Operation: One percent

Chapter 74

Ace

Let's see...

Margaret and I were now standing in the same room where I showed her information about her daughter. Only this time, we were trying to find the truth about Victoria.

"How long will it take for you to find out where she is? "

"That depends on her ties with SierraTech. If she was really close to the higher-ups or not, the more her data will be protected. "

"What's Victoria's last name? "

"Victoria Ju...wait. I need to remember. "

She started pacing left and right, taping her head occasionally, and pulled the rubber band, that I didn't see before.

"Victoria Jupertis" That's her name.

I put in the name and the surname, and let the search do its job.

"Uh...what's that for? "

"Oh, this? "She pointed towards it.

"I quit the pill, and I have been "sober" for a month now. "

It took everything in me not to hug her, and a full restraint on kissing her from joy. I smiled at her instead.

"I am very proud of you Margaret. "

But then I realized, she went through this on her own all alone when she needed a friend. A stab of guilt and disappointment pierced me, as perhaps she didn't deem me a person that she could confide in during her difficult time of rehabilitation. 

Maybe she didn't deem me a reliable person at all. 

"I am proud of myself too. " She gave me a genuine smile.

I am not good enough to be the person that she needs.

"Are you alright? "

I had to clear my throat and uttered "Yeah. "

She reached out for my hand, but it made me wince, which made her pull her hand back.

"I need to apologize to you, Ace. Ignoring you wasn't the right decision to make only because I was angry at what you did or didn't change. I guess a part of me still aligned you with the system that I deeply despise, but you should know that my feelings toward you didn't develop simply because you had the potential of changing the same system I hate. I fell in love with the way you look when you are deeply lost in thought. I fell in love with the way you held me, and your ability to make me laugh even in the most somber of moments. I fell in love with your bravery, and how your eyes soften when they look at me. And for all 7 universes that I have been in, I have not met anyone that made me feel the way you have, and I treasure you. I love you, Ace but I am conflicted about if the love I have for you and you for me, is enough."

She reached once again for my hand, but this time, I didn't wince or pull away. 

"For the same reason that I decided to be sober from the pill, where I needed to do better, to be better for myself first, so I can be capable of being better for everyone else, it is why I must plead with you again to change this society. The drug that was the pill, and the drug that is the power that you always seek are the same in effects-they always require a price to be paid. For me, that was my humanity, but I think that the price of power is much steeper. My feelings toward you might not change, but I don't think I will be able to handle living in the small utopia that would be us, amidst the people's chaotic lives. In fact, I think that the guilt that I would feel would destroy me. And I am not saying all this to blackmail you with my feelings into changing it, but I am asking you to do what is right."

Once again, Margaret was pleading with me to make the change that I knew I needed to make, but I felt like I was stuck in quicksand, especially considering that I have agreed to the Vice President's project. If she knew about this, she would dismiss me immediately, perhaps even kill me. 

The search was 20 percent complete, and I truly hoped that she would not probe about it or about what I was about to do. All she had was a simple rubber band to keep her in check. Meanwhile, all I had was my shame and greed to send me into a spiral. 

"Ace... " she pulled me away from the screen, and a second traitorous tear fell.

"I am just so proud of you. " I told her, and I have meant it wholeheartedly. 

It was difficult to look at her and strenuous to keep a clear vision of her from the tears that were swelling.

She hugged me, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. Perhaps it was because of what she said that she loved me for me, or maybe it was the shame of me not being strong enough to reject the Vice President's project or the fear that I secretly wanted to be powerful at the expense of others, which was perhaps why I didn't reject the project.

"I am sorry...I am so sorry Margaret.. "

I was afraid that the word sorry would lose its meaning, but it was all I could say. I was apologizing to her for everything that I have and hadn't done yet.

"I feel horrible that you didn't deem me as someone you could lean on during your rehabilitation, and the fact that your precious daughter and your parents were taken away from you by my father. I was too weak to stop him from taking her from you once again. I have failed myself and your trust."

She had a pained look on her face, and her eyes filled with tears too. She wasn't interrupting me, instead, she held my hand and wiped the tears from my cheek.

"The reason why I didn't call you during that time was that it was something I had to do on my own, and it has nothing to do with if I can lean on you or not. You have proven to me time and time again that I could, and even the reason why I came to you to ask for your help was exactly that I knew I could rely on you. I may have gone overboard with daggers, but even without them, could you honestly say that even if you weren't in a position to help me, you would refuse to do so? Even when I came to you to help me with the orphans, you did that even if it meant endangering you."

She swallowed and then continued.

"Instead of apologizing to me, I ask that you forgive yourself, the part where you relinquish the poison that is power. Apologize to the selfish part of yourself if you decide to abandon it, and know that I still believe that you can do the right thing. "

Somehow, that calmed me down.

"I am too deep in this Margaret. I don't know how... "

"I believe in you. " 

She kissed me tenderly as we embraced each other, and we stayed for what felt too short, only to continue to caress my face, and wiped away my tears.

"You have no idea how much I have changed for the better since I met you, Ace. You may not realize it, but somehow, with you I become brave and my cowardice gets washed away. I can only hope that I have the same effect on you."

Ashamed, I couldn't admit that. In fact, she drew my insecurities out of me and I, like a cornered animal whined and curled my tail between my legs. Instead, I decided to change the subject.

"You never knew what happened to your parents. The goons couldn't get to you, so they went for the people close to you after you what you did to Lilith. It's incredibly protective over you. If you didn't pay anything all this time, nothing would have happened."

She nodded, at the truth.

100 percent match.

I opened my eyes to view the screen, and when I saw Victoria's picture, my blood froze.

Switching emotion from despair to anger in one second was something I never thought possible.

"Fucking bitch. "

My eyes are glued now to the screen.

"What....what happened? "

"Eucia... "

"You mean your stepmother? What does she have to do with this? "

"This...this is Eucia. "