CHAPTER 1

As I sat on the cold floor, resting against the solid bars of my cell, I reminisced about that day.

I shut my eyes and those images rushed to haunt me without even giving me a moment of rest.

The sound of her voice when she defended me in front of the police rang through my ears.

The look of shock and disappointment on my mother's face when the Judge passed his verdict that day was plastered to my eyelids so that whenever I shut my eyes to get some rest, I was reminded of how she had collapsed and died in front of me but I couldn't even do anything.

Like I could forget how I was dragged away in tears, cuffed, while my mother drew her last breath on the floors of the Court room.

I wasn't even given the privilege to hold her while she died.

I was so stupid and selfish.

I was still swimming in the guilt and shame of my expensive mistake when that harsh voice interrupted me.

"Hey, Davies!" I heard the Warden's harsh voice.

"Your fine's been paid, unfortunately."

Three hours later of paper signing and collecting my properties, I realized she wasn't kidding.

My fine had indeed been paid.

In all the three hours of begging to know who decided to save me, I got silence for response.

I could guess who it was but why wasn't he here to pick me up if he cleared my fine?

I tried calling Liam and Ava but neither of them answered their phones.

If they had bailed me then they should be here to pick me up.

I tried again for the last time but still got nothing so I gave up.

Even if I didn't want to, my growling stomach snatched my attention.

Luckily for me, there was a store close to the station so I didn't have to waste the extremely minor change I had in my purse on a Taxi.

I was too busy putting all of my attention on the foods on the shelves that I didn't notice someone coming ahead and bumped into them.

"Ouch!"

"I'm so sorry." I quickly apologized, staring at the bump.

Christ!

I had bumped into someone's pregnancy bump.

"Babe, is everything okay?"

A masculine voice.

I won't be surprised if her husband decided to haul my ass back to prison.

Wait a minute, I knew that voice!

I looked up from the bump to meet dark brown eyes; eyes I knew too well.

"Ava?"

"Allison?"

We called each other simultaneously.

For some minutes, we just stood there, staring at each other in disbelief.

"You still had three more years." Liam broke the silence.

As if having a mind of its own, my hand moved to land a resounding slap on his face.

"This is definitely a dream." I shook my head and took a step back as I tried to steady my breath.

I shut my eyes for a while and then opened them again but these two traitors were still standing in front of me.

"How are you here?" Ava asked, angry and surprised.

"So this is why you stopped visiting?"

"You get pregnant for my boyfriend while I'm in prison and then that's the shit you have to say?!" I didn't care if raising my voice was going to attract unwanted attention.

"Ex-boyfriend." Liam corrected me.

Before I could even speak, he continued speaking, "Don't act like the victim, Allison. That stupid Victim Card shit sure as hell will not work on me."

He took a bold step closer, anger radiating off him, "Your mother died because of you. Until she drew her last breath, she never believed that you had actually committed the crime."

"You think you're the victim? Do you realize what I went through just because I knew you?"

"I lost my job and had to flee Bangor for a year because of you!"

"I never realized that eventually, it would cost you the only family you have left for you to come to the realization of how reckless and stupid you are."

"Honestly, I don't think I can ever understand why I ever had anything to do with you…" he paused and placed a hand around Ava.

"....when she's been here all along."

"You should be begging and apologizing for what you caused us not trying to be the victim you're not."

His glare was so intense, I might as well have burned to ash.

I was left totally speechless.

The two people I loved and trusted had stabbed me in the back.

"How could you?" Tears filled my eyes as I stared at Ava.

"Don't you dare show your face in front of us. If you do, I'm definitely taking you back to prison where criminals like you belong." After Liam gave his threat, he grabbed Ava and walked away.

I stood there in shock, watching them leave.

They hadn't even felt the tiniest bit of remorse for their betrayal.

For so long, I had believed that they were doing everything they could to prove my innocence and get me out of prison.

I ignored the questioning and hateful stares I got from people as I ran out of the store, crying.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to the wind as it blew my hair in many different directions.

All the bottled up emotions went loose and tears began pouring from my eyes.

I had never felt so hurt and betrayed.

"I know I can't say it enough but I really am sorry."

I wished I could tell her that I wasn't guilty, that I was only framed.

I wished I could prove that I wasn't responsible for the money laundering at the office.

If I had exposed the actual criminals when I should have, maybe I wouldn't have been framed.

Maybe my mother would still be alive.

"I should be apologizing to you in person and not like this." I climbed over the rusted railing of the bridge and stood my ground, refusing to let the wind end my life before I did so myself.

I watched as the water moved in restless ripples, waiting for me.

I doubt anyone will find my body or bother to do anything about it even if they managed to stumble upon it.

"I'll come apologize to you in person, mom. I'll hold your hand and apologize, even if it's just for a second."

Steadying my breath, I closed my eyes and jumped.