Chapter Five - Flashbacks, Paxton

LINXARA BROOKE 

"Don't cry! Don't worry about me, Vivian. I will be fine. Just help me take care of my mother, please. Don't let anything bad happen to her. She can't suffer. I promise I will find a way to get out of here. Please, don't tell her I got arrested okay? Just find something to tell her." I pleaded in tears with her. 

"That twin sister of yours is a devil. She is evil. Can you imagine she hasn't come home since two days ago? I heard from your mother when I went to visit your house yesterday." Vivian blurted angrily. I knew she was mad. 

"I will take care of myself. Leave Vanessa. She knew she had done something wrong. I just need to put a call through Nicole. Only she can clear my name." I said with tears coming out of my puffy eyes. 

"I will do what you ask. Please don't cry. I will find a way to calm your mother. I will come to visit soon. But do you think Nicole will clear your name? She won't even do that for anyone. You know how she is. She hates you." 

I sighed. "Don't worry. I will find a way. I have got only two minutes left. Take care!" I said and hung up. 

I dialed Nicole's office number and after three rings, she finally picked up. 

"It's me, ma'am Nicole. Please can you help me? You are the only one that can clear my name. I don't want to stay here." I pleaded. 

"There is nothing I can do about it, Lin. You caused this upon yourself. Don't drag me into your matter. The reason is you are so stupid to let that happen. You are not smart enough to let your smart sister, Vynessa pin this on you. So deal with it. Call this number one more time and you will regret it. I hope you never get out of there." She retorted and before I could say anything else, she disconnected the call.

I tried calling it again but the line was already disconnected. It won't go through at all. My stomach churned and rumbled at the same time. 

"Time is up!" The warder announced silently. I have no choice but to return the phone to her. 

I returned it and limped to the corner. I slid down the wall, and hot tears spilled. 

Then I remembered how all of these started...

FLASHBACK***

Vynessa came back home one evening to break the news to me about her new job as a stripper in a nightclub. She was overjoyed as she embraced me. I wasn't that happy about it but ruining her mood for the evening was the last thing I wanted. I don't want to run her mood. I have always wanted her happiness. Her joy and all. I don't want to be the killjoy in the family.

"I know you aren't happy for me, Lin but this job pays better than that cheap, local restaurant that you work in. You know you are just wasting your time. Becoming a stripper will pay our bills faster than anything else." Vynessa spoke as she tucked her hair behind her hair. I cleared my throat trying to explain things to her. 

"Listen, Vynessa. I am not judging you. I promise. I just want you to find a decent job that is -"

She cut me off immediately, "But you are already judging me!" She spat, getting up on her feet and getting all worked up. I tried to make her calm down. 

"I promise I wasn't judging you it's just that -"

She scoffed stopping me again. "Just because you don't work where you need to show off your body doesn't mean you are a saint. You are the worst, Linxara. You are the worst one between us. So don't even try to judge me. You have what it takes but you choose to stick with that stressful work. Don't judge me, Linxara. Don't even dare." She warned and my hand dropped. 

Vynessa was never an easy person to talk to. I find it so hard to understand her and I failed once again to understand. She's my twin sister but we are so different. She is the difficult one while I am the opposite. I hope she doesn't get into trouble one day. I just hope she doesn't get me and mother in trouble. 

I plopped down on the sofa and some envelopes caught my attention from the cabinet. I stood up and headed in the direction and grabbed them to see what they were for. They were a handful of bills. Different bills stacked upon each other. Electricity, water, thousands of debts, including the student loan I acquired before my finals in the university, my mother's drugs, and hospital bills. I have to split my income into different places. 

I have been the one paying the debts here and there and still no one to help. Vanessa isn't helping, either. She keeps spending on unnecessary material things that we don't need for now. 

My father died two years ago and this caused my mother's blood pressure to rise higher than normal. She was also diagnosed with a diabetic foot ulcer. 

I left the envelopes and proceeded to go inside to see Mother. She was asleep but as I walked in fully, she opened her eyes. "Mom," I muttered and moved closer to her. 

She smiled weakly at me and cupped my face in her hands. "Don't worry, Mother, I am doing all I can to pay for your treatments," I whispered. 

"It must be tiring. Your sister isn't helping you.."

I shook my head. "She's helping..." I said softly and my mother nodded negatively. She knew I was lying. 

"You are covering up for her." She stated. She pulled me and embraced me. 

Tears pooled out of her eyes, and I got scared. I didn't want anything to happen to her. "You don't have to always cover up for your sister, Linxara. Sometimes, you should allow her to see the wrong she is doing. Just know that no matter what, I love you. I love you both so much. Maybe there are things that I have done wrong in the past to deserve a rebellious child like Vynessa. I know you are the one who used to pay the bills in the house. You don't even have time for yourself at all. I will get better and very soon, I will be the one working and providing for all our needs." She whispered in tears. 

I sniffed through tears. "It's okay, Mother. You don't have to do anything. I will take care of you I promise." I smiled at her. All I wanted for her was to be happy. She smiled back and said, "One day, you will find the one for you. The one that will love you and take good care of you. Don't give yourself to men cheaply. Give yourself to the man who will go to the moon and back for you. Your pride and dignity will save you from a lot of bad men my child. Do not let anyone take it away from you. I love you, my child." 

**

A week later, nothing has changed. I was still rotting behind bars. I was still suffering for the things I didn't do. I have acquired wounds, bruises, and marks all over my body. The inmates here weren't making things easy for me. I could barely even recognize myself. I was worried about my mother. The debts and all.

I don't even know how to get myself out of this mess. 

Hours later, I found the warder telling me that I had a visitor. Visitor? It must be Vivian. She has been coming here frequently to give me food and all. I limped out until I got to the visitors' room. 

It turned out to be him. 

Paxton. 

What does he want from me now? The hate I developed for him grew even stronger. Just as I got to him, he didn't say anything. He only stared at me for a while before he flung a brown paper to the table.

I stared at it. 

What does he want now?