Mr. Sinclair:Love, Lies and Murder

Lena “Miss Lena Hayes….” The sharp metallic click of a pair of handcuffs echoed through the conference room. “….you are under arrest for the theft of confidential Sinclair Media document.” A gasp went through the room. “What?” “No….” “That can’t be.” For a moment I forgot how to breathe. The words floated around my head without making any sense. I waited for him to tell me it was a prank. “I’m sorry….but I think you have mistaken me for someone else.” “I haven’t stolen anything.” The officer took one step closer to me. “Miss Hayes, I’ll advise you to cooperate with us. We have obtained evidence linking you to the disappearance of the company’s confidential files and we have witnesses to this claim.” I looked around. No one said anything. They just stared at me in disbelief. I could almost hear their thoughts. And they all believed that did it. “Miss Hayes, please come with us.” The cold steel snapped around my wrist before I even realized what was happening. I stared at the handcuff hanging from my arm, my mind refusing to process what I was seeing. Mr Richard Sinclair walked in with long deliberate strides. His expression was hard as a rock. He stopped in front of me and looked at me like he wanted me in that position. Someone walked behind him. With cream colored shoes. She lifted her head and our eyes met. “….Vivian.” The name escaped my lips before I could stop it. She looked at me for a long moment and smiled. She smiled with satisfaction. As if she has been waiting to watch this exact moment happen. A chill ran through my body. The officer pulled my arm. “Let’s go.” ——— The detective placed a laptop on the stable without saying a word, he pressed play. Security footage filled the screen. I watched myself walk into Mr. Sinclair's office carrying a stack of files. I remembered that morning. I had been asked to leave the presentation documents on his desk before the executive meeting. The video showed me placing the files down. Then I reached for one. The detective paused the footage. “There.” His fingers rested on the screen. “What file did you pick from the table?” “I did not pick any file, I just wanted to arrange it.” I leaned forward now. “Can you keep playing the video?” He played it and nothing happened. It did not show me putting the file back. “There is no footage of you keeping the file back. You clearly took the file and walked away.” My eyes widened. “Thats not possible. I remember putting the file back on the table at the exact place I took it.” “The recording says otherwise.” “Someone must have edited this.” “Don’t make claims to what you cannot prove. This footage came firstly from the Sinclair media security server.” “No…..but I didn’t steal it.” “Let’s say you didn’t steal it. Do you know who would have stolen it?” I whispered. “No.” “So you have to think again. Maybe you took it by mistake. Or let’s say you were framed like you claim. Who would have framed you Ms. Hayes?” “I don’t know.” “Ms. Hayes, you have to cooperate with me.” “I don’t know who would want to do this to me.” “Are you aware that you can go to jail for ten years because of this” “I want to make a phone call.” “You are not allowed to do that Miss Hayes.” “Not even my lawyer or my family?” The detective slowly closed the laptop. His expression changed. “Miss Hayes…until you explain where that file is, you are not contacting anyone.” He walked out of the interrogation room. I was still in shock with everything happening. How can my ordinary day just become extraordinary in less than five minutes? I stared at the closed door. Fear settled in my chest. Someone had framed me and they really did a good job. The interrogation room door opened again. My head snapped up instantly. For the briefest moment, hope flickered inside me. Maybe they had finally realized they had arrested the wrong person. Maybe someone had come to help me. But my hope died the second she walked in. Vivian. She stepped into the room with effortless grace, the sharp click of her heels echoing against the tiled floor. Vivian took the seat across from me without asking. She crossed one leg over the other and studied me in silence, her eyes slowly drifted to the handcuffs on my wrist. Then she smiled. “So…..” she said softly, breaking the silence. This is where life has brought you.” I clenched my jaw. “What are you doing here?” She ignored my question. “I have to admit…seeing you in handcuffs is far more satisfying than I imagined.” A chill crept down my spine. “This has your name written all over it.” “You are always very clever. And I must admit that was one thing you had that I always envied about you.” “Why? What did I ever do to you?” “Did you really think that your life will just automatically become better after everything you’ve put me through?” I stared at her in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You are the one who has put me through so much. You stole everything from me. You made my life miserable.” “And somehow…” my voice trembled, “….I’m the one who ruined yours?” Victoria laughed. “You still do not understand.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “This….is only the beginning.” The confidence in her voice made my blood run cold. “You should get used to suffering, Lena. Because I’m going to make sure it never ends.” My throat tightened. “What do you want from me?” “I want you to disappear. Kill yourself even. Can you do that Lena?” I couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. “Or….let me make it easier for you.” “You will tell Alexander that you do not love him. Do everything in your power to make sure that he gets married to your sister Ophelia. And then, we can talk about letting you have your freedom.” I tried to take a deep breath, but I couldn’t. “How do I even look for Alexander when I’m locked in her.” “That’s left for you to find out.” She stood up from her chair and walked to the door, she paused without turning. “Enjoy your stay.” “Who is the father of Ophelia?” She turned to look at me with shock on her face. “What sort of stupid question is that?” “Well I’m not done with my questions Vivian.” I said with a wide grin on my face. “You better watch your mouth young lady.” “What happened fifteen years ago, on the twenty-fifth of July? And don’t you dare lie to me. Because it will make everything worse.”