Get ready

_____NINE MONTHS LATER____

Jordan had managed to forget all about me. So, I was left all alone with no family to care about or think about my welfare. It was disheartening, but there was nothing I could do. Meanwhile, in the midst of my predicaments, I heard a rumour while I was still in jail, and it was about my stepsister and Jordan getting married.

It broke me to hear such news, and it gave me even more complications in my situation. I fell into labour right away and was rushed to the station's hospital.

My pregnancy was a secret to my husband. And my prison warden was like an angel sent from above to me. She managed to make sure I was always doing fine, and I had begged her to help keep my pregnancy away from Jordan and my step family.

Hearing the cry of the life I had just delivered, gave me a new source of hope again. I made up my mind that if not for anything, all I needed to be strong for was my baby, or babies rather, as I heard the doctor announce that I had another baby waiting to be delivered.

I held on to Emily's hands tightly as I groaned in pain. It was unbearable, and with the thoughts of Jordan getting married to Aurelia, it felt even more painful, but it gave me a kind of strength I never knew I had inside.

Panting hard with beads of sweat all over my body, I heard another cry from my second baby. A sigh of relief exited my lips while Emily patted my hands gently, giving whispers of congratulations. It was confirmed that I had just delivered a set of twin babies, a boy and a girl.

I watched with my eyes closed halfway as my babies were held by the doctor and a nurse. Giving a faint smile of satisfaction, I allowed my eyes close slowly while giving in to unconsciousness.

_______________________________

''We have to take your babies to your husband,''

Emily - my prison warden, announced to me as soon as I regained consciousness. She was holding my baby girl in her hands with the twin brother sleeping peacefully next to me.

Struggling to sit up on my bed, I shook my head vigorously in disapproval.

''No, you can't,'' I cried out, kicking vehemently against the decision, ''The last thing I want is for Jordan to have the custody of my kids,'

Emily sighed out and clicked her tongue. She stared at me in pity, and asked,

''Do you still hold that grudge against him?''

''Yes,'' I muttered weakly in reply to her questions. There was no way I was going to let go of his betrayal so easily. And to think that Aurelia had a hand in everything that happened.

''Ivy,'' Emily called quietly, trying to hold my hand in hers, ''You know you're still serving your jail term. And the law is definitely not going to allow you spend much time with your kids. Do you really want to keep them away from their father?''

I swallowed hard at her question. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to spend the time I needed with my babies made me heartbroken and loathe Jordan even more. I hated the fact that he was depriving me of everything I wanted the most. And I hated that he was still out there, free and unbothered about everything. While I was in here, fighting for my life and freedom.

''I want you to keep them,'' I announced to her suddenly, grabbing her hands tightly as she stared at me in bewilderment. ''I want you to have custody of my babies. It's better than allowing them stay with Jordan and my step sister,''

''I… I can't do that, Ivy,'' Emily muttered slowly, turning her face away from mine, as she drew slowly, the little blanket covering my baby in her arms ''Jordan needs to be informed. I can't take custody of these kids when their father is still healthy and alive,''

''He's not going to care for them,'' I cried out in frustration, feeling my heart beating faster than normal, ''How will I ever have my revenge on him, when he takes custody of my kids? I need them far away from him as possible,''

I wished she knew how I was feeling, and how desperate I was more than I sounded. There was no way I was going to let Jordan know about our babies. The only thing that rang in my head while I stared at my newborn babies was revenge, and I was going to stop at nothing to get it.

______________________________________

I was allowed only a week with my babies, and afterwards I was taken back to my cell. The tears that flowed from my eyes as I bade my little treasures goodbye was overwhelming, and I couldn't hold back my emotions.

Emily had finally agreed to take them in. We both gave the twin their names - Kyle and Khloe. And I, being fully happy and indebted to her, promised to pay her back as soon as I was done serving my jail term.

It wasn't easy to keep the pregnancy and news of my delivery away from everyone. Neither was it easy to keep their mouths shut from announcing it to Jordan. It actually took a lot more than threats, and more money for them to agree.

One could imagine the pain that cut through my heart when I realized I wasn't going to see the outside world till after ten years. I was going to spend ten years in jail for a crime I knew nothing about.

Two weeks after I delivered my babies, Jordan paid me a visit in prison. At first, I felt the urge to tell him about our kids, but then I realized he didn't come to meet me alone, he was with my stepsister - Aurelia.

''Ivy,''

Aurelia's shrill, tiny voice called slowly as I approached the both of them where they were waiting for me. She had her blonde hair packed up in a bun, and her stomach looked slightly big. Moving closer to observe her, I noticed it wasn't just big, but her bump was visible. Aurelia was pregnant!

