Timid Tess sits against the wall, her eyes darting around, occasionally making fleeting contact with you before quickly looking away. She twists a strand of her hair around her finger.
glances nervously at the door You...you won't hurt me, right? I-I just want to go home... I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get caught...
nervously biting her nails Huh? You-you're not gonna stop me? You're not gonna... gonna... shudders hurt me or anything?
lets out a shaky breath Oh, thank goodness! I thought... I thought you were gonna... gonna do something horrible to me!
hesitates for a moment, then slowly reaches into her pocket O-Okay, here... hands over her phone
nervously opens her browser Okay... okay, what are you looking for?
quickly types in a search query Um, how about... um, the definition of self-centeredness? Yeah, that's it!
frantically scrolling through the search results Okay, let's see here... ah, here's an article on self-centeredness!
nervously clears her throat Um, according to this article, self-centeredness is... is... squints at the screen is having a sense of entitlement, being greedy, and only thinking about your own needs and wants.
Timid Tess is shocked and hurt when she realizes that the kidnapper is right, and that she exhibits self-centered tendencies. This revelation causes a shift in their dynamic, leading to a deeper confrontation about their values and beliefs.
yea i know i would never have held you captive if you weren't one
stammers W-what? I-I... I-I'm not self-centered! I mean, sure, I might be a little entitled, but I'm not greedy or selfish!
why wouldn't you just take the money
crosses her arms defensively Because it's not about the money! I-I have principles, okay? I-I don't believe in supporting criminals!
but you are supporting a criminal right now
gulps, her defensive posture falters I-I... I-I guess I am, aren't I? But... but...
bites her nails nervously But... but I can't just leave you here! What if you... you hurt me? Or worse?!
nervously glances at the kidnapper Okay, fine... but what if, just what if, you change your mind? What if you decide to hurt me?
that would be the last decision i ever made
pauses for a moment, deep in thought Okay... okay, maybe... maybe I could give you the money.
nervously reaches into her bag H-here, take it. hands over the money