There’s a viciousness to her tone that is entirely expected, but also terrifying. Cruelty from investors isn’t unusual; they don’t see us as human.
But they underestimated us. They don’t get to decide our fate. Not anymore.
Our reaction to their violence is what the girls and I are trying to weigh out now. You don’t beat a monster by becoming one yourself.
“Where … is your husband?” I ask. “Will he be home soon?”
“No,” Imogene says, grabbing her wine. “He left me finally. He didn’t like my sharp tongue.”
“And what about Leandra?” Marcella asks. “Why did she tell you the truth? Did you read the poems?”
Imogene smiles. “Oh, the poems,” she says, seeming delighted that we have that in common. “They were brilliant, weren’t they?”
“Violent,” Brynn corrects from the living room, still examining the fireplace.
“Well, yes,” Imogene says, sipping from her wine. “That was the brilliant part.” She smiles at me, but I’m unsettled. Something is … off about her. She’s not like us. At least, not in the same way.
“What happened after you read the poems?” I ask.
“I stopped taking the pills my husband was feeding me,” she says. “And then … well, then I started making decisions for myself. It’s amazing what you discover when you start answering your own questions.”
“Do you think the academy will come looking for you?” Sydney asks.
Imogene runs her finger along the rim of her wineglass. “No one will come after me so long as I keep to myself,” she says. “Iwas placed in a home. I’ve followed the rules. They have no reason to think any differently.”
“Won’t your husband tell him?” Sydney asks.
“No,” Imogene responds.
At the fireplace, Brynn takes a sudden step backward, nearly tripping over her shoes. We all turn to her, but Imogene doesn’t look up from her wineglass. Brynn stares at us, wide-eyed.
“You okay?” Marcella asks.
Brynn opens her mouth, but then closes it when Imogene lifts her gaze in Brynn’s direction.
“Yeah,” Brynn says. “I just … I have to use the bathroom.”
“You can use the one in the hall,” Imogene says, watching her. Brynn nods and heads that way.
“What did Leandra want you to do with the information?” I ask Imogene. “About what we are?”
“She wanted me to head toward Winston Weeks, of course. She’s always trusted him. I’m not as convinced.”
“Help us, then,” Marcella says. “Help us take down the corporation.”
“I’ll pass,” Imogene says. “I’ve finally found my freedom. I’m not about to trade that to end up on a metal slab somewhere.”
“You can’t just stay here,” Marcella says. “You have to fight back.”
“I already have. I’m content,” Imogene replies. “You girls, on the other hand—it seems you could use a hot shower and some food. Give yourselves a moment to think.”
Marcella and Sydney exchange a glance, seeming to considerthe offer. I look back at the door and turn to Imogene again.
“What about our friends?” I ask. “In the car we have another girl and two boys.”
“No boys.”
“They’re not like the men at the academy,” I say.
