Prologue
"What do you mean you never received the letters?"
I turned my gaze and looked at Alexander. His face was dancing with anger as his fists were ready to punch anything around him.
"What letters are you talking about?" I asked.
After my mother's death and my dad's illness, I have never received any letters, no presents. All I received were disappointments, one after another. Pain after pain as everything that I once had was taken away from me. A place I called home was ripped apart and I was left to fend for myself.
"I sent you letters in your final year of high school, Vee," he said taking steps towards me.
I gently moved back but the kitchen was too small to hide me and the wall was now pushing back. I feared that he might throw a punch at me. Whatever letters he was talking about, I never received any letters. Not a word from a man like him. What about the letters? Probably they went to someone different. Was was so important about those letters that he is about them ready for now?
"Are you sure you didn't receive them? Are you sure Vee? Because the last letter I received was from you!" He pointed his finger at my eyes.
He was now on my face, eyes to eyes, his frame over my body and I feared the next thing he would do was grab my neck and squeeze it, luckily, he didn't
"Why are you even mad about letters that you sent a year ago and what you received in return? Why don't you focus on looking for the person who shot your mother? I have known you for almost six months Xander, whatever was in those letters is not as important as your mother lying in the hospital trying to fight for her life, can_"
The wall behind me was hit, making the tiles on the wall crack. It seems he was not concerned about his mother but here he was, angry, pointing an accusing finger at me and complaining about letters that I never received and a reply that I never wrote back.
Someone shot his mother today and threw her body in the garbage, I was in this penthouse with Xander when that happened. I even went there to visit her in hospital but here is Xander, out of nowhere getting mad at me because of letters. I only knew Xander because my sister, Kendra got married to him and they were desperate to find a baby after she lost the first one. The only way to achieve that dream was through me. Why out of the blue has gotten into Xander to start pointing a finger at me while accusing me of receiving letters from him?
"If you could have replied to those letters with honesty and come by yourself to tell me on my face that you didn't like me, it was understandable. That isn't what you did, no, you bitched about me in the last letter about how bad I was, how weird I was acting, and called me a psychopath for falling for you. Look at you, in my house, trying to throw yourself at me, Vee, I know very well that the baby you are carrying is not mine but you are in my house, pretending that you love me and want me, in the real sense you are the one who shot my mom in the head because he knew that the baby you were carry was not mine!"
"What?"
"Stop pretending!" He shouted making me drop the cup on the ground and it ended up breaking, the tea spilled on the floor and some drops splashed on my legs.
I know very well I didn't touch his mother, I didn't do anything to her.
"I didn't do it, Xander," I said but he didn't look my way or say anything.
Kendra is winning again. She said she would make sure she won, I have nothing but my words against her words. She is the wife, who am I? A step-sister who acted as a surrogate and all that will be used against me is jealousy and greed. The lawyer will say I was jealous that is why I wanted to kill Alexander's mother.
I looked at Xander, tears welling up on my face. I don't want to step into prison. I don't want my child to be taken away from me. I want this chance. Even if they are not going to give me a chance, I want my child to have a chance.
"We were with you Xander, remember, remember we were cuddling by the coach, we were talking, we were speaking about the baby and how you love me, Xander believe me," I said. I begged hoping he was going to listen to me but he didn't.
He didn't turn around again to show me the same face he shows when I am afraid or worried. Instead, his back was hunched, he was disappointed in me.
Is this the same man who wanted to divorce his wife to marry me? Is he the same man who wanted us to escape far away and leave this place behind? Maybe deep in my heart, I hoped he was telling the truth after all those months. Looking back, maybe he didn't even want me after all, maybe he wanted the bay so bad that he was willing to do anything.
"You said it's not love, we are just obsessed with each other. That is what this is. You never intended to give the baby after delivering it, you only planned to trap me, get all my wealth, and leave me in the street all high and dry. That was your plan," he turned around and looked at me.
