The initial shock of Ma-Ri's revelation had left Noelle in a daze, a state of stunned disbelief. But as the words sank in, as the full weight of the deception crashed down upon her, a spark of defiance ignited within her. She would not simply accept this fate. She would not let Ma-Ri win.
Snapping out of her stupor, Noelle glared at Ma-Ri, her eyes filled with a newfound resolve. "I am going to tell Chol the truth," she declared, her voice firm, cutting through the heavy silence of the visiting room. "He will believe me. He will come for me. And the defense will have something new and they will save me."
Ma-Ri erupted in a harsh, mocking laugh. It was a cruel, chilling sound that echoed through the small room, devoid of any warmth or humor.
"Areum, you dumb girl." she repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think that Chol is going to save you? You poor, deluded fool."
She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing, her smile turning into a cruel smirk. "Chol has already moved on," she taunted, her voice low and venomous. "He is with me now."
The words hit Noelle like a physical blow. A wave of nausea washed over her, and her heart sank. Chol, the man she loved, the man she had believed would always be there for her, had abandoned her once again. He had moved on, not just with his life, but with her tormentor, her betrayer.
She had tried to make excuses for him the first time when he had married Ma-Ri after his promises to her. Then when he refused to believe her when she said that she had not killed Ma-Ri, and now. Barely three months after she was sentenced and he had already moved on.
The color drained from her face, leaving her pale and drawn. The fight drained out of her, replaced by a crushing sense of despair. She felt utterly defeated, completely alone.
Ma-Ri watched her, her eyes gleaming with a cruel satisfaction. She had broken finally Noelle, shattered her last remaining hope.
"He knows the truth about you, Noelle," Ma-Ri continued, twisting the knife further. "He knows what you are capable of. He knows you're a killer."
Noelle remained silent, her gaze fixed on the table, her mind reeling. She couldn't comprehend what was happening. Everything she had believed in, everything she had held dear, had been ripped away from her.
"I am grateful for all the sacrifices you have made, thanks to your stupidity I have everything that you had." Ma-Ri leaned forward and smiled. "I have all the money that you were supposed to inherit, I will be the lead vocalist for GURL and best of all, your man is in love with me."
She stood up, preparing to leave. She had accomplished all that she had come to do: which was to torment Noelle, to crush her spirit, to ensure that she would face her execution in a state of utter and total despair.
"It has been… enlightening," Ma-Ri said, her voice laced with a false sweetness. "I am so glad that we had this little chat, cousin."
As Ma-Ri turned to leave, a surge of desperate adrenaline coursed through Noelle's veins. She could not let her go. She could not let her walk away, scot-free, after destroying her life. Surely something could be done.
Driven by a desperate impulse, Noelle lunged across the table, grabbing Ma-Ri's arm. "You are not dead!" she screamed, her voice filled with a raw, desperate energy. "I know that you are not dead! I am going to tell everyone! They have to know the truth, I can't suffer for what I have not done!"
The guards reacted instantly, rushing towards Noelle and pulling her off Ma-Ri. They restrained her, their grip tight and painful.
"Let me go!" Noelle yelled, struggling against their hold. "She is alive! She is the one who framed me! You have to believe me and arrest her, that is Ma-Ri!"
But the guards ignored her pleas, taking her hysteria to simply be a moment of breaking down. Their faces impassive, they dragged her back towards her cell, her screams echoing through the visiting area.
Ma-Ri stood there, watching the scene unfold, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She dabbed it away with a delicate handkerchief, her expression shifting from cruel satisfaction to feigned sadness.
"She must have lost her mind," Ma-Ri murmured, her voice laced with a false sympathy. "It is so tragic that she refuses to acknowledge what she has done."
She turned and walked away, her steps light, her head held high. As she disappeared from view, the feigned sadness vanished, replaced by a triumphant smile. She had won. She had gotten away with it, her happiness would be complete when she watched Noelle dangling from the rope.
And Noelle, the woman who had dared to stand in her way, was about to pay the ultimate price. The sound of Noelle's desperate screams faded into the distance, a testament to Ma-Ri's chilling victory.
