Chapter 2

My breath literally paused in my throat. I could feel the room starting to spin around me, my vision blurring .

  I was seconds away from passing out, but I forced myself to search on the officer's face, very much in an upset, hopeless way for any sign that this was a mistake.

  Maybe some kind of misunderstanding?

  "A... arrest?" The word came out unclearly , my voice barely a whisper. "What are you talking about?"

  But he was steady, his eyes cold and serious. There was no doubt in his voice.

  " Sophie Hendricks , you're under arrest for drug trafficking and human exploitation . You have the right to remain silent as anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

  Before I could even find the words to respond, my wrists were pulled behind my back, the cold bite of handcuffs locking into place.

  My stomach shook and rolled around really fast as I was led out of the house...

  **********

  Before I knew it, I was standing in a courtroom .

  The judge's gavel echoed in the silence. "Will the witnesses please show themselves?"

  And then, like a twisted nightmare happening , there they were.. Bruce , my husband, and Selena , my best friend.

  I could barely hold myself together as a hot tear slipped down my cheek.

  What was this? Was I dreaming ? I couldn't make sense of any of it.

  Selena was the first to approach the podium . She climbed up, her voice steady but fake , practiced .

  " Sophie has been my best friend since college," she began, her words dripping with false honesty . "I know her too well. I've always told her to stop getting involved in drug trafficking , but she never listens . She kept pushing me to get involved, and when I refused , she started pressuring me... I didn't want anything to do with it, but she wouldn't leave me alone. I've tried to help her. She's always been a lost cause..."

  My chest tightened . I couldn't breathe. This was insane. Lies . All lies .

  She went on, each word a knife twisting deeper into my heart.

  And then Bruce was up, stepping forward with a look of sadness that didn't belong on his face. His voice cracked as he started his own version of our story.

  "I loved Sophie . I truly did," he said, his voice filled with a fake feeling of love. "But she changed. I tried to warn her, to help her, but she was too far gone. I never imagined she would be involved in something like this. The drugs ... the trafficking ... I didn't know what to do anymore . I even found out she was planning to bring Selena into it. It destroyed me."

  A single tear slipped down his cheek.

  I felt my heart shatter . He was crying. Crocodile tears. It was all part of his game.

  More people gave proof, one by one, each offering their own piece of this terrible puzzle , all of them singing the same twisted tune.

  Each lie stacked on top of the other, until the weight of them was crushing me.

  The judge spoke again, his voice cold and final.

  "The court has heard enough. The accused , Sophie Hendricks , is hereby sentenced to twelve years of imprisonment ."

  The words rang in my ears, felt like a permanent mark on my soul.

  And that was when everything went black.

  My body gave out, and I collapsed in the courtroom , my head spinning, the world around me fading away into.. total darkness.

  **********

  I woke up with a sharp sudden, short breath in, my head pounding as my eyes opened slowly.

  The antiseptic smell of the hospital room hit me first, followed by the sight of a blurry figure floating over, closely watching me.

  "Thank God you're awake," a nurse said, relief in her voice. "You fainted due to exhaustion , but you're okay now."

  I tried to sit up, the memories were all flooding back, but my body felt heavy, like I'd been asleep for days.

  "What... what happened?" I whispered , my voice rough-sounding.

  The nurse smiled gently. "You passed out in court. You were under a lot of stress. We had to run some tests."

  I blinked , still struggling to make sense of everything. "Tests?" I repeated, my mind racing.

  She nodded .

  "We just wanted to be thorough. And... well, we have some news. You're pregnant."

  I felt like the ground dropped out from under me.

  Pregnant?

  I echoed , my heart hammering in my chest. "I...I'm pregnant?"

  The nurse looked uncomfortable but nodded . "Yes, you are."

  My world tilted again, the shock sinking in.

  How could this be real? I was carrying his child... the man who had just destroyed my life.

  **********

  Five years later...

  The door to my cell swung open, and the ward's voice echoed down the hallway . " Sophie Hendricks ."

  I straightened , the name rolling off her tongue like it was my own. Yes, it used to be mine.

  It had been five long years since I'd been Sophie Hendricks , but now I was Elena Maxwell .. a woman reborn .

  I followed her down the hallway , the air feeling different. Lighter. Brighter . It was as if the weight of my past had been lifted, replaced by something new, something untouchable .

  After the necessary formalities were completed, the chains of my former life were finally removed. I was handed over to the world outside.

  A smooth and shiny black SUV waited in front of the gates , extremely clean and powerful. Standing by it, her back straight and her personality cool, was the woman who had planned my rise. She was the one who had made sure that I'd never just survive.. but grow and do well. A fancy figure, extremely clean in a custom-designed suit that screamed wealth and power.

  Her smile was sharp, but her eyes held warmth that only I knew was honest.

  "It's good to have you back," she said, her voice steady but welcoming .

  I inhaled deeply, the fresh air of the real world filling my lungs after five years of darkness. Everything about this moment felt different. This was freedom.

  I quickly looked around, the reality of my new life sinking in. I was no longer just another face in the crowd. I was rich. Very rich. A powerful woman in my own right.

  "Ready to pull this off?" she asked, smiling.

  I turned to face her, my lips curving into a confident smile. "More than ever."