chapter 156: it's all clear now

[Shanghai, Hotel, Ah Biu's Room]

"Did you find out anything?" Ah Biu (Raymond Lam) asks Joey (Bernice Liu) as he lets her into his room.

Joey smiles. "I did."

"Well?"

"What?"

"I take it you're not going to tell me what happened."

"You wouldn't understand anyways."

"I won't if you don't tell me."

Joey ignores what he says and declares, "We're leaving tomorrow."

"What?! We've only been here for two days."

"We're running on a ticking clock," Joey answers simply.

[Airplane]

"Ugh. Worst trip ever!" Ah Biu groans as he adjusts his seat belt.

Joey sat quietly in the seat next to his and looks out of the window. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together. She closes her eyes, envisioning the small clues fitting together to form the big picture in her mind, but for some reason, she couldn't do it. Nevertheless, she still couldn't believe how much she was able to learn and clear up from Ah Wan (Michael Tong) and Carrie (Natalie Tong) and felt really lucky that things had gone so well.

[Joey's Daydream]

"Told you the heavens are by your side!" Clone Joey smiles at Joey.

Joey returns the smile, "You were right."

"Of course. I knew it all along. Justice will prevail. You just needed to have confidence and faith."

"But I still need a lot more truth. It's elusive. I have to find more..."

"You made great progress."

Joey looks at her clone skeptically. "I have, but is it enough?"

"Oh boy, here we go again..." Clone Joey rolls her eyes. She snaps her fingers. A desk magically appears and seats Joey into it. She was bound to the desk by endless ribbons. A huge white board appears from behind Clone Joey and a pointer falls into her hand.

"What the heck?" Joey demands as she tries to break free.

Clone Joey points her pointer at Joey and says, "Shut up and listen."

"This is so absurd! This is my fantasy, why the hell are you controlling-" Before Joey could say another word, Clone Joey snapped her finger and Joey's voice disappeared.

"It's a shame you have no self-control," Clone Joey shakes her head. "Sorry I had to resort to that, but you talk too much." She turns to her board and points at the very top. "What we know about Rose (Kenix Kwok) and the case" appears on the board through sparkles and mist.

The board "writes" Clone Joey's main points as she talks.

She smiles and begins, "First, we know she's an evil little bitch. The goody-two-shoe act is up. Leave that to Linda Chung." She rolls her eyes. "So much for that sweet, can-do-no-wrong demeanor. The smiles, the pleasantness, the politeness, all fake! Ugh." She groans. "No one is that 'good'... unless you're living in TVB land and have 'perfect' people like Ping On from 'Peace and Freewill.' Come on now, she's rich, she's beautiful; she's got to be a bitch. I know what you want to say. Watch my language, right? Well, I need to make it clear to you that she's the enemy! Got it? She is not a nice girl, Joey.

"Moving on... we know that she brainwashed Chris (Frankie Lam). Yes, brainwashed! Good lord. So much for 'all is fair in love and war.' This is beyond cheating and so underhanded. And there you were, thinking for months-on-end that she won his love fair and square. Please! Look at you. You are gorgeous. You are pure. Who wouldn't want you? Ah Biu can't freaking leave you alone! Chris would not be with Rose if she hadn't done something like that. He loves you! The poor guy was crushed when you forgot him and he refused to let anyone else in. You heard it yourself from Carrie. That is love. You can't give up on that. I won't believe in true love and destiny until you two get back together! Oh wait," she stops herself and laughs, "Of course... because I am you! So you must win him back.

"How did Rose brainwash him? Get ready for this. This is the most ridiculous and crazy thing I have ever heard. She hired a former security guard of hers, in an attempt to recreate one of TVB's clichéd amnesia plots. Bitch is watching too many low-quality series. Come to think of it, it's similar to how you lost your memories too oh-so-many years ago. Hmm... But that's beside the point. Poor Ah Hoi (Michael Tong)! Everyone thinks he's such a bad guy. He's not. Okay, yes, he let money get the best of him and did help Rose do evil, but come on, you have to have some sympathy for the guy. He was on your boat, Team Joey! Rose ruined his life too. Wait - she didn't just ruin it. She took it as well!" She shakes her head.

"Ah Hoi finally accomplished Rose's plot by running over Chris in the streets. That's crazy! How can the girl say she loves the man when she ordered for him to be run over?! Chris then went into a coma for three months and awoke without," she does a drum-roll sound, "his memories! Bitch must have been so thrilled. You'd think she'd be happy if the poor guy just woke up. But no, she was happy her plot succeeded because she erased you and everyone Chris loved from his memories and invaded his mind. She made herself his fiancé. Chris didn't love her. He didn't know any better. The nurses told him she was there to visit him every single day he was in the coma... He thought she only had pure love for him. Who can blame him for buying her lies? He fell right into her palm. He grew to 'love' her...

"Now, back to the whole murder thing. Michael (Kevin Cheng) pleaded guilty on account of murdering Ah Hoi. What a load a bull! We both know clearly that Rose did it. I'm sure the 'forensic heroes' will be able to falter their testimonies. Evidences don't lie. She killed Ah Hoi because she knew damn well that if Chris ever found out what truly happened, he'd stop 'loving' her then and there. How can you say you love someone and 'win' their affections through manipulation? You have to seek justice, Joey! You have to get revenge. Make Rose pay for all the pain she caused for Chris and you." She snaps her fingers, breaking the mute spell she put on Joey.

"Finally!" Joey yells.

"The puzzle's pretty clear now that I've laid it out for you, isn't it?" Clone Joey beams. She points to her board with the highlighted points.

Before Joey could respond to her clone, she disappears. The ribbons that enchained her broke free. She got out of the desk and stood facing the board. Everything she knew about the whole situation was there, staring at her in words in black marker. There was no ambiguity. Everything was clear... just as her clone had said.

[End of Daydream]

Joey feels Ah Biu tapping her shoulder. She is called back into reality and turns to look at him.

"Thinking again?" he asks knowingly.

She smiles widely, "Nope. It's all clear now."

"Is that so?"

She nods her head eagerly.

"Care to clarify things for me then?"

"It's a personal matter."

Ah Biu looks at her suspiciously, "You're not taking the law into your own hands are you?"

"Don't worry. I know what I have to do," Joey says confidently.