Arrest

Chapter 002

Zara's POV

I was confused and shocked. Before I could alter a word or do anything, the door opened and Armstrong and his staff members stormed in.

Armstrong's eyes widened. “What the fuck! Call an ambulance ASAP,” he ordered as he rushed towards Victoria.

“It's alright, it's going to be fine,” he whispered.

“Sh…. She wanted to kill me,” Victoria murmured dramatically as her index finger pointed in my direction. Tears streamed down her face. Victoria was really a drama queen.

“I… I swear I wasn't the one. Sh…she stabbed her….”

“What the fuck did you do to her? Are you supposed to be here?” Armstrong spat.

A wave of humiliation ran through my veins as my heart raced. I raked my hands through my dark hair trying to process what was going on. Because it didn't seem real.

“I came because of Charles,” I finally found my voice.

“You call the police, now,” he said as he pointed at one of his staff who was at the door.

“Right away sir.”

For a moment I froze, my heart turned to ice.

I couldn't believe Armstrong was getting me arrested. I tried to explain as all the tears I was struggling to hold back streamed down my face in torrents.

“Armstrong, you know I would do anything like that. You should check the CCTV footage.”

“Ahhh! I'm dying! I'm dying,” Victoria whispered in pain as she began closing her eyes slowly.

“Stay with me Vicky, please don't close your eyes. We need to take her to the hospital”, Armstrong suggested.

“The nurses are already here, sir,” a voice from behind said as two nurses rushed in.

“We will take it from here, sir,” one of the nurses said.

Victoria glanced at me as a victorious smile was plastered on her face.

“Look at her face, Armstrong, I swear….” I tried to explain, but Armstrong held my arm in a tight grip and dragged me out of his office and shut the door right in my face.

“Listen to me please!” I shouted, banging on the door, frantic with worry.

After pacing the hallway for a few minutes, the police arrived, which made my heart shatter into a million pieces.

“She is the one,” a staff member said as he walked them to me.

“You are under arrest, ma'am,” a police officer said. Before I could alter a word, my hand was already handcuffed.

“Please, you can't do this to me. I didn't do anything and my son is at home, alone,” I tried to explain, but no one was listening.

I didn't care about what just happened. All I needed was for someone to be with my son because I was sure Victoria wouldn't allow Armstrong to leave her sight.

The office door opened and Armstrong came out. My shoulders sagged in relief, as I thought he would change his mind.

My relief was, however, short-lived when I heard Armstrong's voice.

“Take her away, please.”

What? I paused in shock, not sure if I had heard right.

“Let's go, ma'am,” the policeman said.

My heart ran cold. Every single love I had for Armstrong drained away, leaving me completely empty.

I walked out of the company in chains, humiliated and disgraced.

I never expected that from Armstrong. He got me arrested without even a second though. Without even finding out what really happened.

No. This doesn't feel real.

Everything happened right in front of me and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't fight for myself. I was overpowered by Victoria's trick.

And everyone fell for it without even doubting her.

Raw, venomous rage ran through my bloodstream.

I was forced into a police van and was driven away.

After getting the documentation from the receptionist, I walked to the cell. With every reluctant step I took towards the cold, confining cell, the weight of humiliation pressed down on me.

My head was low and my silence louder than any protest.

*******

I tried to figure out the moment everything went wrong, but I couldn't. I didn't know how my perfect world flipped upside down.

I never imagined myself in a police cell, let alone for a crime I never committed.

I was in the cell because of Victoria. That evil bitch.

“fuck!” I groaned as I kept staring at the dirty roofing, spiders scurrying around.

I couldn't sleep overnight. My eyes were wide open as I kept thinking about Charles, about how he would feel spending a night without his mother, not just any night but his birthday night.

“Zara?” Robert's voice snapped my back to reality.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised.

Robert was an old friend of mine, my high schoolmate. He was transferred as the new chief police officer.

“I was…..” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I was framed, Robert, it's just unbelievable,” I managed to say.

“Come and open the cell now!” Robert ordered.

“Yes sir,” the guard said as he unlocked the cell.

A wave of disappointment ran through my soul. I felt disgraced that Robert had to see me in the cell.

“Thank you so much, Robert,” I said as tears streamed down my face.

“It's alright, let's go to my office then…”

“No.. No Robert, I need to go see my son. I left him alone in the house yesterday and I ended up here,” I explained.

“Alright, let me drive you,” he suggested.

“No, it's alright. Don't bother yourself, I will be fine,” I said. I collected my handbag from the receptionist and rushed out of the police station.

I hailed a cab which took me straight home. I paid the cab driver and rushed inside.

My heart skipped a beat when I noticed that Armstrong's car wasn't home. I knew he wouldn't come back home. I know he would be with that bitch. Not even caring about his son.

I stormed inside the house as my eyes scanned the empty living room.

“Charles!” I shouted, but there was no response. I rushed upstairs, straight to Charles' room.

What I saw made me freeze, my eyes widened in shock and disbelief as I felt my handbag drop on the ground.