The Cruelest Marriage For My Ex

Chapter 4

"Help! I beg you, find that Madam! She is the witness who can prove my innocence!" Daniel yelled, his voice laced with despair.

His eyes were completely bloodshot. He looked at the uniformed man in front of him with full of hope, while also harboring an anger that was incredibly difficult to contain.

However, the uniformed man remained unflinching. He stood tall with a flat expression, as if the barrage of sentences Daniel threw at him was just passing wind. Daniel felt as if he were talking to a cold, numb stone wall.

"I have explained everything! I am not the culprit! That woman is the witness! Find her! Don't I have the right to speak and defend myself?!" Daniel spoke again, now with a hoarse tone from screaming too much. Still, the man in front of him did not show the slightest response.

When the uniformed man finally turned around and walked away without saying a single word, Daniel felt as if his heart was being squeezed tightly. Frustration, fury, and sorrow merged into one inside his chest.

"What kind of law is this?! You only bow down to the rich! This is not fair!" shouted Daniel, his voice echoing and bouncing off the walls of the silent room. "WHAT KIND OF OFFICERS ARE YOU?! DO YOU ONLY SIDE WITH MONEY?! IS THIS HOW JUSTICE WORKS IN THIS COUNTRY?! I WILL MAKE YOU ALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE! JUST WAIT!"

However, only silence answered his words. The sound of the uniformed man's footsteps slowly faded away and disappeared.

Daniel clenched both of his hands, trying hard to suppress the turmoil raging in his chest.

Daniel looked down, leaning on the table with his trembling hands.

He slammed the table one more time. He was certain that those corrupt uniformed men must have been paid off so that he would remain a suspect and his life would end behind iron bars.

****

1 Month Later

Daniel walked slowly toward the visiting room, curiosity bothering his mind. Who came to see him? He had no relatives, no friends who would care about his condition.

However, as soon as he arrived at the doorway, his steps suddenly stopped. His eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe the figure now standing across the room.

"Madam? You...?"

The middle-aged woman who had passed the half-century mark was named Julia. She gave a gentle smile toward Daniel.

The aging lines on her face could not hide the warmth radiating from her demeanor at all. "Hey... what's wrong with you? Why are you in a place like this?"

Daniel stepped closer, his facial expression signaling an incredibly heavy burden of despair that he had been harboring alone all this time. "Help me, Madam. Only you can save me. I was framed! I am a victim of injustice from those who have power and money! I am absolutely innocent!"

Julia was silent for a moment. Her gaze was fixed on Daniel, radiating a mix of pity and confusion. "What exactly happened? Tell me. Why are you being accused like this?"

"I am accused of being the murderer of Ricardo Morales."

Julia gasped, her eyes widening completely. "What? Murder?"

“But the accusation is completely untrue!" Daniel quickly interjected. "I didn't kill him! The night Ricardo died, I was at the hospital with you. I was the one who took you there! How could I have killed him if I was with you at the same time? But, they all close their eyes and ears. The power of money has me locked up in here, Madam. Help me, Madam! Please... I refuse to die in this rotten place, especially for a sin I absolutely did not commit."

That night, after Ricardo left Daniel with overflowing anger, Daniel walked home with a chaotic mind.

In the middle of the journey, he saw a middle-aged woman, who was none other than Julia, walking alone with hurried steps. There was an odd gesture in the woman's movements, and Daniel, who still had a conscience, decided to approach her.

However, before he could get closer, a car sped from behind and hit Julia's body. The car did not brake in the slightest, but instead immediately hit the gas and fled, leaving Julia lying helpless on the asphalt.

Daniel, who witnessed the horrific incident, immediately took action. In a panic, he rushed Julia to the nearest hospital to ensure the woman got medical help immediately.

After someone claiming to be a family member arrived, Daniel chose to leave. He spent the rest of the night in solitude, accompanied by a deep frustration that eventually led him to a bad escape, chugging alcohol until he lost consciousness.

