage from the third-floor hallway on August 6th.
After checking repeatedly, my heart sank. I had a feeling Cade had already deleted the recordings.
That wasn't even the worst part.
The worst part was that just as I was about to give up, I heard a sinister chuckle behind me.
"Sable, what are you looking for?"
12
Cade said it like it was the most ordinary thing in the world, but hearing it gave me goosebumps all over.
I had a feeling he'd known all along. He'd been watching me from the shadows.
Then I realized—Cade also knew full well that I'd witnessed everything and still hadn't gone to the police.
It was late afternoon. The cramped monitoring room had no sunlight—dark and oppressive.
He was the rapist, but at that moment, I felt like I was the most despicable person.
Before I could react, Cade had stepped inside. He looked down at me with a smirk and said, "Keep an eye on Mina for me, and I'll let you go."
"Why me?" I forced the words out, mustering what little courage I had, straightening up. "I could report you anytime."
Cade didn't answer. He raised his hand.
I was still wondering what he was doing when that massive hand slapped me across the face.
I was stunned, blood spreading in my mouth. For a long time after, I couldn't think—only remember Cade delivering slap after slap.
No room to fight back at all.
Just when I thought he might beat me to death, Cade finally stopped.
He grabbed my chin and leered. "Do you know Ward 46? I get my treatment there."
Ward 46—my father had told me about it. It was a psychiatric hospital famous for its mental health care. Even in my elementary and middle schools, kids would joke about which crazy classmate had been sent to Ward 46.
I barely managed to open my eyes and saw Cade pointing at his head, telling me everything.
"I'm not right in the head. Don't provoke me. I know where you live."
"You get it? Even if I slaughtered your whole family, I'd only end up in a psychiatric hospital."
"And if I don't kill them all, I'll still get out."
"Now you understand why Mina didn't call the police? She's terrified out of her mind."
"The police can't save her. You can't either. Her little boyfriend sure as hell can't."
I was so scared of Cade's derangement that I didn't dare admit I wasn't trying to save Mina at all.
When I stayed silent, Cade leaned down, and his hands began undoing my clothes, exposing my bare skin.
I was terrified. My mind was filled with what had happened to Mina.
"So—are you negotiating with me now? Or do you want me to set my sights on you too?"
Cade's hands roamed my back. Everywhere they touched, goosebumps rose.
But what shamed me most was that I actually started rationalizing.
I asked myself—could I really endure something like that? Could I gamble my entire life on it?
What was I even fighting for? A life like my father's, ending up in prison?
I thought in a daze, my mind a mess, until I finally gritted my teeth and managed a complete sentence through the beating.
But I'd regained some clarity by then.
What I said sounded like an excuse for betraying Mina, but in truth, it was the real reason I'd come here.
"I just want my study-abroad slot."
"Pleasure doing business, Sable."
13
That night, I returned to the dorm and couldn't even look Mina in the eye.
Late into the night, I received a message from Cade.
Following his instructions, I went outside, and on the steps of the dorm building, I picked up a delivery.
Inside was a bag of black stockings.
That was Cade's first transaction.
He wanted me to photograph Mina wearing them.
14
Back in the dorm, I was losing my mind.
I had no idea how to make such an obscene request to Mina.
Mina sat at her desk, spacing out to variety shows on her phone. For days, she'd been like that—a puppet.
But I forced myself to speak anyway.