Chapter 4My Parents Sent Me to Jail for Her

My mind went numb, and a chill spread through me.

"What happened to her?"

"Chloe... she got into a fight with someone in the art studio tonight. She accidentally... pushed someone down the stairs."

Mother's voice trembled. "That person is still in critical condition, and Chloe was scared, so she ran back here."

I understood instantly, but still asked, "How do you want me to help?"

Father gripped my shoulders. "Skylar, you need to take the fall. Chloe is only seventeen; her life can't be ruined like this! She's already an orphan; she can't go to prison too!"

I shoved him away, screaming with all my might, "What about me?! My life can just be ruined?! I'm only eighteen!"

"How could you be so selfish?" Mother looked at me, incredulous. "You're our daughter! Even if you go to prison, we can support you for the rest of your life! But what about Chloe? She has nothing!"

I looked at her and suddenly laughed, tears streaming down my face.

"I can't help you with this. If you won't take me to Grandma Rose, I'll go myself!"

I dragged my suitcase and rushed for the door.

"Stop!"

Father's sharp command. Two bodyguards emerged from the shadows and pinned me down.

"If you don't agree today, you're not walking out this door!"

I looked at them, then at Mother.

"Mom, Grandma Rose is being resuscitated, and you don't care?"

"Skylar, your Grandma Rose has doctors treating her, but if you don't help Chloe now, her life will be over!" Mother cried.

"Chloe said if she goes to jail, she'll kill herself! Skylar, please, just take pity on us, save her life!"

As she spoke, she pulled my ID card from my pocket, handed it to the lawyer standing nearby, and then dialed 911 right in front of me.

"Hello, I'd like to report a crime. This afternoon's fall from the Art Academy building? My daughter, Skylar, did it."

The call ended. I looked at them, my tears all dried up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wallace, you truly are saints." I said calmly. "Fine, I'll confess. But you must take me to the nursing home now. I need to see Grandma Rose one last time."

When I arrived at the nursing home, the lights in the emergency room were already off.

Grandma Rose had stopped breathing an hour earlier.

I knelt by her bed, placing my Art Academy acceptance letter next to her cold hand.

"Grandma Rose, look, I got into the Art Academy. I can take you to Italy now..."

Later, the police took me away from the nursing home.

At the police station, I tried to recant my confession.

But my parents and their lawyer fabricated everything. They planted my clothing fibers at the scene. The surveillance cameras captured a figure resembling me from behind. They even had a text message, supposedly from me to Chloe, admitting it all.

On the day of the trial, my parents sat in the front row of the courtroom.

Chloe wept delicately against my mother’s shoulder.

My mother gently patted her back. Father murmured comforts to her.

I kept my eyes forward and never looked back.

In the end, I was convicted of aggravated assault resulting in serious injury and sentenced to five years.

"Mommy, your hands are so cold." Leo's voice pulled me from the dark well of memory.

I pulled him close, my lips pressed to his hair.

"I'm okay. I have you and Alex. I'm not afraid."

Then Alex was there, his arms encircling us both, his kiss a soft promise against my temple. "It's all over now. I'm here."

Suddenly, the wooden door of the studio was kicked open.

My parents stormed in, faces contorted with rage.