Now, inside that cold and stuffy visiting room, Daniel looked at Julia with a hopeful gleam. "Madam, that night you know very well that I was with you. You are the only witness who can free me. I beg you, please help me!"

"Tell me everything in detail. Who is this rich person you mean? And what is the chronology of how you could be named a suspect?" asked Julia, her eyes looking at Daniel with an incredibly serious gaze.

Daniel took a deep breath, his voice sounding shaky as he began to speak. "I was humiliated at the Morales family party, Madam. They played an AI-manipulated voice recording, which stated that I approached Valerie Morales solely to seize her family's wealth. That recording was a vile slander! I never had such a low intention. I sincerely love Valerie. And then... after the party was over, I was once again framed for the murder of Ricardo Morales."

Julia listened to every word carefully. Her face grew more tense as Daniel continued his story.

"The proof they showed as evidence is manipulated CCTV footage. I know for sure who the mastermind behind all this is, Madam. The man confessed directly in front of me. He blatantly said that he holds a grudge against me and wants to get rid of me. But, I absolutely do not know what the reason for his grudge is! I don't even know who he is. Throughout my life, I have never looked for enemies or had problems with anyone. What grudge does he mean?"

Daniel grabbed Julia's hand, gripping the woman's fingers tightly. "Help me, Madam. I am truly innocent. I don't know what to do anymore. The police also seem to already be under the control of their money; I am not even given room to simply defend myself."

Julia took a long sigh, the look in her eyes slowly softening. "I will get you out of this place, Daniel. Be patient for a while. I assure you that you will be free soon. Forgive me for arriving late. I just finished taking care of my son's affairs."

Daniel was stunned for a moment. "Your son? What's wrong with him?"

Julia wiped her face gently, the lines of exhaustion and inner wounds clearly visible there. "That night... the night when you took me to the hospital. A few minutes before, I had been involved in a huge argument with my son. And... he was the one who hit me that night. After the incident, he immediately ran away and up to this second, I haven't managed to find him. Until now I am still torn, Daniel. Should I throw my own flesh and blood into prison? I am incredibly disappointed, yet on the other hand, he is still my son. I still love him very much."

Daniel was taken aback, staring at Julia with a look of disbelief. "So... the perpetrator of that hit-and-run was your own son? How could he be that heartless to you?"

Julia nodded weakly, the corners of her eyes starting to well up with tears. "For the sake of money and power, Daniel, humans are capable of committing any atrocity, even against their own family. But never mind, put that issue aside for the time being. I will take care of your problem first. I promise, you will get out of this place soon."

Daniel nodded slowly. "Thank you very much, Madam. I am sorry if I have to burden you, even though you yourself are facing such a heavy problem."

Julia took a deep breath, a sincere smile reappearing on her face. "There is no need to feel bad. Today I came looking for you with the intention of repaying the favor. You saved my life that night, taking me to the hospital when I couldn't even stand up anymore. If it weren't for you, I don't know what my fate would be right now." She paused her sentence, looking at Daniel with absolute certainty. "And to be honest, I was incredibly shocked when I heard the news from your neighbors that you were detained on murder charges. As soon as I heard it, I immediately rushed here. I knew there must be a mistake here, and my guess was right. You are innocent, Daniel."

"My neighbors... said that I am in prison for murder?" asked Daniel to confirm.

Julia nodded again in affirmation.

Daniel let out a heavy sigh, his hand raising to massage his temple which suddenly throbbed in pain. "After I get out of this place, they will definitely all sneer and look down on me. Explaining the truth to them will certainly not be as easy as flipping the palm of a hand. Oh God... what should I do later?"

Julia looked at him with a gaze full of sympathy. She touched Daniel's arm, then patted it gently. "Rest assured. As soon as you are free from this place, come live with me. Become part of my family. And as a bonus... you can exact your revenge, Daniel."

Daniel looked up instantly, both of his eyes opening perfectly wide. “What?”

To be continued