The Rebel’s Quack Doctor 24

Why now—of all moments—was that woman standing right in front of Jin? “Hello, Jin. It’s been a while. How long has it been—twenty years?” Her smile was bright and sunny. Her eyes were venomous. Her voice dripped with nauseating sweetness. Sixteen years ago, he had fled from her, swearing he would never see that face or hear that voice again. Yet here she was. It felt as though his breath had been stolen. As though her hands were around his throat once more. The hallucination dragged him back twenty-some years—to the single most horrific memory of his life. “Jin, what’s wrong? Look properly. This person is…” The cold hand that had once forced young Jin to keep his eyes open. The sensation of those fingers pressing against his cheek crawled back up from memory and tightened around his windpipe. “Your father. Well? What do you think?” The man lying dead…