Until her last breath

Chapter 2

Anise

I was dragged inside the precinct ruthlessly and forced to sit down. I couldn't breath as all my body aches.

In a short while, the detective appeared with files in his hands which he dumped on the desk and then faced me.

I sat opposite the detective who kept questioning me. My face was swollen from bruises and stained with blood.

No doctor was coming to treat me, I was a criminal after all.

The excruciating pain around my body made me froze and I wouldn't say a word until peris comes. Judging from the expression the detective wore, he was frustrated.

His eyes lowered at me as he sulk his breath, stood up and in a few minutes returned with a first aid kit.

For the first time, I looked at the detective in the eyes, he had a cold gaze at me as he took out a bandage and ointment. He lean his face close to mine, his breath poured on my face as he cleans the blood stain from my face mildly.

I whimpered, still hurt from the scene of earlier that keeps replaying in my head. I need to see peris, I need an explanation.

"Do you think I did it?" I finally spew out as he gently bandage my head.

His fingers were subtle as though trying his best not to make me feel the pain.

"I'm just doing my job" he said beneath his breath as he sat on his desk staring at me intensively. I was in distress even when I requested to make a phone call, he didn't let me.

He uncuffed me, to treat my bruised wrists too and I was still, lost and void of thoughts.

The detective offered me water and I gulped it down with a heavy heart because I was thirsty while we wait for peris, there was a depressing silence between us.

It felt as though he intended to say something else with those curious eyes on me.

"Anise...." Peris voice interrupted and I jerked up from my seat. His presence provided the safety I needed.

His eyes lingered on the face of the detective who avoided his gaze and just took a file on his desk.

A sad smile left my lips as I ran to embrace him.

"Peris, please tell them I'm innocent" I cried, holding a fistful of his shirt and burying my head on his chest and sobbing.

"I miss you, please end this now" I pressed on, weak and desiring to remain in that position.

He'd come, I knew it to save me. His touch, his breath and warm embrace was all I want.

However, he took my hand away from him and pushed me. I would have fallen if the detective didn't hold me right on time.

I pulled out of the detective grip, my breath caught in my throat as I swallowed hard.

Peris narrowed his brows at me, his face etch with resentment, hate and disgust that it felt as though he could burn me with that hot gaze.

"I loved you Brielle, but you made a mockery of it, deceived me, threatened me and now I have taken a bold decision to expose you" he spat, his voice low and menacing that it cut through me like a knife.

My eyes blinked with incredulity and my lips parted in silent surprise.

He was playing the victim and kept slashing me with accusations. For a moment, time paused, every sound faded and all i see was myself sinking in a deep sea.

"Peris..." I paused wiping my tears and clearing my throat because my tears had choked my voice.

"You know it's not true" I assert, wanting to draw closer to him but his bodyguard walked in on us and quickly came in between.

My blood dried from my skin and my face grew paler. I was heartbroken by his sudden change of heart.

"I'm only here to tender a divorce, I can't have a criminal as a wife"

***

"What?" I exclaimed as my body grew unnaturally still. Just immediately after his declaration, his bodyguard appeared with a paper and pen.

"Peris it's not true, please stop this prank" I cried but he gnashed his teeth and glared into my eyes while dragging the paper from the bodyguard.

"Sign it criminal!" He roared, his eyes flashes at me and I shook my head, hot tears keeps streaming down.

"No, we're soulmate, please I really need you now" I petitioned closing my eyes briefly, i was persistent not until he raised his hand to hit me. The detective suddenly appeared and held his hand.

"This is a precinct, I won't condole that" the detective snapped pushing peris back. Peris scoffed as his bodyguard intends to intervene but he stopped him.

A cold shiver run down my spine as the detective faced me, his glassy eyes were piercing and he said;

"Sign it anise, he is not worth your tears"

I swallowed hard, took the paper and reluctantly signed it. Immediately I was done, the detective tossed it to the bodyguard. I was devastated, whimpering.

