Anne stood silently staring at a 3x3 meter all-white room that Leon was currently inhabited. At this moment, Leon was sitting on the floor with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring straight at the white wall in front of him without making a sound for a long time, almost 20 minutes.
After shouting Steffi's name many times at the police station, Leon suddenly laughed and talked to himself while pointing at the wall where he was. Leon's behavior immediately made his cellmates felt uncomfortable. They then asked that Leon be transferred because he continued to do unreasonable things. The police who could not calm Leon finally took him to a mental hospital for examination. After being under the supervision of a psychiatrist from a designated hospital, Leon was finally declared to have a mental disorder and had to receive intensive treatment at the hospital and could not be mixed with other prisoners for fear that it would create an even bigger mess.
"It seems that Steffi's death made him very sad. That's why he lost his sanity like this," Erick said quietly when he was in front of Leon's room.
Alice shrugged her shoulders. "Leave him alone, this is what he deserves. Criminals seem to really deserve karma from God."
"Alice," Jack growled quietly.
"Why? Is there something wrong with what I said? No, sir. Apart from hurting Anne, he also injured his mistress who became his wife. The man's greed in the end made him get nothing. It's sad, but that's it, he deserves it," said Alice again. Even though she wasn't one of Leon's victims, but Alice really hated that man.
Everyone in front of Leon's room fell silent, including Jack, who had previously warned Alice. All of Alice's words were true. Leon in the end got nothing for trying to ruin the marriage of the woman he dumped. It was very tragic that Leonardo Ganke ended up like this and Anne felt sad to see him helpless. Anne who knew what Leon's childhood was like from her grandmother felt sorry to see the first man she loved ended up in a mental hospital.
"Then it's better if we leave the patient, he must rest. It's a pity, since last night he hasn't slept," said a psychiatrist, breaking the silence.
Luis smiled. "Okay Doc, may I know where the cafeteria is? Looks like I need coffee right now."
The middle-aged male doctor smiled. "Let me show you."
Luis nodded his head. He then touched Erick's shoulder giving him a code to leave the place. Erick, who understood the code given by Luis, then walked away from the place with Alice, leaving Jack and Anne still standing, staring at Leon.
The love triangle story that had plagued Jack and Anne's marriage for years was now over, because the main bully now didn't have any power to disturb them anymore. There was a feeling of joy that Jack couldn't express at the moment.
"Babe..."
Anne took a deep breath as Jack's hand touched her shoulder. "Leave me, Jack, I want to stay here a little longer."
"Are you sure?"
Anne turned to Jack with a forced smile. "Leon won't hurt me, trust me."
"Okay, I'll give you a little more time."
"Thanks."
Jack smiled. He slowly moved his hand towards Anne's nape pulling her closer to him. Jack gave Anne a soft kiss on the lips. "I'm waiting in the cafeteria."
With slightly heavy steps, Jack then left from the 5th floor where Leon's room was, leaving Anne alone with Leon. Currently, Anne and Leon were separated by a door made of strong bullet-proof glass that couldn't easily be shattered. Therefore, Jack felt a little at ease leaving his woman with the man she once loved. Jack realized that Anne and Leon's relationship couldn't be easily removed, there were other things that bind them both. Another fact that Jack knew was that Leon was Anne's first love, who was still very stupid and innocent back then.
Once Jack disappeared behind the elevator that took him to the cafeteria following the others, Anne then walked closer to the glass separating her from Leon. With trembling hands, Anne moved her hand towards the glass.
"Leon, can you hear me?" said Anne quietly. She was sure her voice could be heard by Leon. The reason was that in their dividing glass, there were currently about five small holes that serve as a source of ventilation as well as a place to communicate with patients inside.
Leon did not respond to Anne's words, he was still in his position.
Seeing no response from Leon made Anne's eyes feel hot. Even though Anne was the one who had received a big wound from Leon, Anne still didn't expect an end like this to happen to Leon.
"Steffi, the last time I spoke to her she left a message for you."
Hearing Steffi's name being mentioned immediately made Leon react and this was completely beyond Anne's expectation. Leon quickly walked closer to Anne towards the glass and put both hands on the glass with a fierce look at Anne. It was a look that Anne had never seen before, not even during their marriage.
"Steffi, she has forgiven you. She said she had asked God to return to be your wife in the next life," said Anne again.
Silence. There was no answer or other response from Leon. His red eyes were still staring intently at Anne with his lips wide open. It seemed like Leon wanted to speak but his voice was caught in his throat, looking very tormented and making Anne feel even more sorry for him.
Unbeknownst to Anne, tears rolled down her cheeks, even though at the time when Anne was dishonorably divorced by Leon in Germany a few years ago, Anne had sworn not to cry for Leon again. But this time Anne seemed to have broken her own oath.
"STEFFI ..."
Anne nodded her head quickly as soon as Leon said Steffi's name. "Yes Steffi, your wife. She has forgiven you, Leon. So you don't have to be like this, you don't have to torture yourself. Go back to the way you used to be, like the Leon I know. Steffi must not like seeing you like this, Leon."
Slowly, Leon's tears began to drip down his face with an expression that hadn't changed. He looked terrible, but it actually made Anne happy, because it turned out that Leon still hadn't completely changed. His consciousness was still tormented. Anne's hopes were getting bigger now.
"You don't have to torture yourself. I forgive you too, Leon. Grandma Catherine will be sad to see you like this. So please don't torture yourself anymore."
Hearing his grandmother's name was mentioned made Leon's tears flow even more. He had not heard his grandmother's name in a long time. The sound of his sobs even now could be heard. It seemed that Anne was right. Leon's consciousness had not completely disappeared.
"I'm sorry, Anne. I wronged you," Leon said quietly, using German very clearly. "You deserve to be happy with your husband."
Anne covered her lips with both of her hands. She couldn't believe Leon would talk to her like that especially considering how Leon acted a moment ago. The sincere smile on Leon's face made Anne even more touched. Never in her life had she seen an expression like this from Leon, from the man who made her heart flutter for the first time when she saw Leon for the first time.
"Go home, Anne, this is not your place."
"Leon..."
Leon moved his hand across the glass trying to touch Anne's face from behind the glass. "You are the most beautiful mistake in my life, I apologize once again."
Anne bit her lower lip hard, trying not to cry louder. If only Leon had been like this in the past, maybe Anne would not have turned away from him. He was so gentle and warm.
With his left hand, Leon wiped his tears. "Go home, I'm tired. I want to sleep."
"Okay, I'll go home. You take good care of yourself. After this, you can get out of this place, Leon."
Leon smiled and nodded his head. Anne wiped her tears and started to walk away from the front of Leon's room. The tightness that had been squeezing her chest had disappeared. Anne was happy that Leon was still the same as before.
"Wait for me, Steffi..."
To be continued
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel