The harsh fluorescent lights of the death row cell cast long, unforgiving shadows, emphasizing the cold, concrete reality of Noelle's situation. Every clang of metal, every distant shout, served as a chilling reminder of her impending fate. She sat on the edge of her cot, the thin mattress offering little comfort, her gaze fixed on the rough concrete wall. Days blurred into nights, each one a torturous countdown to her execution.
The monotony was broken by the sudden appearance of the warden, his face unusually neutral. "You have a visitor, Noelle," he announced, his voice devoid of emotion.
Noelle's head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise. A visitor? It was unheard of. No one had come to see her since she had been incarcerated. Her family had abandoned her, convinced of her guilt, the most painful abandonment had come from Chol. Of all the people to turn away from her, she had expected it from him the least. She had resigned herself to facing her fate alone.
"A visitor?" she repeated, her voice hoarse from disuse. "Who… who is it?"
The warden consulted his clipboard. "Says that she is your sister."
Noelle's brow furrowed in confusion. She had no sister. She was an only child. This was a cruel joke, a twisted form of psychological torture.
"There must be some mistake," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't have a sister."
"That's what she said, that she is your sister from the orphanage." the warden replied, shrugging indifferently. "Suit yourself. If you don't want to see her…"
"No, wait," Noelle interrupted, a flicker of curiosity igniting within her. She could barely remember anyone from the orphanage, she had never returned there after she was taken away. "I will see her."
The warden nodded and signaled to a guard, who unlocked the cell door and escorted Noelle to the visiting area. It was a small, sterile room with a metal table and two chairs. Noelle sat down, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing with questions.
A few moments later, a woman entered the room. She was strikingly beautiful, with elegant features and an air of quiet sophistication. She was dressed in a tailored suit, her appearance completely out of place in the grim surroundings.
Noelle stared at her, her confusion deepening. She did not recognize this woman. She was certain she had never seen her before.
The woman sat down across from Noelle, her gaze steady and intense. A faint smile played on her lips, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Hello, Areum," she said, her voice smooth and melodic.
Noelle remained silent, her eyes searching the woman's face, trying to find some flicker of recognition. But there was nothing. This woman was a complete stranger, but that voice, that voice sounded so familiar.
"I'm afraid there has been a mistake," Noelle said, her voice hesitant. "I don't know you. I don't have a sister."
The woman's smile widened, revealing a hint of something cold and calculating. "Oh, but you do," she said, her voice dropping to a low, almost conspiratorial whisper. "I am your cousin… Ma-Ri."
Noelle's breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened. Ma-Ri. The name echoed in her mind, a name associated with tragedy and despair. Ma-Ri, the same woman she was accused of murdering.
"Ma-Ri?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "But… you're…"
"Dead?" Ma-Ri finished, her smile turning into a cruel, mocking grin. "That's what everyone thinks, isn't it?"
Noelle stared at her, her mind reeling. This could not be happening. Ma-Ri was dead. No one had seen the body, but all the evidence pointed to it. She was sitting on death row waiting for this same death.
"This is impossible," she stammered, her voice trembling.
"Is it?" Ma-Ri countered, her eyes gleaming with a chilling intensity. "Or is it simply… poetic justice?"
Noelle remained silent, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. She could not understand what was happening. How could Ma-Ri be alive?
"You are wondering how this is possible, aren't you?" Ma-Ri said, her voice laced with a cruel amusement.
"You are wondering how I can be sitting here, talking to you, when you are the one who is supposed to be paying for my murder."
Noelle nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on Ma-Ri's face.
"It's quite simple, really," Ma-Ri continued, her voice smooth and calm. "I spent so much time plotting the perfect murder, placing all the evidence to ensure that my killer would be convicted. And you… you were the perfect scapegoat."
Noelle's breath caught in her throat. She understood now. She had been framed. She had been set up to take the fall for Ma-Ri's disappearance.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why did you do this to me?"
Ma-Ri's smile vanished, her expression turning cold and hard. "Because you were in my way," she said, her voice laced with hatred. "You were the other woman. You were sleeping with my husband without an ounce of shame."
Noelle's eyes widened in shock at the thought of how far Ma-Ri had been willing to go to punish her.
"You stole him from me," she protested, her voice trembling. "He was mine first before you ruined everything."
"Oh, that is true," Ma-Ri stated, her voice smug. "I wanted Chol and I got him, but you could still not keep away so you paid the price. You are going to pay the ultimate price."
She leaned forward, her eyes meeting Noelle's. "Your execution," she said, her voice dropping to a low, almost sinister whisper, "is your punishment. Not for killing me, but for daring to be the other woman."
Noelle stared at her, her mind reeling. She was innocent. She had been framed for a crime she didn't commit. And now, she was going to die for it. A wave of despair washed over her, a crushing weight of hopelessness. She was trapped, caught in a web of deceit and betrayal, with no way out.