TELEGRAM CHAT:
Kaguro: I think... she was electrocuted.
Bachi: Wha—what? Is that real?
Kaguro: Yeah. It's confirmed.
Kamiko: What will I even say to him? That his biological mother is dead?
Kaguro: She was a piece of shit who never cared about her son's condition. After everything she did, I don't think she deserves sympathy.
Bachi: Yeah, honestly... you're right.
Kashimo: Kamiko, she didn't even do anything to you. She stabbed me. She poisoned me. I was minutes away from dying. And now you're worrying about how to tell your adopted brother that his abuser is dead?
Kaguro: For real. If anything, Alan should have PTSD after what she did. We're lucky he even survived it.
Kamiko: ...Your point stands out. I guess I needed that perspective.
Kaguro: Anyway, I gotta go. Take care.
Bachi: Same. Catch you all later.
Kashimo: Peace.
Kamiko: Bye...
---
Three Hours Before Execution – Michelle's Final Call
Michelle sat alone in the prison cell . The heavy silence was broken by a sudden ringing from the prison's call booth. Her hands, cuffed tightly, shook slightly as she picked up the receiver.
Johnson (on the line): Remember me?
Michelle: How could I not?
Johnson: I... I want to see you. One last time. I want to see my child.
Michelle: What time?
Johnson: I'm already in Japan. Close to your house. Give me one hour.
Michelle: Fine. One hour it is.
As the call ended, a nearby prison guard eyed her cautiously.
Guard: That your last wish?
Michelle (pleading): Please. Let me see him. My ex-husband... He's coming. Just this one thing before I die.
Guard: And what if you try to run? You expect me to just hand you your freedom?
Michelle: No! Keep my hands locked. Bring two officers. Tie me down if you must. But please... just let me meet him.
The guard remained silent, conflicted. After a few moments, he turned and walked away. Michelle's repeated requests pushed the staff to forward her appeal to the higher-ups. Miraculously, they agreed — under heavy supervision and strict conditions.
---
One Last Meeting
Michelle arrived at her old home, flanked by two officers and still in restraints. Johnson stood at the gate, older now, carrying deep lines of stress and grief on his face.
Michelle (softly): I... I regret my mistakes now.
Johnson: How's Alan? What mistakes?
Michelle: I injured him. Nearly killed him. I was out of my mind.
Johnson (eyes wide): Wait, what?! What do you mean?
Michelle (voice cracking): He got 76 percent... and I lost control. I... I stabbed him. I poured acid on him. I'm not the same person anymore.
Johnson (teeth gritted): You stabbed our son because he got a 76? Are you mad?!
Michelle: I didn't know what I was doing. I've changed...
Johnson: Changed? You nearly destroyed him.
Michelle: That's why I wanted to see you. Before it all ends.
Johnson: Where's the woman I once knew? We built a life together.
Michelle (tears in her eyes): I miss those days. I miss us.
Johnson turned his head away, unable to look her in the eyes. But a single tear slipped down his cheek.
Johnson: Me too.
Their five-minute meeting ended quietly. Michelle was escorted away, and Johnson watched the gates close behind her, his fists clenched.
---
Execution and Aftermath
Two hours later, Michelle sat strapped to the electric chair. She had said her final words, made her final confession, and now stared blankly ahead.
The switch was pulled.
Electricity surged through her body. Her muscles convulsed. Her breathing stopped. Her heartbeat failed.
Michelle was gone.
---
Johnson sat on a bench outside a bus station when he got the call.
Caller: Michelle... she's gone. Executed two hours ago.
Johnson (silent for a moment): S-she was the only person I wasn't afraid of. Even after our divorce... she haunted me, but I never feared her. We were supposed to rise from nothing together... and now she's ashes.
He hung up the phone and sat in stunned silence, the weight of the years crashing down on him.
---
Flashback – Five Years Earlier in Cuba
Michelle: We have to leave, Johnson! Cuba's turning into a dictatorship. You've seen what happens in North Korea. Do you want that for Alan?
Johnson: Michelle, we don't have the funds to leave. If we emigrate, we'll be bankrupt! It's not safe, but it's home. We'll manage.
Michelle: We'll go to Japan. And if you don't agree... I'll expose the domestic abuse you did against me in court.
Johnson (shocked): Are you serious right now?
Michelle: Dead serious.
Days later, Michelle filed a court case in Cuba. She accused Johnson of abuse — a charge that put him in jail for three months. Whether it was true or not didn't matter anymore. The court ruled in her favor. She gained full custody of Alan and left Cuba for Japan.
---
Johnson's Breaking Point
Sitting now in a dark apartment room in Tokyo, Johnson stared at a wall covered in news clippings — headlines about Michelle's trial, Alan's hospitalization, and the investigation into illegal drugs. Photos of police officers, lawyers, and even Kamiko and Bachi — all taped to the wall.
He opened a locked drawer.
Inside: a handgun, a makeshift bomb diagram, and a map of the court building.
His eyes were red. His hands trembled.
Johnson (to himself): They all ruined it. The police... the judges... even Alan. Every single one of them was a step toward her execution. If Michelle died, it's because of them.
They took my son. They took my wife. They took everything.
Johnson's descent had begun.
And this time, he didn't care who got hurt.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...