OLIVIA

NINE MONTHS LATER

Prison had been hard, not just because I was pregnant but because of how I was treated. But I was grateful for one thing—Ethan kept his word. The guard he’d bribed continued to bring me vitamins and took care of me as promised.

But when he wasn’t around, the others would conveniently “forget” to feed me. There were days I was so hungry that my stomach ached. One day, I yelled until someone finally came. But instead of food, I got a beating.

They beat me so badly that I had a black eye and bruises all over my arms and legs. But through it all, I protected my baby. Even after the beating, they didn’t give me any food. From that day on, I learned to stay quiet when that officer wasn’t around.

I rationed my food, eating small portions and saving some in case I didn’t get any the next day. I was skin and bones, and I worried about my baby. Was he getting enough nutrients? Would he be born healthy?

The thought of my baby suffering only made my resentment for Nick grow. I hated him more with each passing day.

My belly was huge now, heavy. Today, I woke up feeling uncomfortable and exhausted. I didn’t touch my breakfast when the guard brought it. A dull pain throbbed in my back, coming and going. Every time it hit, I froze, holding my breath until it passed. I thought I might be in labor, but my water hadn’t broken.

Still, something was wrong. Impatiently, I waited for lunch, hoping to ask the guard to contact Ethan and bring a doctor. I couldn’t lose my baby—not after everything we’d been through together.

I drifted in and out of sleep. The pain kept getting stronger, more frequent. On several occasions, I bit my bottom lip to prevent from screaming. Finally, the cell door opened. I was leaning against the wall, breathing through the pain. But at that moment, it felt like some entity out there in the universe was finally on my side.

Suddenly, my water broke.

The guard’s eyes widened in shock. “I’ll get Mr. Lewis!” He dropped the plate of food he was carrying and ran off.

I gripped the bars, pulling on them so hard I thought they might break.

The guard came back, panting. “Mr. Lewis is coming.”

“Thank you,” I managed to say.

He just stood there, helpless. “Please, keep the baby in. I don’t know what to do. Wait for Mr. Lewis!”

If I wasn’t in so much pain, I might’ve laughed. He clearly had no idea that once the baby decided to come, there was no stopping him. But I hoped he would hold off; this cell was no place to have a baby.

After what felt like forever, with me lying on my back and feeling the baby coming, the cell door opened once again. “Olivia! I’m here. I’ll take you to the infirmary.” Ethan rushed in with a doctor.

The doctor took a quick look and said, “She won’t make it to the infirmary. The baby’s crowning. He’s coming now.”

At that moment, my resentment for Nick hit a new level. My baby was going to be born in a filthy cell all because Nick believed some woman he barely knew over me. He had condemned me to this suffering.

“Olivia, you have to push,” Ethan said. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but the baby’s coming now.”

His voice pulled me back to reality. It wasn’t about Nick anymore. It was about my baby. I pushed as hard as I could. I pushed with everything I had. Soon after, my baby’s cries filled the air, and tears streamed down my face. The doctor handed him to me.

“Is he okay? Is he healthy?” I asked, staring at him. He was so small.

“I’ll need to examine him, but he looks good—just a little underweight but good.”

I smiled through my tears. “His name is Samuel. Give him my last name, not Nick’s, and keep him safe. Take him away from here, Ethan.” My heart broke as I handed him over.

“You can hold him for a little longer,” the doctor offered, but I shook my head.

He’d been born in this dirty cell. I didn’t want him to spend a second more in here. “No. Take him away and check him out to make sure he’s healthy. And remember, Ethan—don’t ever tell Nick.”

I sobbed as I watched Ethan leave with him. “Nick, you’re going to pay for this. I swear it.”

NICK

Two years have passed since that woman humiliated me, since I found out she stole millions from me.

How could I have been so stupid and blind? When Sandra told me that Olivia had a hand in what happened to my mother all those years ago—how they met, how Olivia “just happened” to save her from being hit by a car—I refused to believe it at first. I thought my wife could never be capable of such things.