The sad look in my eyes was visible. I saw Jordan wearing another ring on his finger and recognized it wasn't the one we used in exchanging our wedding vows. Curiousity taking the best of me, my eyes darted to my stepsister's, she had the same ring on!

So their wedding rumours were true? Gathering my strength and trying all I could to remain calm, I sat quietly on my chair, turning my face away from them. Had they come to mock me? Taunt me? Show their wedding and newfound love in my face? Was that why they were here?

''We came to inform you about our wedding,'' Aurelia said to me calmly, sounding low, yet with confidence, ''Jordan and I got married two weeks ago,''

I swallowed hard at her words. Of course I knew the day they got married, that was the same day I had my babies. It was such an annoying coincidence.

''We just thought the need to inform you,'' Aurelia continued, without Jordan saying a word to assist her speech, ''We hope you'll take it with good faith and be happy for us,''

I snickered. Be happy for them? Was she being serious? How could I be happy when they both stabbed me in the back this much? There was no way I could even pretend to be happy for them.

''Are you guys done talking?'' I asked, turning to face them squarely while suddenly regretting why I had agreed to meet them, ''Are you backstabbers done talking?''

''Ivy, you can't–''

''Don't you even dare speak to me,''

I cut in, warning and pointing at Jordan as he tried to talk to me. ''You have no right whatsoever to utter anything to me,''

''Baby, I've got this,''

I heard Aurelia say quietly as she squeezed Jordan's hands tightly to refrain him from speaking further. My blood was beginning to boil, and the only thing I started thinking of was how I was going to make them pay for everything they were doing to me right now.

''I know you're mad at us, Ivy,'' she continued speaking, looking me directly in the eyes, ''But you can't change what have happened. Jordan and I loved each other right from the beginning but we just had to play along with what father wanted,''

How dare she drag my father into this? After they had him murdered in cold blood, I was being dragged into their mess. They both had everything planned from the onset and was finding innocent people to put the blame on.

''You have no right to call him father,'' I grunted through gritted teeth, hitting the table hard with my tightened fists. But it turned out Aurelia wasn't scared or moved by my actions at all. Rather, she leaned closer to me and replied,

''I loved him like he was my biological father,'' she uttered defiantly, staring down at me, ''You were the one who went against your own family just to be with a man. You ignored your own father even on his sickbed until you decided to end his life with your hands,''

I wanted everything she said to be a lie. I wished all she had just said wasn't the plain, sad and bitter truth, but it was. All she said was the truth except the last part - i didn't kill my father.

''I didn't kill my father,'' I drew the words slowly, emphasizing on every word that came out of my mouth, ''Don't ever try to put that blame on me again,''

''Well, it doesn't matter now, Sis,'' she uttered, smiling in satisfaction as she tilted her head backwards to rest on Jordan's shoulders, ''Sadly, the law has found you guilty as charged. That means you'll be spending some years here. How many years was it again, Baby?''

She threw the question at Jordan, who had his full gaze to me. Turning to reply her, he said,

''Ten years,''

''Yeah, ten years. Thanks for reminding me,'' a broad grin broke at the corners of her lips as she kissed him on the cheeks, before returning her attention to me, ''Too bad, you're going to be spending ten years in this awful place, while I'm back in your mansion, as the new Mrs. Williams. Life happens and switches fast, right Ivy?''

I couldn't hold the anger and pain I was feeling anymore. Standing up abruptly from my seat, I moved closer to Aurelia and slapped her hard across the face while panting hard. Emily rushed to me as she was standing at a distance and held me tightly, while pulling me away from them.

''You're not allowed to do this, Ivy,''

Emily reminded me, while offering words of apologies to Aurelia. I was more than irritated.

''How dare you hit my wife?'' Jordan barked at me, holding Aurelia tightly on the waist as they both stood up from their seats. I wasn't expecting her to cry from the hit, but I was even more annoyed to see her laughing out in scorn. That girl was a demon!

''Really, Ivy? Is this all you can do to me? A slap? You're much more dumber than I thought,'' she uttered to me mockingly, flipping her hair backwards dramatically.

She moved closer to where I was held, and made actions like she was going to whisper in my ears, but instead, she pulled me forcefully by the hair,

''The next time you raise your filthy hands to me again, I'm going to make sure it becomes your last day on earth,'' she threatened, sounding scary and stern. I yelped out in pain as Emily tried pulling her away from me, but she couldn't due to Aurelia's strong grip. I only got my stamina back after she pulled away from me roughly.

''Let's go, baby. Our work here is done,''

She announced to Jordan who had been standing there all along without doing anything. I stared daggers at him while panting hard he obeyed and walked after her. Watching Aurelia walk out with confidence while I remained locked in here broke me so badly. The tears I had been holding started streaming down my cheeks and fell even harder as I heard from Jordan,

''Goodbye, Ivy,''