Shadows of Revenge

6. Tangled Lies

Becky had been following Freen for a while now. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but her instincts told her that there was more to this woman than the sweet, unassuming teacher she pretended to be. Freen's every move seemed calculated, and Becky couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that Freen was hiding something, something dark.

So, when Becky followed Freen to her apartment that evening, she had a plan. She wanted to get closer to Freen, to see her in her own environment, to observe her more closely without arousing suspicion. Standing outside the door, Becky took a deep breath before knocking.

Moments later, Freen opened the door, her face immediately shifting from surprise to a polite, almost amused expression.

"What is it, Miss Cop?" Freen asked, her voice dripping with a fake sweetness that Becky could almost taste.

Becky hesitated for a second, gathering herself before responding. "Well, it's late, and... I didn't want to go home. Can I stay here tonight?"

Freen's eyes flickered, as if considering her options, but then she nodded, stepping aside to let Becky in. "Of course," she said softly, "come in."

As Becky entered the apartment, Freen closed the door behind her, her face betraying no emotion. She knew exactly what Becky was doing. The young cop wasn't here because she was tired or needed a place to stay. She was here to snoop, to gather information, and Freen was more than willing to play along. After all, two could play this game.

The apartment was modest, yet meticulously organized. Everything was in its place, almost as if Freen had prepared for someone to come searching through her things. Becky's eyes darted around, scanning the room, but she didn't find anything that raised suspicion—at least not yet.

"I'll make something for dinner," Freen said casually, disappearing into the kitchen.

Becky pretended to settle in but took the opportunity to subtly explore the apartment. She walked through the living room, noticing the framed photographs on the wall, none of them showing anything too personal. It was almost too perfect. There were no signs of a double life, no hints that Freen was anything other than what she appeared to be. But Becky knew better.

As she reached the bookshelf, running her fingers along the spines of neatly arranged books, she heard a phone ring in the kitchen. Freen picked it up, and her voice dropped low.

"Hello?" Freen's voice was soft, but Becky could hear the tension beneath it.

On the other end, Nam's voice crackled through the line. "The work is done, Saro. But... Yoko left."

There was a sudden shift in Freen's tone, her voice rising with alarm. "What do you mean she left? How could she just go?" she shouted, her composure slipping for the first time since Becky had started watching her.

Nam's voice came through again, trying to calm her down. "I'll explain when you get here."

Freen's frustration was evident, but she quickly composed herself, lowering her voice again. "Fine. I'll meet you soon."

The call ended, and Freen stood frozen for a moment, her back turned to the kitchen doorway, completely forgetting Becky's presence. But when she turned around, Becky was there, standing behind her with her arms crossed, her expression hard.

"What was that about?" Becky asked, her voice steady but edged with suspicion.

Freen blinked, her face smoothing back into that perfect mask of innocence. "What do you mean?" she asked, her tone light and disarming.

Becky stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she tried to read Freen's expression. "I heard you," she said, her voice a little firmer. "You sounded... concerned. Who's Yoko? And what's 'the work'?"

Freen's lips curled into a soft, almost pitying smile. "Oh, that," she said with a light laugh, brushing off the question as if it were nothing. "It's nothing serious. Yoko's a friend, and she's been going through some personal issues. I was just worried about her, that's all. As for 'the work,' I was referring to something we've been doing for the school. Nothing that concerns you."

Becky's gut told her Freen was lying, but there was no way to prove it. Not yet. For now, she'd have to play along.

"Right," Becky muttered, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. She'd come here hoping for answers, but all she had were more questions.

Nam and Yoko in the Forest

Meanwhile, miles away in a dense, secluded forest, Nam and Yoko trudged through the undergrowth, carrying John's lifeless body between them. The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the trees as they made their way deeper into the woods.

They weren't here to bury him. That would be too obvious, too easy to discover. Instead, they had chosen a different method—one that was more fitting for the life John had lived. They would leave him for the birds and the wild animals to feast on, allowing nature to erase all evidence of his existence.

As they finally reached a clearing, Nam and Yoko carefully lowered John's body to the ground. The forest was unnervingly quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.

Nam wiped the sweat from her brow, turning to Yoko. "It's done," she said, her voice hollow.

But Yoko wasn't herself tonight. She stood there, staring down at John's body, her face pale, her eyes filled with an emptiness that Nam hadn't seen before.

"What's wrong?" Nam asked, her voice softer now, sensing that something was off.

Yoko didn't meet her eyes. She seemed distant, lost in her own thoughts. After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm done, Nam. I'm tired of this."

Nam's eyes widened in shock. "What are you saying, Yoko?"

Yoko took a deep breath, her voice cracking as she spoke. "I'm leaving. I'm going back to my hometown next week. I... I can't do this anymore. I can't be part of this... this life."

Nam stared at her, the weight of Yoko's words sinking in. "Why? What's changed?"

Yoko's face twisted with a mix of frustration and pain. "It's Faye," she said, her voice shaking. "Every time I'm with her, it's the same. She uses me, makes me feel like I'm something important, but as soon as we're done... I'm nothing. I'm just a doll to her. I can't keep doing this, Nam. I'm tired of feeling invisible."

Nam didn't know what to say. She had seen the way Faye treated Yoko, but she had never imagined it had affected her this deeply. "Yoko, I'm sorry... I didn't know it was this bad."

Yoko shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "You did know, Nam. You just didn't want to see it. None of you wanted to see it."

There was a long, painful silence between them before Yoko finally wiped her tears and turned away. "I've already applied for a job back home. I'll be gone by the end of the week. Tell Freen... tell her I'm sorry."

With that, Yoko walked away, leaving Nam standing alone in the forest, John's body at her feet.

..............

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