NOT GUILTY?

Devious

MIGUEL

I got into my car and drove out of the prison hospital.

I had a hectic day and only wished to get home safe, take a bath and help Cathy with her homework before resigning to bed.

Working at the prison hospital wasn't easy but I was happy with helping the women that were in need.

It was my decision to work there after I lost my wife and promised to help these women. The doctors were so careless and let my wife died. I was hurt but then at the end of the day there was nothing that I could do to bring her back to life. I had to accept that she was gone and left me a beautiful angel, my daughter who was a constant reminder of her mother because they looked alike. I loved Cathy with all of my heart. She was my happiness and my laughter when I was sad. I told her about Nicole. She needed to know what kind of a woman her mother was, loving and caring.

Honestly when she died, I didn't think that I would be able to move on with my life. I had been living with this woman and we shared everything. Sometimes I would forget that she is not on the bed, she won't come to the bathroom while I am having a bath and she won't have breakfast with me. With her absence in the house, things were not the same. Sometimes I found it hard to believe that she had left this world. I would hope that she would wake up and we celebrate our newly born baby. But then one day I looked at Cathy, my Nicole was still here with me. She left me something to remind me of her, that is our daughter.

After parking my car, I got inside the house and found my mother with Cathy. She immediately got up and ran to me. I scooped her up.

'I missed you dad,' she said smilingly.

'And I missed you too my queen.'

'You look tired.'

'I am tired my baby,' I said putting her down.

'Then you should go and bath. Nena helped me with my homework.'

'Thank you mum!'

'Let's go brush those teeth,' said my mother taking Cathy's hand,

'daddy has to go and have a bath. Zoe isn't feeling well.'

'What's wrong with her?' I asked concerned.

Zoe was my maid.

'It's that time of the month.'

'Ohhhh,' I said looking away, 'she will get better soon.'

I walked to the bathroom.

Most women had trouble with their periods and Zoe was just one of them. I had stay long enough to make her feel comfortable talking to me when faced with such kinds of things but she was very shy to talk about it. I was a doctor after all.

I finished bathing and changed into my pajamas.

I had just closed the door when I saw mum getting out of Cathy's room.

'She refused to sleep when you hadn't arrived. She kept saying, I have to wait for my dad first,' she said as we walked to the dining room.

'She is a sweet girl.'

'Let me dish up for you,' she smiled.

My mother always visited us, well only to check up on Cathy.

She gave me my food and I said the grace. It was sadza (nshima) with okra. I know it's kind of traditional food but I so loved it especially cooked by my mother. After I finished eating, I washed my plates and joined my mother in the living room. I knew she had some few questions to ask me before we call it a night. She was watching Lockdown, a South African drama played by women in prison.

'Is it because you the warden, you watch these kind of stuff?' I asked with a smile sitting opposite her.

She switched it off and turned to look at me. Something was bothering her.

'How is Kate?'

I don't know why my mother loved that prisoner. She actually asked me to take good care of her and tell her every detail about her pregnancy. She felt responsible for her.

'She is thinking a lot. Her blood pressure was very high today but I made her cheer up a little.'

'Good, I don't want her to stress that could harm the baby,' she sighed.

I was afraid to ask her questions but I needed to know why she was so fond of her. I know my mother very well and from the look on her face, something was definitely wrong.

Could it be that Kate reminded her so much of my sister who committed suicide while in prison? I just sat there studying her face when she had it on the floor.

'Does she remind you of Monica?'

The words had already come out of my mouth without a warning I couldn't stop them.

She slowly lifted her face up.

I was right, she was doing all of this for Monica who was wrongly accused for murder and ended up committing suicide killing her unborn child in the process. My mother felt responsible for her death and now the same thing would probably happen to Kate but she was strong.

'Kate is a very strong woman mother.'

Apparently, Kate had broke down in my mother's office and told her the truth. She was framed and pleaded guilty for something that she didn't do. My mother had promised to get her out of the place risking her job in the process. I tried to talk her out of the situation but she wouldn't listen.

'I can't let it happen again.'

'Mother, Kate is not your daughter. She is just a stranger.'

'Who told you that you get to call someone your daughter by blood only? I see Monica in her. A young lady who had the potential to be somebody in life but had all her dreams and hopes destroyed by someone else. I will get her out of that place,' she said getting up.

I knew that there was nowhere to talk her out of the situation. I too felt pity for Kate but I promised myself that I won't get too attached to my patient but my mother was making it hard for me. She always booked appointments for Kate to be checked up on.

I finally went to sleep for tomorrow. It was going to be another long day at the prison.

......

'Damn it!' Rita shouted, throwing the glass. of water at the wall.

Just when she thought things were getting back to normal she receives some news from the female guard she was currently paying at the prison to give her some information on her enemy.

She clenched her fist in anger and felt like killing someone.

The employees were looking at her from the windows and all looked aside when she turned to them.

They were all afraid of her.

She locked her door and grabbed her phone. She needed to do something about the situation. The only kids Jason left were hers. She wasn't ready to welcome another child of him born out of wedlock.

'She is fucken pregnant!'

'Calm down babe.'

'Don't tell me to calm down mum. I am going to kill her in that prison.'

'No more deaths Rita Hagar my daughter.'

She recently told her mother that she was responsible for his death. Her mother was her best friend and would obviously help her out.

'Do you want me to come back to the country?'

'No, mum. Your health matters the most. I am sorry I didn't mean to yell.'

Her mother was still in India getting treated.

'No, it's okay. You are my daughter and whatever you did, you were trying to protect your family. Don't let this girl rule your life. She will probably have a miscarriage.'

She stopped pacing and smiled.

Her mother had just brought up a brilliant idea.

She didn't need to kill her but the baby. She had access to the prison, just a drop of poison in her food would make her lose the baby.

'Thank you mum. You awesome.'

'Wait, what are you going to do?'

'I will talk to you soon,' she quickly hanged up and grabbed her car keys with a smile.

She drove her car in high speed to one of her scientist friend that she knew.

She needed something that would make her never fall pregnant again.

When she arrived, the doctor was attending to some patients but since they were friends, he took her to his office and instructed her to sit down.

She came up with a story that she used to make him give her the drug poison. It helped!

Tim already had a soft spot on her. He always loved her but she chose to marry Joshua who mistreated her. He blamed himself for easily giving up on her. She deserved better, he would tell himself. He had never loved anyone the way he loved Rita.

She walked out of his office later just after a quick s*x. She needed to give him something for appreciation.

Tomorrow she was going to end it all. She smiled as she started the car.

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Hello lovely readers

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