I wanted to move closer, hold his face, and shake his head. He needed to open his eyes and know the truth, I didn't do anything. If I had, I wouldn't be here trying to convince him of this.
"You are just greedy Vee, when you rejected me through that letter, saying how you don't want me, how come now you are crying and begging to have me?
I went down on my knees, the only way he could at least listen to me, my hands in my belly, the only indication of what he had wanted his whole life, the creature that was growing inside my belly was his heir.
"I know, you might have your doubts but, I am sure this baby is yours, remember what the doctor said that day? She was sure that were pregnant after lying to Kendra. This is your heir Xander, the baby in my belly is what you have wanted for so long." I said.
I wanted him to change his mind even for once. I knew Xander was married but every time he said something, I wanted him to mean it. When he said he wanted us to have this baby together, I believed him.
"No, my heir, no! Whatever you are carrying is not an heir to my wealth. My wife, Kendra is carrying an heir to my wealth, for you, what is in this stupid belly of yours is an outcast!" He growled while poking my belly.
I knew very well the baby might not be his because I was assaulted twice and that's when I got pregnant. I said that it was his even though it was a lie. I feared telling him because it would hurt him. Looking at it, I can see how everything is affecting him. His mother is lying in the hospital, all her memories gone, and fighting for her life, the pregnancy that he believed was his is not his and I don't even know who the father is. Yes am on the wrong but I know I didn't touch her mother.
"Xander, I didn't do it, yes I lied about the baby but I didn't do it, please, please Xander, have mercy on me!" I begged him while grabbing his legs to stop him from going away. I was unsuccessful because he quickly started his walk and stepped on the glass that was broken and it pierced my eye and a piece pierced my cheek.
The moment the glass pierced my eyes, I couldn't see anything. All I saw were blurred images, the blurred water on the floor and the blurred figure of Xander bending down, "No, Vee, you are a manipulative liar. Your step-sister is the only truthful person. You wanted to take everything from her but your plan failed. Don't you dare beg for my forgiveness, not a chance? Since Kendra is pregnant, there is no need for a begged like you!"
He grabbed my hair to look at him but I could t see him clearly, "Your baby will be raised by strangers, who uhm, might end up making him or her suffer or I will give it to your ex-boyfriend, I heard he is among the list of men who found their way up your thighs and he will abuse the baby the same way he did to you. "
"No, please, Xander, please don't, please don't!"
He left my hair, my head hitting the ground as he walked off, I could see a blurry image of his footsteps going away and some heavy footsteps coming in.
"Vanessa Morgan, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Mrs. White. Anything you say, shall and will be used against you in the court of law, you are required to remain...."
I listened as the officer read my Miranda rights. My hands tightened inside the cuffs, my eyes were closed with a white cloth to stop the bleeding, and I was escorted outside. I couldn't see where I was going but along the way, I felt a slap on my cheek.
"Did you have to bring my mother to your plot? Did you have to hurt her like that? She loved you, she wanted the best for you but you went ahead to hurt her, how greedy were your Vee?"
That is Sofie, Xander's sister. I know her face when she gets angry but for now, I couldn't see it. I wanted to say sorry but words could t form up my throat, The officer pushed me into the elevator as Sofie went ahead with her tongue-lashing words.
They placed me in the back Maria, I wish I could see everyone who was watching me taken away but I couldn't. The only thing I felt was the flashing lights on my face, I knew the topic was going to be a hot tea as my step-sister would cry in every interview about how I hated her.
"Dear mum, I didn't have a voice, I couldn't speak, I couldn't fight for myself, I couldn't find out who tried to kill Dad. Maybe.....just maybe... In the next life... We will have a voice. We will scream so the world will know our names. We will scream so the world will understand how we feel. I am sorry. I don't know who will take care of Dad in the hospital, he was everything I had. Now, all I have is the little human being who is trying to survive in my belly, if a chance presents itself, I will scream, I will shout, and serve justice!"