Peris took a long breath, turned to his heel and walked away, he didn't even look at me except this detective who had occupied my mind. He moved away from me to his desk while I froze, unable to breath.

"My hands are tied anise, the evidence are piling up and..."

While the detective spoke, my dull eyes were at the door, hoping peris returns and takes me home. Everything was distorted and due to shock, I collapsed.

**

A month later.

My eyes stared at the news headlines. The case was becoming tougher as the witnesses against me were my relatives and people I trusted.

I just don't know where the witnesses keeps coming from but then all those who I gave dreams to betrayed me.

I wasn't given a lawyer who would stand up for me. Life was just unfair.

My position at the state house was ripped off and I've become a prey in the eyes of the people.

My mom was currently in coma certainly from shock and I was restrained from seeing her.

To worsen it, peris was getting married to the daughter of the kingmaker in the state.

This was all part of his plan to be seen as a man of true justice.

He abandoned me, here and it's a month now in prison. All my efforts to reach out to him was frutile.

I'd get hanged after a year, that's because I was pregnant and recently discovered it.

Only after childbirth will I face my execution.

I'm in the laundry room, with the other female prisoners who looked like vipers and ready to feast on me.

I drew the bucket beside me and threw up inside. Everything here in prison irritates me and I've been sick.

"Hey, lazy bones, get this laundry washed up" a prisoner yelled in my ears and i shuddered where i sat. Her cruel voice eluded my thoughts. She wasn't alone but with her goons.

My mouth was clamped and eyes fixed on everyone around me.

"She's a princess, take a look at her delicate skin" another prisoner mocked as they burst into laughter.

I would never get used to this life.

A prisoner hauled me from where I sat and threw to the ground. My body slammed on the cold floor and just when I tried standing up, I received kicks and hits on my face.

I curbed my stomach, no tears but just anguish and they only stopped when a whistle was blown to prevent them.

I was the only one treated differently here, bullied, given the most task and scorned at by the warders. Days turn into weeks and weeks into month, my unborn child became my strength.

I was getting used to it, and now... it's 7 months and I'm in labour. That's because of the stress I had experience in the prison yard.

I was quickly rushed to their clinic to be operated on. The pain made me restless, trying to stay alive for my baby. They had to inject me with anesthesia on a stretcher but it wasn't working.

I kept throwing up, and a sickening wave welled up in my stomach.

"Please, save my baby" I cried holding the hands of the doctor in charge and shivering. My face had gone pale as I couldn't breath either.

"We have to refer you to the city hospital, we lack the equipments to operate you" the doctor announces but a warder present suddenly says.

"She'd die anyway, so leave her"

They wouldn't provide money for an operation. A tingle rushes across my skin, sharp and cold.

The doctors can't save me not when they're under the jurisdiction of the cops here.

I threw my gaze at the prison warder, she was a woman just like me, how can she be heartless?

I growl as blood drool down from my legs. My eyes widened in circles and I grabbed the collar of the doctor, pulling his face closer to mine.

My blood shot eyes glared at him while I struggled to breath.

"If my baby dies, I'd burn you with everyone"

The prison warder scoffed at me, pulled my shaky hands from the doctor and said;

"I'd be the one to kill the baby"

Her other colleagues with her burst into laughter but they ceased when the detective suddenly walked in.

I exhaled deeply, my face grew paler as I groan in pain, rolling my head on the stretcher.

I might die at this rate. My eyes were drowsy and the only face that appeared before me was the detective.

He was panting, his eyes had worries as he reached out to me, held my hand firmly and pushed my scattered hair on my face to look into my eyes.

"Save her and the baby" he ordered, his eyes gave me an assurance that I'd be fine but I'm not.

I kicked my legs, writhing on the stretcher and whimpering in pain.

"But..."

He suddenly pulled out his gun and pointed at the warder who threw her hands in the air, frighten.

"If she dies, you die" he mutters coldly.