*
Noelle sat across from her lawyer, the cold, metallic table separating them a stark reminder of the insurmountable barrier between her and freedom.
She had recounted her meeting with Ma-Ri to him, the chilling confirmation of her innocence, the revelation of a meticulously crafted frame-up. She had even described Ma-Ri's appearance, her clothing, the chilling details of their conversation.
But her lawyer's expression remained unchanged: a mixture of pity and professional detachment. He listened patiently, nodding occasionally, but his eyes held a look of profound skepticism.
"Noelle," he said gently, his voice laced with concern, "I understand that this is a very difficult time for you. But these… hallucinations… they are most likely a coping mechanism, a way for your mind to deal with the stress of your situation."
Noelle's heart sank. She had expected disbelief from the authorities, from the public, but she had hoped that her lawyer, the one person who was supposed to be on her side, would believe her.
"It is not a hallucination!" she protested, her voice rising in desperation. "I saw her! She was right there before me in the visiting room! She told me everything!"
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper. It was a detail she had almost overlooked in her frantic recollection: Ma-Ri had been wearing a distinctive ring, a large, ornate piece with a unique design. Noelle had quickly sketched it from memory after the visit.
"Look!" she exclaimed, pushing the sketch across the table. "This is the ring she was wearing. It's unique. You can check it. You can find it!"
Her lawyer picked up the sketch, examining it briefly before setting it back down. "Noelle," he said, his voice soft but firm, "I know you believe you saw this woman. But there is no evidence to support your claim. There's no record of a visitor matching that description. The security footage from the visiting room shows no one else entering or leaving during that time."
Noelle's breath caught in her throat. The security footage. She had forgotten about the security footage. If it did not show Ma-Ri, then her story would seem even more unbelievable.
"But… but that is impossible!" she stammered, her voice trembling. "She was there! I swear she was! The warden told me my sister had come to see me. You have to believe me."
"I understand your distress, Noelle," her lawyer said, his voice laced with pity. "But we need concrete evidence. We need something more than just your testimony."
He paused, his expression turning grave. "I have filed every possible appeal," he continued. "I have exhausted all legal avenues. But without any new evidence, the execution will proceed as scheduled."
Noelle stared at him, her mind reeling. She was trapped. She had no way to prove her innocence, no way to stop the inevitable, she felt like throwing up.
The days that followed were a blur of fear and despair. Noelle spent her time in her cell, replaying her conversation with Ma-Ri in her mind, desperately searching for some detail, some piece of evidence that could prove her story. But there was nothing. It was her word against the seemingly irrefutable evidence of her guilt.
The day of her execution arrived, cold and grey, mirroring the despair in Noelle's heart. She was led from her cell, her hands and feet shackled, her steps heavy. Every step to the execution chamber felt like she was heading directly to her own grave.
The sterile, brightly lit room was virtually empty, with only the warden an a few reporters standing as a witnesses. Their faces were a mixture of boredom and detached professionalism. Noelle shuffled in, her heart pounding in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
She looked around the room, desperately searching for a familiar face, a sign of hope, something. But there was no one. She was alone, completely alone.
The warden read the death warrant, his voice devoid of emotion. Noelle closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She thought of Chol, the man she loved, the man who now believed her to be a murderer. She thought of her life, the life that was about to be taken from her, unjustly, cruelly.
The executioner approached, his face hidden behind a mask. Noelle took a deep breath, steeling herself for the end. She had tried to fight, she had tried to prove her innocence, but she had failed. She was about to pay the ultimate price for a crime she didn't commit.
As she was led up to the gallows and as the noose was about to be placed over her head, Noelle caught sight of the smug face of Ma-Ri as she stood behind the large window. Noelle started to struggle, her protests muffled under the bag. Suddenly, the trapdoor under her feet gave way and she was left with her feet hopelessly kicking while the life force drained out of her. Noelle's last thought was of Ma-Ri, the woman who had stolen her life, the woman who had framed her for murder. She closed her eyes, accepting her fate, a victim of a cruel and devastating betrayal. The world faded to black.