It appears that some people are monsters from birth, but often it turns out that these people harbor demons inside, which, because of the past, defend them from the environment, causing harm to others. It's a shield. A way for them to feel in command and show how strong they are that nothing can break them.
That's precisely what Danielle is, defending herself from her mother, who has caused her harm in the past.
— I guessed that there was another reason why you protected my sister for so many years. You know her past and what she experienced. — Hannah folds her arms across her chest as she and Jin stand by the kitchenette, watching the girl sleeping on the couch.
Jin rests his hand on the countertop, looking at his friend with contrite eyes.
— Forgive me for not telling you about this earlier. It may be no explanation, but Danielle is behaving this way because of what she experienced in the past. I think she is trying to prove to everyone that she is not weak. She wants to have control over others, just as her mother had that power over her. Above all, she is trying to prove to herself that she has some values and that no one will boss her around, but she will do that to others. — Hannah hates her sister, but a particle of compassion begins to emerge in her. After all, she is her twin. — You mentioned that Joseph, after meeting my stepmother, told you that Danielle had everything in the house, and it's impossible for her to want to free herself from her mother? By saying everything, this woman meant only money. Until now, however, she didn't realize that she didn't offer her something most important — a sense of warmth and care. She has never been able to show Danielle that she is her mother. She is a cold woman who hides her feelings, but I believe she loves her in her own way.
— Why do you think that? After all, you confessed to me that Danielle suffered a lot because of her in the past, so she became the person she is today. How can such a woman love her child?
— I'm not defending my stepmother because I hate her with all my heart myself, but it seems to me that she simply used inappropriate tactics to raise her daughter. Danielle's supposed death was the day I first saw her mother truly despair. She hated me because she believed it was my fault her daughter died. Until now, she had taken revenge on me, but something changed in her after meeting Joseph, since she knows her daughter is alive.
The brunette looks at his face, hoping that he will reveal something more to her about it.
— Will you tell me what happened to Danielle in the past? What contributed to her creating enemies, continually pulling trouble on herself?
The boy rubs his forehead, out of the corner of his eye glancing at the sleeping girl.
— It is no secret that she has been capricious and unbearable since childhood. Her mother couldn't deal with her many times, but when I met Danielle, even then, she was an entirely different person. Yes, she was already causing problems, but she was able to smile. She was confident at school, and her popularity grew every day. She was the soul of the company and everyone adored her. One prank she committed at the age of fifteen changed everything. — Hannah crinkles her eyebrows, curious about the story Jin is about to reveal to her. — One evening, Danielle decided to go wild with her friends. Remember the older boy who died in the accident? He got Danielle into the company of third-graders.
— Yes, I remember him. He was in love with my sister, but she only deluded him, using him for her purposes.
Jin nods his head.
— One evening he took her to the pool, where his friends had broken in earlier. They drank alcohol. Danielle's mother got mad after picking up her daughter from the police station. She was fed up with her behavior. She could no longer find any way to make Danielle finally come to her senses. She was so desperate that she locked her in a room for twenty-four hours without food or drink, telling her to rethink her behavior.
— What — Hannah is shocked. — What do you mean, she locked her in a room for twenty-four hours?
— That was just the beginning of what Danielle went through at that time...
They both fall silent as the girl begins to wake up. She opens her eyes and looks around the room, and her gaze finds Hannah and Jin standing by the kitchenette.
She rises from the couch and throws aside the blanket with which she is covered. Hannah is sure that Danielle will explode with uncontrollable anger shortly, finding a way to humiliate her sister, but to her surprise, she embraces Jin and presses her face into his back.
The boy lets her have it. He knows Danielle and knows how terrified she is at the thought of having to return to her mother, the place she hates most.
— Joseph could come at any moment, so it's best if I take Danielle to my place. I want to talk to her — Jin says, letting Hannah know that it's better to avoid this confrontation.
The brunette nods as she realizes what kind of war Joseph would wage if he found Danielle here. He would like to destroy her at all costs and preferably send her back to the devil.
— You're right. Joseph is supposed to come to see me, so he can do it at any time.
Jin leads Danielle to the door and as they walk outside, the redhead turns to face her sister, her lips twisting in an arrogant smile.
The despair quickly passed her by.
Apparently, she hates her sister so much that she has to show it at every turn. This smile is undoubtedly a sign that she still plans to destroy Hannah, and even a temporary breakdown won't stop her from this plan.
— I don't know how I could feel sorry for you for a moment — mutters the brunette under her breath, heading for the bathroom.
*
Danielle looks with a contrite face at the boy who is driving the car. She tries to arouse pity in him, showing how poor she is, how much she suffers because of Hannah and her boyfriend, who decided to hand her over to her monstrous mother.
— Stop. I can see you're over it — Jin says, glancing at her fleetingly. — You don't have to pretend that you're still suffering.
The redhead rolls her eyes, crosses her arms on her chest and, highly offended, puffs out her lips.
— When Hannah acts like this, you jump at her like a fangirl.
Jin stops at a traffic light and focuses all his attention on the girl.
— Stop picking on Hannah. Such behavior just doesn't fit your personality. You are like fire and water. You are different, so never compare her to you again.
The girl looks at the window, feeling tears coming to her eyes. Instantly, she remembers the past. About her mother, to whom she must return to avoid punishment from the authorities with her help. If she gives out what she has been up to now, she sees no future for herself. She will end up in the worst way, and yet she doesn't want that. Until now, she has been able to cope with all her problems. She hid her crimes.
