Accused and Charged

"Oh my God! What did you do?!"

I immediately dropped the knife that I was holding at the shout of the familiar voice. I turned around and saw Cheni, who was shocked at what she saw.

"C-Cheni. H-Help—-"

"Stay there! Don't you dare move!" she shouted angrily, which confused me.

I saw her take her phone and called someone.

I didn’t know what I was going to do. My eyes widened, and I looked at Nicholai, who was still lying on the floor. I moved and tended to him to check his pulse, and it was still beating.

Thank God! He was still alive!

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." I cried when everything sank into me.

"Is he dead?" I was surprised when Cheni suddenly got in front of me.

"H-He's still alive," I stuttered.

"Move and stay there on the side," she said and then took off her shawl and pressed it to Nicholai's wound. She was trying to stop the bleeding. "What happened?" she suddenly asked.

"He—-"

"Did you try to kill him? You want him dead, do you?" She accused me.

I shook my head. "No! It was an accident. He was trying to hurt me. I tried to defend myself and accidentally stab him. Believe me. Killing him is impossible for me to do, Cheni," I explain here.

She just kept quiet and ignored me.

A few more minutes passed, and we heard the sound of an ambulance. The paramedics went inside the house and saw us.

They support Nicholai and put an oxygen mask on his mouth. I was just looking at them from the side. Not sure what to do.

Suddenly, three police officers came in. Cheni approached the three policemen and pointed at me. I was suddenly nervous.

Why did she point at me?

"She was the one who stabbed Nicholai. She tried to kill him. Take her."

My eyes widened at what she said. Three policemen approached me with a serious expression.

"We are arresting you for the attempted murder of Nicholai Acosta. You have the right to remain silent. Whatever you say can be used in favor or against you in any court. You also have the right to get a lawyer you want, and if you don't have one, the government will give you a public lawyer." I immediately felt the cold metal on my wrist. They handcuffed me and dragged me outside.

"No! You're wrong. It was an accident." The police did not even listen to me and dragged me out. "Cheni! Please help me! It was self-defense! You know that! I didn't try to kill him! Please!"

She just looked at me coldly. I looked at her with pain in my eyes.

I sighed.

I felt suffocated.

I felt so betrayed.

And the most painful thing of all, the person you trust with all your heart and you didn’t expect to be able to do it to you, was the one who did it.

***

They brought me to the Police Station. I was crying the whole time while we were on our way. I asked them if I could call my parents, and they allowed me.

I was currently sitting in front of the police while waiting for my mom to answer the call. They took off my handcuffs, so my hand was free to use the phone.

I didn’t want to be in jail. I was not at fault. It was self-defense!

After a couple of rings, my mom answered the call.

"M-Ma. Please help me. I'm at the police station—"

["Cris, I didn't raise you to be a criminal!" she said right away on the other line with an angry tone that made me gasp. "How could you try to kill Nicholai!"] she added. My eyes widened at what Mom said.

"W-what are you talking about, Ma? It was an accident. It was self-defense. Nicholai was trying to hurt—-"

["You are no longer the daughter I know. Cheni told me everything! Even your accident was fabricated by you just for you to kill your baby, my grandson!"]

"Ma! How could you say that? Don't you believe me? I am telling the truth! Cheni is lying to you. Ma." I pressed my chest. I couldn’t seem to breathe. It hurts a lot. Even my mother wouldn’t believe me. "I-I'm your daughter, Ma. You must believe in me." I couldn’t stop myself from breaking down. Why was all of this happening to me?

["I don't know, Cris. But I can't help you. You have to take responsibility for what you did. Nicholai's parents will do everything so you could be in jail, especially since Nicholai is in critical condition. The poor man was just trying to love you. But what did you do? I'm so disappointed in you, "] she said before dropping the call.

My tears flowed unceasingly. God! Why was this all happening to me? What did I do to deserve this shit?!

Damn, Cheni! What had I done to her that made her spread lies about me? She even told my parents that I planned my accident! What the hell was wrong with her?

Now I regret trusting her. I didn't know all this time I was trusting a snake.

What did Cheni really want? I didn’t know the reason for her to do this to me. She even accused me of trying to kill Nicholai. I told her everything that it was an accident. That it was self-defense, but he reported me to the police.

***

After the call, the cops brought me inside my prison. They even told me that Nicholai's side would probably charge me with attempted murder. I knew it was coming. The way Cheni looked at me when the cops arrested me said it all. Her eyes were telling me that she would do everything for me rot in jail.

I bet all of them were thinking that I deserve to be in jail, That a criminal like me should be in prison.

I sat on the edge of the jail. I looked around and blinked a couple of times as if I was just having a nightmare. But the cold metal bars were telling me that this was all true, That I was really in prison.

The police asked me if I would get my lawyer. I couldn’t answer right away. Maybe I would just wait for someone in PAO to take my case. But the thought that the lawyer who would take my case might not defend me in court made me scared. Lawyers couldn't be trusted, especially if money was involved. Maybe instead of getting me released, my lawyer put more pressure on me and put me in jail for life.

***

I fell asleep thinking. Maybe because of fatigue and stress. I woke up the next day because of the noise of the railing. My body was aching. The bed inside the jail was so hard. I was not used to it. But I have no right to complain because I was a prisoner.

Someone was trying to wake me up. The police called me.

"Denima Cris, you have a visitor," one cop said while trying to open my cell.

I immediately frowned. I have a visitor? Who was it? I was not expecting any visitors at all. My parents already turned their backs on me. I couldn’t think of anything else that could— I stopped in an instant when a specific person crossed my mind. I shook my head. It was impossible. There was no way that he would be here for me.

The moment I stepped into the room where my visitor was waiting, the person turned around to face me. My eyes widened when I saw who was waiting.

"P-Philip."