บททั้งหมดของ Arrested Feelings: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

Camila had changed.Not only her father and stepmother noticed it, but her classmates and teachers at school saw it too.She stopped skipping classes. She had started studying again.Even though she still couldn’t fully keep up with the pace of senior-year review, what mattered most was that she was trying. Miss Jessa, her homeroom teacher, had seen the difference clearly. During a phone call with Elsa, she said that as long as Camila kept working hard, it was definitely not too late for her to turn things around.But when Elsa hung up, there was no happiness on her face. Only worry.Elmo had a slight fever that day and stayed home from school. When he saw the troubled look on his mother’s face, he leaned closer and asked softly, “Mom, what’s wrong? Who was on the phone? Why do you look so sad?”Elsa gently stroked his hair.“It’s nothing. Don’t think about it. Just rest and try to get your fever down.”Elmo looked at her in confusion. “Is my sister causing trouble for you again?”Els

When the first rays of morning sunlight slipped through the window, Camila was already out of bed.Because she had fallen so far behind, Miss Jessa, had quietly told her she could come by the house over the weekend for extra tutoring.Camila knew Miss Jessa felt sorry for her. And honestly, that was the one thing she wanted least.Pity felt awful. It made her feel as if the whole world had truly abandoned her.Sometimes, when she passed stray cats and dogs on the street, she felt a strange sense of kinship with them.Letting out a quiet sigh, she changed into jeans and a simple button-up shirt, packed her books, skipped breakfast, and headed out.She hadn’t expected to run into someone familiar this early. It was Saturday, so it definitely wasn’t a classmate.That only left one possibility.***Asher had stayed the night at his brother’s house.He was leaving early because he needed to go home, change into a fresh uniform, and head to work. His brother’s place didn’t have any spare cl

Camila struggled against his grip, furious. “Don’t play mind games with me. If you know something, then say it! If you can’t, then it’s just empty words meant to manipulate me!”Asher looked down at her stubborn face, her defiance still blazing despite how powerless she was in his grip.A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.“What I can tell you,” he said, “is that even if you really gain the power to expose what you believe is corruption, the only thing you’ll destroy is your own future as a journalist.”The weight of those words made her go still.Camila stared at him, stunned. “Why?” she asked after a long moment, her voice almost hollow. “Because the police in Seattle can cover everything up? You think nobody in this country can hold them accountable?”“It’s not that no one can hold them accountable,” Asher said, his voice measured and firm. “It’s that they didn’t do anything wrong. No matter how hard you try, you can’t force false charges onto innocent people.”He

Her breathing became ragged, her whole body trembling. “It’s your fault too!” she cried. “You’re guilty! You’re one of the people who killed my mom!”Outside the hospital room, a doctor had just arrived to check on her. Hearing the girl’s hoarse, desperate shouting, he stopped at the door.Inside, Alfonso sat there, silent.He didn’t defend himself.He let her hit him, blame him, vent everything she had held in for so long.Only after her emotions began to settle did he finally lift his head, his eyes filled with exhaustion.“I married Elsa… because I had no choice,” he said quietly.

“Maybe your mother’s case isn’t as simple as it looks,” Asher said quietly. “Maybe she didn’t choose to end her life just because of depression and her illness.” He paused, then continued, more measured this time. “But the case has been closed for months. If it’s going to be reopened, there has to be new evidence.”He looked at her. “You were the one closest to her. You’re in the best position to investigate, to look into the things you’re expecting.” His lips pressed into a thin line before he added, “If one day you do find something… and if you’re willing to trust the police, then come to me.”Camila’s pupils shrank slightly. After a long moment, she said, “But you’re not a cop anymore.”Asher hesitated. Then he replied, “If you trust other officers, you can take the evidence straight to the police department and file a report.”It sounded like he had already decided to stay out of it. And yet, in the end, he still got involved.Not only that, he had said far more than he intended.