Second chance at happiness

In a forsaken corner of the city stood an old forgotten cabin. Inside the wooden cabin that was dark, dingy and stinky, a figure was slouched on the floor like a piece of rag. The wind howled relentlessly protesting the injustice and brutality, but the cloudy sky seemed like heavens closed its eyes.

The sound of horse hoofbeats broke the symphony of the lamenting wind. A decent looking carriage moved through the dark night towards the cabin. The horses neighed as they were halted to stop.

Inside the cabin, the figure struggled to get up at the sound of a carriage stopping outside the cabin. Hope ignited in her heart; She was unwilling to believe… maybe, just maybe…...

The door was pushed open, and a well- dressed man and woman entered.

“Jason….” The figure called out in a feeble attempt.

“Not dead yet?” A disdainful male voice sounded.

“Why?” Mira raised her head painfully with every ounce of her strength. She had to know…. She had to know why the man she loved from the age of 10, the man who circled around her all day professing his love, the man who chased after her despite her parents marrying her off to another, the man who finally married her braving all odds would personally send her to the clutches of hell…

“Why?” A low female chuckle that made the hairs on your hand stand came from beside Jason. She moved from the dark to the lighted area of the dimly lit cabin “Did you really think so highly of yourself?”

“Did you really think Jas would want an ugly duckling like yourself if not for your father’s seal?”

“Alina??” Mira shook her head in confusion. ‘Why was her best friend here with her husband?’

“Darling, I told you she’s a fool.” Alina laughed melodiously as she snuggled into Jason’s arms. Her eyes were lit up with a vicious glint.

“You…. you told me you were going to…” Mira coughed a mouthful of blood as she turned a sorrowful gaze towards Alina. Her weak body couldn’t hold her soul any longer. She couldn’t understand why her best friend who told her that she was going to submit the petition to the king to review her father’s case was here.

“Let me enlighten you.” Alina smiled victoriously as she left Jason’s embrace and walked closer to Mira.

“Mira…. Mira…. Mira…. My dear friend.” She called in ridicule as she squatted in front of Mira.

“I and Jason have been together for more than ten years.” Her lips curled higher in ridicule. “Even when you were circling around him, he was warming my bed. But we needed the seal in your father’s hand for him to take over Zumerong estate.”

“Your stepmother, poor Ursula was actually just looking out for you. She probably knew my intention.” Alina shrugged “That’s why she scolded you and forced you to stay away from me.”

“As for you, you are a fool, that’s why you believed me and revolted against the one woman who truly cared about you.”

“The reason she used her life as bait to threaten your father and arranged for your marriage to that self-righteous bastard Jackson was because she saw us together in bed one day when she returned home early.”

“That bastard…. What did he see in you to be so infatuated that he only wanted you to be happy?” Alina’s eyes shown with jealousy and hatred. She thought of the moment he insulted her when she tried to throw herself at him. She didn’t love him; she just didn’t want Mira to be happy and wanted her to be left with her leftovers.

“Who asked him to forfeit a toast?” She laughed viciously although her voice was just a whisper, only the two of them could hear “That’s why I dragged him to the ditches…. Pity, he still didn’t know what’s good for him.”

Mira clutched her head as she heard Alina’s vicious comment. Her head was filled with images of a man blocking the attack of the vicious men who bought her here. He used his last breath to shield her before his lifeless body fell to the ground.

“No…no….no….” Mira clutched her head shaking desperately.

“Did you remember?” Alina narrowed her snake-like eyes in delight. The more Mira was in pain, the happier she felt.

“I got Lotta to drug him, that was why he was weak and couldn’t hold off those people…ha….ha…ha…. that idiot gave up everything for you…. ha…ha…ha…. Did you know that he was thrown out of his job because he took the blame for your treachery?” Alina narrowed her eyes viciously “I thought I would be done with you once the Slegh family scam was bought to light.” She looked disdainfully at Mira from between her fingers that she was admiring “But that idiot took the fall without implicating you.”

“Why …. Why did you do this?”

“Because we are both fathers’ daughters and yet he only has you in his eyes…. So, I will take everything from him.” Her eyes burned with hatred “His days are coming to an end… ha…ha…ha… he is quite miserable in prison, did you know?” She feigned a sorrowful expression “He has been convicted of treason against king and country. No one can save him now.”

“No…. no…. no…” Mira shook her head in disbelief. She couldn’t believe her righteous and kind father would do something like this.

“Of course, he didn’t do it…. He has been too muddle-headed since Ursula’s death. It was easy for us to manipulate him to place his seal in all the wrong places.” Alina laughed.

“Do you know who killed Ursula?” Her lips curled up cruelly “You…”

“No…no….no….” Mira shook her head again. She hated Ursula due to Alina’s twisted advises but she would never kill anyone. “You’re lying… Ursula killed herself.”