So why should her mother ruin it all?
— I'm not afraid of her. I'm no longer a teenager for her to carry me off like a dog — she announces, wiping tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. — I'm just worried that returning to her will derail all my plans. I know she will watch over me every step of the way. I won't be able to make life difficult for people who deserve it.
The light changes. Jin turns into the right street, heading for his house.
— Do you mean Hannah? After all, she didn't do anything wrong to you. She's your sister, for God's sake.
— At this point, I'm not talking about her — she mutters uncomfortably, leaning with her elbow against the open window pane. — I'm talking about the bastard who went free after he tried to kill me seven years ago. I want revenge on him.
The boy sighs, realizing that despite everything, she will not let go. If she gets seduced, she will go even over dead bodies, just to see her plan through to the end.
— Don't ruin your life even more. It's not worth it. You know very well that it is your fault. You led this boy to try to kill you.
— Me! — She presses her finger to her chest, looking at him with disbelief in her eyes. — It's all your fault! Tell me... Who really caused Solar to die? Why did she hang herself in her room, in that fucking Horace Mann school you attended!!!?
Jin swallows his saliva harder, not daring to look her in the eye.
— This past is still making my life difficult, Danielle. I go back to it every night. From the moment I met you. You were the one who destroyed my life. I regret that at the time I was so stupid that I fell madly in love with you.
She snorts under her breath. In time, she starts laughing out loud.
— Don't talk nonsense. You are still crazy about me, that's why you avoid contact with me. You're afraid that your heart will finally realize it. — The boy tightens his lips. — Our love led to the loss of an innocent girl's life. This is probably a curse that will follow us all our lives. Don't you think we are destined for each other? We should stick together since we are both doomed to hell.
He pulls over and throws her a furious look.
— You're the one who's going to hell, Danielle. You have the biggest part in this. You're the one who destroyed Solar's life, not me! Even then, you had some kind of sick obsession with me.
The redhead stretches in her chair, too much not taking in the boy's words.
— And I still have it — she claims in an amused voice. — But don't deny that it bothers you. If you didn't care about me, you wouldn't have taken off from work and come to me at break-neck speed. I am your weak point — she adds.
Jin tightens his hands on the steering wheel, unable to look at her arrogant smile.
— Think what you want.
— How grateful will you be to me when I return to my mother and help you destroy her? I know you have problems with her. She wants to take your business away from you at all costs. If I don't help you, you will lose in the end. Why? Because people with a heart are weak. — The boy looks at her for a long moment. — The bonus is that I will forgive my sister for now. I'll give her a sacred break.
— What will you get out of it? — Jin squints his eyes, expecting that she is not going to do this for no reason.
— You.
*
In the middle of the night, a noise awakens Hannah. The girl looks at the sleeping Joseph, who does not react at all. She gets off the bed and looks into the living room, but no one is there. She closes the door behind her and turns on the light, having a bad feeling that it's an illusion.
This has been happening more and more often lately. The worst part, however, is that she can't fight the image herself. Whenever she wants to get rid of it from her head, nothing helps her. She sees Solar, talks to her, and even conspires with her. She knows it's not real, but it makes her braver, and she would like to fight.
It's the same as when she was in high school.
— Did I wake you up? — She looks over her shoulder as Solar appears behind her back. — I'm angry because today you helped your sister, even though she doesn't deserve it. You felt sorry for her.
Hannah crinkles her eyebrows.
— Only for a split second.
— You shouldn't feel sorry for her at all. She led to my death. She took pity on me even though I didn't do anything to her.
— In fact, this whole nightmare started because of you. Maybe it's not Danielle, but you that I should blame?
Solar goes cloudy.
— You don't know what you're talking about, Hannah.
— I know perfectly well. You're the one who started the entire nightmare. How can you be so weak as to commit suicide? You were a coward.
Instantly, her eyes become sinister.
— You say that because you want me to disappear from your life, but don't think to yourself that you will succeed. The moment you dared to live in that room, you pulled my soul down on your shoulders.
— Stop. I'm sick of you constantly appearing in front of me. You are an illusion I create in my head. Possibly in your high school days you managed to mess with my head, but now I won't allow it. I'm not going to respond to your taunts any longer. Make as much noise as you want, break even the dishes, but I won't leave the bedroom.
— Don't be an idiot, Hannah. Recall how you know so much about me. Reach into the depths of your mind. Discover the reason I took my life.
A cold shiver runs through her spine. She pales in the face, but it's not Solar's words that bring her to such a state, but the sight of Joseph standing in the bedroom entrance, watching her with sleepy eyes.
— Who are you talking to? — asks her question, combing his fingers through his disheveled hair. — Just don't say you're seeing ghosts again — he adds in an exhausted voice. — I don't want a repeat of the fun.
— What if I tell you that the high school illusions have returned? — Her voice trembles. She is afraid of how Joseph will react to her confession. — I think I'm having a relapse.
She swallows her saliva harder as the boy approaches her. He embraces her, so she takes advantage and presses her face into his chest.
— And so you are strong, Hannah. My mother was lost the first time. You will fight the damn thing, again.
She surreptitiously glances at Solar, who hatefully mirrors Hannah's boyfriend with her eyes.
— Recall what you learned in the past. He also had a big part in it — she announces, pointing her finger at Joseph.
The brunette closes her eyes, not intending to trust this damned illusion.