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12- Jade´s imagination

As Everth picks up some stacks of bills from the floor, he gazes intently at the body on the bed. It is their neighbor. His gaze also wanders around, detailing everything. Soon, he notices a second corpse under the bed and, being so immersed in the surroundings, the shock is such that it pushes the nightstand. The corpse is that of the neighbor's wife. The lamp on the table falls to the ground, though it doesn’t break, and from it rolls a small wooden die with yellow dots on its faces.

Everth stands up from the impulse and steps back a few paces. He controls his racing pulse and looks around with attention. He moves his gaze from the die to the lamp, which he adjusts back into place by touching it through his shirt. Nervously, he tries to identify what else seems out of order, and his gaze settles on the die, which he absentmindedly slips into his pocket.

He resumes collecting the money and slings the bag over his shoulder. He leaves the place and walks towards number 42. He inserts the keys into his apartment.

Jade's Apartment. Night

Everth was in the dim light, lost in a sea of thoughts as his eyes rested on the bag of money on the table. The weak light from a nearby lamp cast faint glimmers on the bundles of bills. With trembling hands, he picked up the bag, feeling the weight of his decisions in every inch of that financial burden. He began to organize the bills, creating neat piles with a mechanical rhythm that contrasted with the emotional chaos consuming him.

The soft sound of knuckles knocking on the door broke the oppressive silence. Everth hurried, his movements almost desperate, to hide the money in a safe place, his gestures reflecting an underlying urgency he couldn’t afford to show. He straightened up, trying to compose his expression, as he approached the door.

Upon opening it, he was frozen in place before the figure of Jade, his ex-girlfriend, who seemed to emanate a mix of determination and concern in every gesture. With innate grace, Jade glided to sit on the bed, her presence filling the room with an intensity that resonated in Everth’s heart.

"We need to talk," Jade pronounced with a seriousness laden with a shared past, her voice echoing in the room. Everth, still trying to find his words, felt overwhelmed by Jade's direct confrontation.

"Now is not a good time," he muttered, struggling to come up with an excuse to justify his discomfort. Jade's expression hardened as she recalled the recent situation.

"You were arrested. A policeman almost lost his life because you were driving under the influence of alcohol," she accused, her tone mixing concern with frustration. Everth, feeling the weight of Jade's words, looked down, unable to face her directly.

"And I’m sure you’ve taken a few pills to sedate your mood," she added, her voice carrying a tone of pain and disappointment.

“Baby…” Everth whispered, trying to find the right words as his heart thudded loudly in his chest. Jade's intense gaze, her green eyes radiating a mixture of love and concern, destabilized him even more. They were both caught in a dialogue charged with emotions, a confrontation of broken hearts and tough realities that neither wanted to face but both knew they must address.

From here, Jade blinks, lying in bed, and upon closing her eyes, she sees herself walking through the clinic's hallways. She pictures her grandmother being moved out of the room assigned to her. She is covered by the sheets up to her face. Jade is in shock but cannot express the intensity of her tears.

Jade finds herself enveloped in a mix of emotional exhaustion and worry as the artificial light of the clinic barely illuminates the dim hallways. A nurse attempts to comfort her by appealing to an unexpected solution to her problems.

— "Don't you think you should use the money that your ex-boyfriend stole from you? You could leave the country with your new love, start a new life, and pay for the funeral expenses. It would be an opportunity to escape all of this." —

Jade, with her eyes filled with determination and sadness, firmly refuses.

— "I can't do that... I just can't base my new life on something as shady as that money." — she says, astonished.

Suddenly, Jade stares intently at the nurse, with a penetrating gaze full of questions.

— "What money has Everth stolen?" — she asks, worried.

Before receiving an answer, Jade wakes from her trance, finding herself in the dim light of her hospital room. Everth, concerned, looks at her affectionately and caresses her face, hoping to calm her.

— "Everything will be alright. I will help you pay for the clinic." — he says tenderly.

— "Even if I don't want to be your wife anymore." — she replies incredulously.

— "You will always be mine, and I will always remember you as my treasure." — he assures her confidently.

Jade's mind remains unsettled by her dreams and thoughts.

— "What money have you stolen?" — she says directly, beginning to question him.

Everth's expression changes, a mix of surprise and bewilderment.

— "Uh... how do you know?" — he asks, surprised.

— "I think my grandmother told me in a dream. She also said she wants to die so that I can travel happily and start over. Now my grandmother is the only living relative I have left and care about." — she comments confidently.

Everth, shocked by the revelation, confesses:

— "Yes. This afternoon the neighbors were murdered. Probably a settling of accounts. They left the money. They ran out. When I entered the apartment, I was very scared; I heard his wife screaming and thought it was you. I went in and saw the bodies. I took the money and left." — he comments victoriously.

— "They had many enemies." —

— "I know." — he comments, confident in himself.

Jade, leaning towards him: "I'm glad you're okay."

— "You can use part of the money to pay Iván back for what he lent you for the bail." — she tells him affectionately.

— "That would be the most sensible thing." — he says sarcastically.

The two dive into an atmosphere of complicity and concern, facing together the challenges that lie ahead.

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