My son, the CEO will never marry her.

Elizabeth's Arrest

CHAPTER TWO

"Well, it is I, Linda. Do you have a problem with that? Huh? As I warned you before, "Never lay a hand on him again," she declared, striding up to Scott and running her fingers all over his face as she peppered him with kisses.

"He's my fiancé. Take note of that from now on!" she warned, her eyes flashing with fury as she stared into Elizabeth's face.

"Haha!" A wicked laugh escaped Linda's lips. She paused and then carried on, "You're such a naive girl! You have no idea what's coming for you."

"Haha!" She stopped again and then continued,

"Scott and I have been together in this game for a long time. Don't blame him entirely. He did it all for me, to mess with you."

"What? You mean you knew about this?" Grandma Susan's eyes widened in shock. "Why do you have to stab her in the back? She took you like a sister".

"You old woman! Don't interrupt me when I'm not finished talking."

It couldn't be helped. Elizabeth's anger had reached its breaking point, and she screamed, "You! How dare you speak to my grandma in such a disgraceful and disrespectful manner!"

She was about to lunge at Linda when she felt something hit the back of her head with force.

Elizabeth fell to the ground, unable to move. As she began to lose consciousness, her friend leaned in and whispered, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I had to do it. I couldn't take the humiliation I faced from the guys I tried to date in school because of my ugly appearance. They would always talk about you."

"I developed a deep resentment for all of you, especially your parents. That's why I got rid of them a long time ago. I hate you too but don't worry, I won't do to you what I did to your parents. But your grandma... she will suffer!"

"We won't kill you just yet. I have bigger plans for you. You will slowly suffer and lose your beautiful face. You will become so repulsive that no man will ever want to marry you."

"You will be even uglier than I am."

Elizabeth couldn't understand the hatred in Linda's voice. Her mind raced with questions, "Why does she hate me? What did I ever do to her? My parents? What did she do to them?

Tragically, Elizabeth's inquiries remained unanswered as her eyes struggled to remain alert, finally succumbing to the force of the trauma on her head.

"How dare you harm her?" Mrs. Susan confronted Scott with her frail hands.

"Move aside!" Scott bellowed, pushing her away.

"Please, leave my grandparents out of this!" Elizabeth pleaded, her tone passive. "Do whatever you want to me, but please, spare them."

Then, in a deafening explosion, Elizabeth fell lifeless to the ground.

*Boom. Bang* was the last sound she heard.

****

"Get up, Miss Elizabeth!" A voice called from behind.

"Why are you pretending?" Elizabeth frowned as she forced herself to stand up. She saw a group of police officers surrounding her, clad in their blue uniforms.

"Miss Elizabeth, this charade isn't doing you any favors," one of the officers in front of her suggested.

"What's happening? And who are all of you? And what are you all doing here?" Elizabeth asked, utterly bewildered and her head throbbing with pain.

"Drop the act, Elizabeth. How much longer will you keep up this façade?" another officer sarcastically remarked. He let out a heavy sigh and added, "Elizabeth, you are under arrest for the murder of your grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert."

With those words, Elizabeth's consciousness came rushing back to her.

Lying not too far from where she stood were the lifeless bodies of her beloved grandparents, Robert and Susan, lying on the carpeted floor. She screamed, "Grandma! Grandpa!"

Through her tears, she ran towards the bodies, crying out, "Grandma! Grandpa!" Not sure which one to mourn over.

"Who did this to you? Why, why would you leave me all alone? Please, wake up!" Elizabeth's heart-wrenching cries echoed through the room.

"Enough of this act," the cop warned. "Stop those fake tears of yours."

"Miss Elizabeth!" another officer called out. "You are not allowed to tamper with evidence," he warned.

"I am innocent. I did not kill them!" Elizabeth screamed through her tears.

"Innocent? Who says you are?" the officer jeered.

"Rise." Two individuals pinned her down while one recited her rights. "Miss Elizabeth, once again, you are being detained for the homicide of your grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Susan Linton. You have the right to remain silent..."

And just like that, Elizabeth was imprisoned, wrongly accused, and presented with false evidence framing her for the crime. She was set up. Despite her claims that Scott and Linda were responsible, no one believed her.

Most of her friends abandoned her, while those who tried to reveal the truth were met with threats from Linda and Scott.

Elizabeth was utterly helpless, with no one to turn to for support. Her parents and grandparents were all gone. She was the only child. And everything was unfolding just as Linda had planned; she had major plans for Elizabeth, and they were now coming to fruition.

She suffered abuse in prison, her once-beautiful appearance slowly fading away as Linda had promised. Her face was repeatedly bruised by the violent criminals in the same penitentiary, and she began to sink into deep depression. Her spirit was slowly withering away inside.

*****

Months passed.

"You will be transferred to a medical facility for treatment," a female corrections officer informed her.

Elizabeth's frail body lay on the cold prison bed. Upon hearing the news, she managed to turn her head and nod. She no longer had the strength to fight.