Then she gave me that recording of their phone call, where Olivia had admitted everything: how she’d landed her “golden goose,” how her life was going to change for her and her grandmother. As if that weren’t enough, she stole from me. Sandra had showed me the proof.

I recovered some of the money, but only a small portion. Thinking about her still fills me with rage. How could she have been so cruel? My mother loved her!

“Nick!” Sandra snapped me out of my thoughts. “It’s almost time to go pick up your parents. I’m finishing up with dinner. It'll be ready by the time you get back.”

If it weren’t for Sandra these last two years, I don’t think I would’ve made it through.

My parents have been traveling the world, and they’re coming home today. They’re going to be so disappointed when they find out what happened with Olivia. My poor mother. She trusted that good-for-nothing woman.

Anger surged as I grabbed my keys.

“Nick!” Sandra's voice stopped me again. I turned to face her.

“Don’t think about her,” she said softly. “It only makes you angry. Today is about your parents coming home. Let’s focus on celebrating, not on the past.”

I gave her a small smile. What would I have done without her?

At the airport, I spotted my mom first, followed by my dad, and their guards carrying the bags. Her face lit when she saw me. She rushed over, throwing herself into my arms. I laughed, hugging her back as Dad shook his head.

“You’re suffocating our son, woman!” he grumbled. Mom shot him a glare over her shoulder, and he raised his hands up in mock surrender. Watching them, a wave of sadness washed over me. I had thought Olivia and I would have what they had. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

“Goodness! You’re so thin! Does Olivia not feed you anymore? Where is she, anyway?” Mom asked, her smile fading slightly.

I sighed. This wasn’t the time or place to tell them. “Let's get home, and I’ll explain everything,” I said.

They exchanged a glance, and Mom's face brightened again. “Don't tell me she's at home with a baby! Oh, I knew she’d give me a grandchild soon!”

My heart sank. She had no idea Olivia never wanted kids—only my money.

“Mom, it’s not like that.” I opened the car door for her.

Dad got in after her, his face already turning cold.

I started the car and drove off. Mom wanted to ask more questions on the way, but Dad convinced her to wait until we got home. Thankfully. Talking about Olivia wasn’t easy, and I wasn’t looking forward to the conversation.

Once we got back, I told them everything: how Olivia had pushed her best friend down the stairs, killing her child; how she’d stolen millions from me; how she was never in love with me, never wanted a baby with me; how she was secretly on birth control the whole time; and how she had just wanted my money.

“She is not the person you thought she was,” I said. “Olivia is cruel.”

Mom looked at me as if I’d committed a crime. “Nick, are you insane?” she shouted, furious.

I stared at her, baffled. Hadn’t she heard what I said?

Mom shook her head, sadness and disappointment etched across her face. Dad hadn’t said a word and refused to look at me, but his eyes were icy cold.

“Are you sure it’s not Sandra who’s clouding your judgment?” Mom asked sharply. “Are you sure she isn’t the reason you’re thinking this way?”

“Sandra is the one who showed me the truth about Olivia,” I insisted. “Without her, I’d still be under Olivia’s control. You should be grateful to her!”

Mom’s eyes flashed with anger. “Grateful? To a homewrecker? Dear God, what must her grandmother think of us? Michael,” she said, turning to my father, “go to Olivia’s grandmother and apologize. Tell her we had no idea and that we’ll get Olivia out of jail.”

Dad stood, ready to go, and I was stunned. How could they still be so blind?

“She’s dead,” I said quietly. “She died a few months after Olivia was arrested.”

Mom’s face crumpled, and a tear slipped down her cheek. I wanted to comfort her, but Dad beat me to it, pulling her into his arms.

“You’re such a fool, Nick,” he said, his voice hard. “I didn’t raise you to be this foolish. I hope you don’t come to regret this.”

I sat there, feeling utterly lost. Why were they defending Olivia? Why did she still have such a hold on them?

“I’m going to get my daughter-in-law out of jail,” Dad declared. “And Nick, if you don’t drop the charges, I will disown you.”

