Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Do you know what happened next?
I encountered the most astonishing thing of my life: the person I hated the most stood up and smiled at me!
I couldn't help but shiver several times, desperately rubbing my eyes, my body frozen in place, unable to move.
I couldn't believe he was actually alive. I was so shocked, not just me, but everyone present felt the same way; they just weren't looking at me but were staring blankly at this person who had "returned from the dead."
Oh, is he even human?
He spoke, and for the first time, I was genuinely interested in what he had to say because this time his words demanded my attention. I widened my eyes, looking at him in sheer terror.
"You wanted to poison me, but unfortunately for you, I noticed that long ago. I pretended to be dead to see your reaction. Although no one noticed you throwing the cake because they were all concerned about me, I had the privilege of seeing it clearly. You indeed plotted to kill me, but you underestimated me. Do you really think I'm that easy to trick?" He crossed his arms with a smug smile on his face.
At this moment, all I could do was listen because my mouth had dropped open wider than anyone else's; my jaw was nearly on the floor, and my eyes were filled with shock and despair.
"From the very beginning, I noticed you seemed distracted today. Although you tried hard to hide it, it still showed in your every move. For instance, while everyone was having a great time, you were staring out the window alone; despite the heavy rain, you opened the window halfway and let the rain drench the sill; you took only two puffs of your cigarette before extinguishing it; during dinner, although you appeared cheerful and chatted away, you never responded to anything I said; one clap of thunder made a grown man drop his knife—it's quite suspicious..."
As he spoke, he slowly paced back and forth, his gaze fixed intently on me.
My mouth could no longer close; sweat was streaming down my forehead like beads from a broken string. I raised my hand to wipe it away, but it trembled uncontrollably.
"When your knife fell to the ground and when you served me that first piece of cake, I began to suspect whether that cake was poisoned—perhaps I'm just overly sensitive. But I couldn't afford to be careless. The last piece of cake ended up on your plate just as I suspected, which only heightened my suspicions."
"Better safe than sorry. So when you removed the cake stand, I pretended to wipe the table with a napkin and told a joke that made everyone laugh to divert their attention. Quietly and slowly, I turned the rotating tray slightly so that my piece of cake moved in front of you while yours naturally shifted to your left side. As long as I could fool you with this maneuver, no one else would suspect anything about me turning the tray."
"Fortunately, today's cake has no icing on it, and the pattern is symmetrical. Otherwise, it would have been easy for you to notice. But I still have to thank you for cutting the cake so neatly and symmetrically, and I must also thank myself for arranging the table so evenly, placing the plates on the turntable," he explained in detail, a hint of mockery on his face.
My neck had gone stiff, and my eyes hadn't blinked for a long time; I stood there like a puppet, dazed.
"I wasn't sure if the cake was actually poisoned at first, but to prevent any accidents, I sent away my secretary who was sitting to your left, as she could have been poisoned. When I saw that you only ate half of the cake and did so vertically, I confirmed that the cake was indeed poisoned... And that poison has already gone into your system because the piece you ate was meant for me; the left side was poisoned, while you thought you were holding the last piece from the right side that was safe..." He pressed on, his gaze sharp.
Cold sweat soaked my clothes, and a dull pain began to throb in my stomach. I clasped my hands over my belly, my face contorted in agony.
"So, the half you consumed is truly poisonous, while the half you threw out of the window was harmless. In the plate to your left, we can find the most complete evidence of your poisoning..."
Regret washed over me for everything I had done. I felt as if I were about to die; I had no choice but to sit down as my vision began to blur and my body swayed unsteadily.
"So I pretended to be dead to see your reaction. While everyone was frantically trying to lift me, what I saw was you throwing away the cake. What puzzled me was that you, the murderer, didn’t suspect why I would die so quickly from poisoning? Didn’t you know about this poison's properties beforehand? Now you should be quite clear; after all, you're still alive, aren't you?"
I trembled all over as waves of cramping pain surged through my chest and abdomen. Hadn't I doubted it? Yes, I had doubted it long ago, but it was all too late now...
Curled up on the ground, my expression was one of pain and despair.
"Now you're about to die—dying by your own hand. To die on the very day of your birth is the best retribution for a murderer. Go ahead; we will remember you forever..."
Am I dying? Did I hear his last words? I didn't know; perhaps I did!
I regretted it all—I regretted why I had chosen to kill. I regretted that in trying to harm others, I ended up harming myself.
But now it seemed too late; once dead, one cannot regret.
If I could live my life again, I would never choose to commit murder, but can I really choose?
Can someone who is about to die still have a choice? My gaze was vacant, and my consciousness was gradually fading.
"Hey, hey, wake up..." I slowly opened my eyes, curiously looking at this strange Underworld world I had arrived in.
My eyes were dazed as I glanced around.
"Today is your birthday! How can you still be lying on the sofa sleeping? Come over and blow out the candles..." That familiar yet terrifying voice belonged to him.
I... I didn't die? I questioned myself with doubt.
Is this a dream? Is it really a dream?
Looking around, it was clear that this was not a strange Underworld world; it was my own living room.
My colleagues were waiting for me to blow out the candles. I quickly stood up, once again reenacting that familiar scene from my dream.
As I picked up the fruit knife to cut the cake, I couldn't help but shout, "Is this knife poisoned?"
My hand holding the knife trembled slightly, filled with fear and confusion.
Comment 0 Comment Count