Prologue
"Kevin, slow down!" Natalia urged, her voice tight with fright and worry.
Kevin's eyes wavered as he gazed at the winding road ahead, the dashboard lights blurring together. His fiancée, Natalia, clutched the door handle, her knuckles white with tension.
"I'm fine, babe," he slurred, swaying slightly in his seat. "Just need to get us home, quickly. It's a great day! Woohoo!"
As they rounded a curve, a pair of headlights suddenly appeared in the opposite lane, barreling towards them. Kevin's heart skipped a beat as he jerked the wheel to the right, but it was too late.
"Oh God, Kevin!" Natalia screamed, bracing herself for impact.
Their car smashed into the other car with a deafening crash, sending glass shattering and metal crunching. Jake's head whipped forward, his vision blurring.
"Holy s**t!" Kevin groaned, the drunkenness clearing from his eyes almost immediately.
Natalia struggled to free herself from the airbag and hurried to the other car in panic, Kevin following suit.
On reaching there, she let out a terrified gasp at the sight before her. Both passengers, a man and a woman were unmistakably dead.
She shivered and shrank back, overwhelmed by the grotesquery of blood, glass and shattered steel splattered all over. It was her first time seeing dead bodies, and the gruesome sight added to her horror.
Kevin's face paled at the scene. He stood completely numb for a while, trying to take in what had just happened.
"They..they are not dead, right?" She asked, her voice trembling in denial.
Her question pulled Kevin out of his trance. He ran his hands over his head, his face contorted in distress. "What do we do now? The police will be here, any minute."
Dead silence followed, as if time itself had frozen.
Natalia started wiping imaginary sweat from her face. Her heart hammering," We can explain...it wasn't intentional."
"No! Do you think they will buy that? We just broke the rules and murdered---"
"We?" Natalia interrupted, quite puzzled.
Kevin rushed over to her and held her hands in both of his. "Natty, I can't afford to go to jail. What will happen to my potentials, my dreams? I just got my dream job today. That was the reason we went out to celebrate, remember? I'm my parents' only hope."
He tightened his hold on her, shaking her slightly. "You love me, right? We have known and loved each other since childhood. And today our love is being tested."
"What are you trying to say, Kevin? I'm quite confused." Her face etched with bewilderment.
"I am asking you for a huge favor," he paused, searching for any change in her expression. "Please take the fall, Natalia."
Her eyes widened in terror. She winced, as if his words struck her physically, and forcefully snatched her hands away from his.
"What--"
He ate her words," Please, babe. I have so much more to lose than you. I drove in a drunken state. I've been driving for years and the company just entrusted me with a meticulous--" He knelt down before her. "My punishment will be far worse than yours. Please, you are the only one that can save me now. Pleaseee" he whimpered.
She stared down at him blankly. Her voice low and deflated.
"What about me? Who will save me? What about my own dreams? I'm just 20."
Kevin scrambled to his feet, hope flashing in his eyes. He cupped her face, saying, "Me. I will save you. My dreams is big enough for us both. I promise to take care of you and support your dreams. Trust me to do that, Natty."
Another dead silence.
She thought for a while, weighing everything. Her dreams were quite simple; to be a school teacher and start a family with the man she loved. None of these would be achieved if Kevin were to be imprisoned. She doubted she could last long in the teaching department as she would be spending all her thoughts and time on trying to get him released.
Her dreams would be invalid without him present.
Kevin had the upper hand in thoroughly sorting things out more than her. She would do this for them, for their love, for their future. It couldn't be so bad, could it?
Natalia took a deep breath and signed in resignation, "Alright, I'll do it."
He crushed her into a hug, his face washed with relief. "Thank you so much, babe. I love you so much. And I know for sure, you love me truly."
Natalia just stood still without returning the hug, her eyes hollow.
Just then, they heard the police siren not so far away. Kevin hastily released her and scooted her into the driver's seat, his heart pounding. And then, he headed to the passenger's seat and settled in.
The police officers arrived shortly, investigated the scene and questioned them. Natalia took the blame, without further ado.
She was taken into detention and after a few trials, she was found guilty and sentenced to a minimum of fifteen years imprisonment with no bail. Kevin tried all he could but to no avail. It seemed the victim's acquaintance was quite powerful and influential.
On hearing this, her parents officially disowned her, scared to lose their honorable prestige in town due to her illicit act. To them, status was more important.
Natalia withered in prison as years passed by. At first, Kevin came to visit her frequently, but as months went by, his visit became infrequent and then they stopped. She understood his career was booming, and he was trying to gain affluence and influence to appeal. He was her only hope.
Her only family member who had cared enough to visit, was her younger sister, Natasha. However, her parents threatened to get her arrested, themselves, if they found her anywhere near her, again.
She was deserted and even though it killed her inside, she knew she had to stay strong and overcome it all, no matter what. She held onto the glimmer of hope that one day she would walk out of these cold, gray prison walls, feeling the warm sun on her face and the gentle breeze in her hair.
Kevin would be waiting to embrace her with open arms and begin their life together, once it's all over.