Five months into her imprisonment, a private lawyer came to visit her, claiming to be her legal representation. Her name was Isabella Lucas, an elderly woman with a long list of successful cases in court.

At that point, Elizabeth was nothing but skin and bones, bearing the scars of constant assaults in prison.

Aside from the physical pain, she also suffered from the heartbreak of her engagement being called off by Timothy Bronte, and Scott's sudden appearance on their special day. And to top it all off, her best friend's betrayal and her grandparents' untimely death were slowly eating her alive. No, she did not kill her grandparents. The true perpetrators were Linda and Scott.

Following over nine long months of incarceration, Elizabeth's health had severely deteriorated and she was now confined to her bed. However, after extensive efforts, her attorney found a way to remove her from prison and transfer her to a hospital for proper treatment.

Elizabeth did not concern herself with the details of her release, nor did she inquire about her destination, but what mattered was that she was no longer in the confines of the prison, which she found to be an uncomfortable place to reside.

She mustered the strength to survive a few more days, determined to express her gratitude towards her benefactor, whoever they may be, for it was their belief in her innocence that led to her freedom.

"Who could this be? She muttered in great amazement.

"Her vital organs are failing. Previous malnourishment and various injuries have significantly impacted her health. She is in critical condition, Mister Timothy. You should have intervened sooner."

"We couldn't. The opposing party holds immense influence and it was a fight against a whole city, Alexander. I had to bribe countless officials. It was a daunting task, not as simple as one would assume. Please, I entrust you to keep this confidential between us."

"Of course, Mister Timothy, I will. We have provided her with all the essential and mandatory medications, but I fear it may not be enough. Mister Timothy, you must prepare for the worst."

"Don't say that," rejected Timothy, covering his mouth with his hand.

"What? Mister Timothy?" Elizabeth overheard the conversation from her hospital bed. She opened her eyes to see Timothy Bronte, the man she was supposed to be engaged to before this nightmare began.

"Tim," she whispered. "You- you are the one who helped me?"

"Yes, Elizabeth," Timothy sat by her bedside, holding her hand and confessing, "I am. I am sorry I left in anger that day. I was shocked when I found out what happened. I believe you are innocent and you are not capable of such a thing. That's why I hired a private lawyer for you."

He paused.

"I'm sorry," he continued, his face stricken with tension. "I know everyone has a dark past, but I overreacted that day. I am here now to make things right." Timothy's expression softened as he repeated his apology and tears fell down his cheeks, witnessing Elizabeth's weakened state.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed. "Please, Elizabeth, please hold on. I promise to provide you with the best doctors and medical care, but you have to fight."

"Why?" Elizabeth weakly asked. "Why are you here? Why are you helping me?"

The room fell still for a brief moment until Timothy summoned the courage to confess, "Elizabeth, I adore you. And I yearn to spend the rest of my days by your side."

"Love? In this condition, with me?"

"Yes, Elizabeth, I do," Timothy proclaimed earnestly.

"I love you and I will do anything within my power to restore your life. I will make certain to secure your release from prison," Timothy vowed resolutely.

Timothy's admission touched Elizabeth, and she tried to resist as he had promised. That night and every night since Timothy fulfilled her desires. He worked remotely most days, but would occasionally venture back to his hometown.

As all of this transpired, Elizabeth's lawyer was tirelessly working on her case.

Since she was confined to bed, Timothy would often assist her in tending to her fragile body. He fed her and did his best to care for her, but Elizabeth's body continued to weaken despite their efforts.

Her liver was the first to fail, followed by her kidneys. No amount of medication could reverse the damage that had been done.

When the doctor finally divulged Elizabeth's grim fate, Timothy remained by her side for twenty-four hours. He regaled her with humorous anecdotes, trying to ease her discomfort and alleviate her pain.

As Elizabeth's awareness began to fade, she heard Timothy's agonized murmurs as he held her hand. He repeated over and over again, "I love you, Elizabeth, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You won't slip away from me, Elizabeth," he assured her, beseeching God on her behalf.

"Dear God, please sustain her for me, do not let her succumb to the fate her attackers envisioned. Please, Lord, grant my plea," he concluded fervently.

Not even two minutes after his prayer, the physician in charge of Elizabeth's care burst into the room and promptly ordered Timothy to leave, upon hearing the beeping of the heart monitor.

The voice rang out, interrupting the tense silence in the room. It was Timothy, his eyes filled with desperation and his heart pounding with fear.

"Promise me that she won't die. Promise me that she will live again," he pleaded, grasping Elizabeth's hands tightly.

The doctor sighed and turned to face Timothy, his expression stern. "Please leave the room," he commanded.

"Security! Please take him out," the physician called, gesturing towards Timothy.

But Timothy refused to budge. "No, I won't go out until you promise me that you will save her life," he cried, releasing Elizabeth's hands and rushing towards the doctor. He fell to his knees and clutched at the hem of the physician's garment, tears streaming down his face. "Please, promise me, she won't die," he begged.

After a few moments of contemplation, the doctor finally gave in. "Yes, yes, she will," he conceded, offering Timothy a glimmer of hope.