2

CATALINA

I tightly shut my eyes when the sunlight hit my face as I stepped out of the lawn area of the women's penitentiary. My eyes were swollen from crying the whole night, and I couldn't believe I was sleeping on a cold floor in a small room with two unfamiliar women.

While the case is still ongoing, I need to stay here until my innocence is proven. I still couldn't move on about the passing of my father, but everyone accused me of murdering the person I cherished in my entire life.

They said he was poisoned by the food I delivered to him. But I don't remember delivering any food to my father's house. Fingerprints were discovered in the food pack, and it belonged to me, which is absurd.

My chest tightened at the fact that no one believed me. Not even my husband, who didn't visit me since I was captured out of my will.

A woman suddenly pushed me behind, causing me to walk forcibly to the lawn. They say we can play on this huge lawn for an hour under the sun. But I want to tuck myself under my sheet rather than enjoy the sunlight with these unfamiliar faces.

I'm scared.

They are criminals, and I'm afraid they will hurt me.

I sat on an empty bench, away from the others, to avoid being in trouble. As much as possible, I need to lie low and think of a way to get out of here. I hope James and Fiona are doing something to prove my innocence.

But… that smirk...

No! I just saw it differently. I'm thinking negatively, and it's not helping my mentality.

I caressed my stomach, feeling pain just by thinking that my child would suffer the most after this. I still have to tell James about my pregnancy. But he didn't even visit me or talk to me to clear these things out. Does he believe their accusations?

Damn it! I'm anxious as hell.

“Hey, pretty princess.”

I flinched and protectively covered my stomach with my hands when someone wrapped her arms around my shoulder. I swallowed the lump in my throat as soon as I saw a tattoo covering her left arm.

I didn't dare to raise my head and look at them. One... two... there are four pairs of legs in front of me and one sitting beside me. I heard the woman beside me scoff before pulling me closer to her. I smell trouble.

“Come here.” Before I could protest or look for a police officer for help, she dragged me to the corner, pinning me on the wall.

“What is it?” I bravely asked.

A finger touched my chin and lifted my head until I got eye to eye with a woman whom I believed was the leader. Her blonde, messy hair and tattoo on almost half of her face made it even scarier to look at.

I looked away as I held my breath.

“I heard you're a heiress.”

My hands tightened in my belly. “So what? Do you need money from me?”

“Give us a lawyer.”

I immediately look at her with furrowed brows.

“A Lawyer?”

“And help us get out of this hell.”

“I…” I can do it, but... “I couldn't even get a hold of my lawyer–”

I groan in pain when she grasps my hair all of a sudden.

“Complaining?”

“I-Is this even allowed here?!” I cursed under my breath.

“What do you think, princess?”

“Let go of me, please,” I begged.

I don't want this to go further, and I'm afraid she will hurt my baby, too.

“Don't order me around. I'm the boss here.” They all laugh as if there's something funny in her words. “So if I tell you to get us a trusted lawyer that can twist the evidence, you should obey and give me that goddamn lawyer–”

She groaned and immediately let go of my hair when something hit her arm. It’s a cigarette with a lit and smoke. Cigarettes? Is that allowed here?

“No littering here.”

We all look at the woman who appeared all of a sudden. She sighed in annoyance as she walked in our direction.

“Mind your own business!” The bully growled at her.

“She's my business.”

“I said–”

A shoe flew in our direction and hit the face of the bully. Yeah, bullseye. She fell to the ground with a bloody nose. The rest of the women panicked and were about to attack the woman who just saved me, but the leader stopped them.

“Get lost,” My savior firmly commanded.

She stared at the woman, and something might have scared her off as her eyes suddenly panicked and ran away from us, followed by her minions.

What was that? Is this woman also a leader here?

I held my breath as she got nearer to me, picked up her shoe, and put it on without a word.

As I stared at her, she was a black woman, and her pixie-cut hair looked good on her. I then noticed the dragon tattoo around her neck. Even though she has one, she doesn't seem scary at all.

“T-Thank you.”

She stood up and picked up the cigarette on the ground. Is she going to put it back– okay, she did put it back in her mouth.

“I'm only carrying out your husband's orders.”

My ears perked up at her words, which lightened my face. “Husband? My husband?”

James… I know you really love me.

***

Two months passed, and yet, James and Fiona didn't show up. My lawyer did the same. I kept calling my family lawyer, but I couldn't get hold of him.

Why is no one here to help me out? Not even my husband.

My case is still in deep silence, which added to my frustration. I touched the little bump in my tummy, trying to calm myself.

“Catalina Gomez.”

I glanced at the police officer outside the cell.

“Yes?”

“You can come out now.”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “W-What?”

“Your case was dismissed.”

I-I… I’m free?