NICK

My parents left and Sandra came out from the kitchen. She was crying and I didn’t like it. I didn’t know why my parents would be so cruel to her, she was not the one who did all those things to me. she was the one who saved me from a bad situation and showed me the kind of wife I had.

I didn’t understand why they would treat her that way. “Sandra, I am so sorry. I will talk to them again and make them understand. I will show them the proof of Olivia’s crimes and then they will believe me and accept you as my close friend.”

I took her into my arms and consoled her. “Don’t get her out Nick, am scared of what she will do to me when she gets out. Please, let her stay there.” She cried even more, making my heart tighten. I wished I could let her stay; I wanted her to stay there longer but my parents were not joking when they said they would disown me if I don’t let her out.

“Don’t worry, I will protect you. that woman will never come anywhere near you. but I have to make that call. I have to let her out or my parents will never forgive me. But worry not, they will be the ones to send her back to jail when they see the proof of her crimes.”

She looked so scared, Olivia left her with huge scars and now she was getting out without paying for her crimes. I hated that she had a hold on my parents to a point that they refuse to believe she could be a bad person.

“Wait here, I need to make that call.” I wiped her tears and left her sitting on the couch. I made a call to my best friend first. I needed his advice. “What is it Nick?”

“Can’t I call my best friend without being asked that?” he chuckled on the other side. “No, you can’t, because I know you and you only call when you want something. What do you want this time?”

Ethan was not the same with me, since I got Olivia arrested, he didn’t like that. “My parents want me to get Olivia out of jail.” I waited for his response, but none came. “Ethan, are you still there?”

“I am here but I don’t know what you want me to say about that. you know how I feel about what you did but you told me it was none of my business. So, I don’t understand why you are calling me about this.”

I cut the call. I was never going to get anything out of him with that attitude. I knew Ethan since we were children, when he doesn’t like something, he speaks up and it doesn’t matter what you say, he never changes his mind about it. He was stubborn like that.

I made a call to the police chief dropping the charges, but he told me to come in to sign some documents. Told me that my parents were already there and giving him hell. I sighed feeling defeated. I went back inside and found Sandra sitting there staring at nothing.

I went and crotched in front of her. “Hey, everything is going to be okay. I will not let her get anywhere near you. I will protect you; I promise. Olivia will not hurt you again.” She gave me a small smile; she wasn’t happy, and I knew it. I wished I didn’t have to get her out.

But knowing my parents, they would take everything I have worked so hard for, if I don’t do what they want. “I have to go to the police station; I will be back soon. Sam is going to stay here and protect you. he will be right outside.” She nodded and I took my keys and left.

When I got to the station the police chief was already waiting for me. “Come this side Mr. Jones.” He looked scared with beads of sweat forming on his forehead. I knew it was all my father’s doing. I followed him to his office where my parents were sitting and waiting.

He gave me the documents. “Are you sure you want me to do this before you look at the proof of everything she did?” mother folded her arms and said nothing. She didn’t even look my way. I looked at father and his eyes were cold and distant.

I sighed then signed the papers. I looked back at them, and they still looked like they didn’t want me there or to hear a word of what I had to say. I handed the documents to the police chief then walked out of there. I was angry!

I went and sat in my car then lit a cigarette. Bad habit I know but the situation with Olivia stresses me out. I started smoking when she was arrested, and it became a norm whenever I was stressed. It calmed me down.

I kept my eyes at the door of the police station, after what seemed like forever father came out first. I put out the cigarette and sat up on my chair looking at the door. Mother came out and I waited until she came out.

When I saw her, my heart skipped a beat. She looked frail, pale and dirty. The clothes she wore were the ones she was arrested in two years ago. She looked so skinny and malnourished. I got so angry seeing her that, i thought they would take care of her. I never ordered for her to be mistreated, she is my wife and they should have known better.

I only said she could not have visitors, that they should not let her outside. I never asked for whatever they did to make her look that way. With anger, I started my car and drove off. Guilt eating me up inside but still hoping she would come home to me so i can make it up to her.