“Ha…. ha….. ha….” Alina shook her head and sneered “You are too naïve…. Why would she kill herself? Heh! The bitch wanted my mother’s position…”

“That bitch was trying to save you with her last breath.” Alina clenched her fists in anger “Another miscalculation. She figured that she had been poisoned and hastily made the confession note so that no one would even suspect…. But the poison that killed her was the poison that you mixed in her milk.”

“No … no….no…” Mira shook her head miserably as she thought back to the fateful night “That powder…. You…. you told me ….. was sleeping powder…”

“I lied” Alina smiled.

“Oh god…oh god…. What sin!” Mira cried miserably; she feebly lifted her head to look at Jason “Why did you??”

“You are not worthy.” Jason turned his head in hatred “You are an unclean, unvirtuous women who can split your legs for anyone.”

Mira shook her head in disbelief. She didn’t believe that this was her beloved man speaking…. She couldn’t believe that she kept her chastity for this demon denying her rightful husband; the one who gave up even his life for her a few hours ago even after she ditched him mercilessly…. She deserved this… it was payback. She no longer felt miserable. She raised her tear-filled eyes to stare into his and asked with her voice filled with heartache “Have you ever loved me?”

Jason pursed his lips. He did… he loved the pure, innocent girl that twirled around him, chattering non-stop around him…. but he couldn’t tolerate her two-faced personality, he couldn’t tolerate her affair with another man while she was with him. He wouldn’t have known if Alina hadn’t enlightened him. He decided to pay her back 10-fold worse than she did to him…. However, he didn’t know that this was a trap dug by the soft-hearted person by his side…. he believed her whole-heartedly.

“Heh! I have been a fool…. But I deserve this! I deserve this for the way I treated my ex-husband.” Mira chuckled miserably.

“I have loved you…. but what did you give me?” Jason roared in anger. He couldn’t bear to see her eyes filled with disgust towards him, perhaps in a corner of his heart he still loved her. He couldn’t bear to see her suffer, that was why he agreed to Alina’s suggestion of taking her out of the equation, to put her out of her misery. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Alina would bring her here and torture her…. Nor did he know that Alina had already gotten 5 men to brutally violate her.

“What did I do?” Mira laughed in ridicule, the pain in her heart evident in her eyes “I disdained the one man who loved me despite knowing I never loved him. I personally dragged the entire Slegh estate to hell so that you could be glorified.” Mira shook her head “I am truly a vile creature…”

“What about Jeffrey from the manor who came to learn at the Parson’s home with us? Did you think of me when you slept around with him and the other rich lords?” Jason scorned as he spit towards her face “All the while acting virtuous in front of me…”

Mira looked at him in shock before her lips curled up in disdain “And all of this was told to you by your virtuous lover?”

“Ha…. ha….ha….” Mira laughed hysterically “I have received my retribution… and so will you…. I will watch from beyond my grave.”

“Mira dear…. I won’t be killing you yet…. You are still useful.” Alina dragged her nails on Mira’s face before speaking a sinfully seductive tone “The high counsellor has taken a fancy to your lowly flesh. I will poison you and send you to his bed so that Jas can get the contract for the grains of the army barracks before we send you to meet your family on the other side.”

“Alina….” Jason frowned. This was not what they agreed.

“Jas” She called softly, putting on a pitiful expression “I know you are kindhearted … but we need this badly….” She pursed her lips feigning distress “Our kids are on the way. We can’t let anyone bully them. This is the first time the contract has been opened to commoners. We have a chance…. we must…. ..” She bit her lips “Never mind. We won’t …. but….have you thought about how we will live?” She continued with a sorrowful expression “We still don’t have the seal and the bastard didn’t name you as his successor.” A sob escaped her lips “If she didn’t ….. then why did he resign his post and give it to that scum, his step-nephew?”

“Let’s go.” Jason pulled her into his embrace as he comforted her. He made up his mind as he was reminded of the last straw. He hoped to take his father-in-law’s position after his resignation and then frame him but who would have thought that he would name Ursula’s orphaned nephew as his successor and resign?

Mira watched their display of affection with resentment. She held her head high till they left the room.

She slouched back on the ground crying miserably as the door closed. Even with the downpour of rain, Jason heard her miserable wails. He felt a strange pang in his heart and looked back at the closed door in doubt ‘Was he wrong? Did he go overboard?’

Mira wasn’t lamenting her fate…. She deserved it…… she was regretful of the lives she wronged with her blind faith… She regretted every action; she swore she would make amends in her next life…. She prayed for a chance to right those she wronged before deciding not to be a steppingstone for the scum man and woman. She smashed her head against the wall apologizing to her step mum and Jackson whom she had wronged the most.

Lighting struck down on earth…. It struck the cabin, and it cracked mid-way…. Striking straight at Mira, but was blocked by the pendant on her neck, a crack appeared on the flawless stone. Mira didn’t know any of this… her consciousness was slowly slipping into the darkness. Blood dripped down her forehead and into the crack in her pendant…..