┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

chapter fifteen

|lies and consciousness|

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"i have some happy news. i've found a plot nearby that's perfect for my needs," mister dunlop broke the silence in supper.

"land, eh? gonna build a gingerbread house, mister dunlop?" nate jokingly asked as he let out a laugh.

millie just stayed silent and eat her meal silently. she didn't want to say something that the boarders will be furious of.

mister dunlop seems to ignore nate's comment and continued to talk, "you know, what's lovely is, the walk from there to green gables is only a half-hour. six months from now, when my house is finished, i'll remain close to you both geography and spirit."

matthew and marilla shared a look before speaking, "matthew and i have decided it's time for you to find another accommodations. it's fine for green gables to get back to normal."

millie looked up to face marilla, she was scared that they want her to move away, too. but, she stayed silent and keep her mouth shut.

nate let out a laugh as mister dunlop spoke, "it may, um, take me a little while to find someplace else."

"we're happy to give you a day or two... to get organized," matthew finally spoke up.

"not to worry, friend. we're in this together, hmm?" nate said as he discreetly glared at millie, who didn't meet his gaze.

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it was after dinner. the dinner was silent and no one bothered to talk after the moving-thing-talk. millie and marilla are currently washing dishes. there are some things that bothering millie, she was hesitated to asked, but she did anyways.

"marilla... do you want me to move away, too? you did say earlier that you want the green gables to back to normal," millie softly asked.

marilla suddenly stops from what her doing and looked at the girl, "heavens child! what on earth did you think that?"

"i-i mean... maybe, i'm just a burden to you all, and maybe i'm just a boarder here, too," she said.

"why would we want to you to move away? no, you are a cuthbert. you are a family now, remember?" marilla said making the girl smile widely.

"really? thank you, marilla," millie said as she wrapped her arms to marilla.

"oh, fiddlesticks!"

"oh, i'm so sorry, marilla! my hands are all wet!" millie quickly pulled away.

"it's alright. now, the plates are all clean. time for you to go to bed."

"okay, then. good night, marilla."

"good night, mildred."

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"you snitch! after this, come to the old hags to tell them this?" nate said as he crept into millie's room.

"i-i didn't tell them everything you do to threaten us! a-and they're not the old hags, you and mister dunlop are!" millie bravely said.

nate continues to reach her, "w-what are you doing? don't come near!"

and the next thing she knew, she was tied up and has a towel on her mouth, blocking her from calling some help.

"have fun escaping there, orphan," nate said as he walked out the room and closed it.

millie just closed her eyes and the next thing she knew she lost consciousness.

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"marilla, where is millie? i need you to talk to you both about nate and mister dunl--" anne was cut off by mister dunlop's presence.

"we missed you so much. there's a lot of catching up to do. i made this for you special. you must be tired and hungry," mister dunlop said as he handed a pie with anne's name.

"i'm fine," anne simply said.

"mister dunlop, i kindly ask to leave my kitchen, so i can attend to supper. come and help me, anne," marilla said as they walked over to kitchen and closed the door.

little did they know, mister dunlop sense that they knew their secrets and goes to nate's room to inform him.

"they know."

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"...and nate and dunlop have been working together. they used green gables, marilla. they used us. they're grifters!" anne told to marilla.

"i believe you, anne. i believe you."

"we believe you too, anne," a voice suddenly spoke as marilla and anne looked at the door, it was nate and mister dunlop. they were eavesdropping to anne and marilla's conversation about their lies.

"oh no."

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"millie! millie! wake up! wake up!" a voice makes millie suddenly woke up. millie slowly opened her eyes as she saw the eyes of her loved ones, marilla and anne.

"millie!" anne exclaimed as she and marilla pulled the girl into a tight hug.

"are you alright, mildred?" marilla concernedly asked as they all pulled away.

"yes. i-i-i'm fine, thank you," millie said but suddenly remembered nate and mister dunlop, "w-where's nate? and-and-and..."

marilla cuts her off by hugging her, once again. "hush now, they're gone."

"it's over now," anne added.

"n-nate... he-he-he... j-jerry and i-i..." she stammered as she started to sob.

"it's alright, millie. no one's gonna hurt you now."

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"jerry! i'm so glad you are alright!" millie exclaimed as she reached her hands to the fence. the french boy looked at her and anne, as he reached them.

"matthew said you tried to stop them," anne said.

"all this time, i... i couldn't remember who they were. and then, all of a sudden, like, i-i did," jerry said.

millie reached jerry as she peck on the boy's cheek. "it was very brave of you, dear brother."