ough,” one of the uniformed men said, stepping closer. “Turn around Ind place your hands behind your back.”
“What?” I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re arresting me? For what?”
“For assault,” he said coldly.
“I didn’t assault her!” I shouted, my frustration boiling over. “She’s lying! Ask anyone who saw what really happened!”
But the crowd was silent, their faces a mix of pity and condemnation. No one stepped forward to defend me..
One of the officers grabbed my arm, pulling it behind my back. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
I felt the cold metal of handcuffs snap around my wrists, and my heart sank. This couldn’t be happening.
“You’re making a mistake!” I shouted as they began leading me toward a police car. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Behind me, Meghan’s sobs turned into quiet sniffles. I glanced back to see her being helped to her feet by a kind–looking woman. Meghan shot. me a look then–a fleeting smirk that told me everything I needed to know.
She’d planned this.
I was shoved into the backseat of the police car, my mind racing. Meghan‘ s lies were going to destroy me. My name, my reputation, everything I’d worked for was on the line now.
As the car pulled away, I realised how fucked I really was. This woman was going to ruin me!
I was taken to the station and thrown in jail.
“Officers, you are making a big mistake,” I called after them. “You have no idea who I am! When my family gets a whiff of this, you are going to be sorry, trust me!”
The officer nearest to the cell turned to me, his face set in a cold, detached expression. “Save it, buddy. If you’re innocent, the truth will come out. Until then, sit tight.”
With that, he walked away, leaving me alone in the cold, sterile cell. The sound of the heavy door slamming shut echoed through the space, a grim reminder of my current reality.
Oh, God! How the fuck did I even get myself into this mess? I should have just done whatever the hell she wanted until we got home at least.
What was I supposed to do now? I couldn’t call Orthon because we weren’t in speaking terms. My grandfather was definitely in no position to help so the only option left was my mother. I could hope that she wouldn’t take Meghan’s side on this since she was her favourite ‘daughter–in–law‘.
I sat on the cold bench, my head in my hands. Everything was a mess.
Meghan had set me up, and I had fallen for it.
The sound of the heavy door closing behind me made me flinch. I looked around the small cell, trying to think. There was no way I could stay here. I had to get help.
An officer walked over and stopped by the bars. “You get one call,” he said, his voice flat.
I nodded and picked up the phone on the wall. I stared at it for a moment before dialing my mother. The phone rang twice before she answered.
“Hello?”
“Mom, it’s me, Carter,” I said quickly.
“Carter?” she said. “Why are you calling so late? What’s wrong? This isn’t your number…”
“Mom, I’m in trouble,” I interrupted her before she could ask anymore questions. “I’m in jail.”
“What?” Her voice rose. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything! It’s Meghan, she set me up. She said I hit her, but I didn’t, Mom. She’s lying.”
There was silence on the other end, and then she sighed. “Carter, this is serious. Are you sure about what you’re saying?”
“Yes, Mom! I swear!” My voice cracked. “She made a scene in public, cried, and pretended I hurt her. Everyone believed her.”
“Why would she do that?” she asked, her tone skeptical, like she didn’t believe me.
“Because she wants to control me,” I said, pacing. “She’s been trying to
trap me for months, and now this. Please, Mom, you have to believe me.”
Another pause. “Alright,” she finally said. “I’ll call Mr. Decker and see. what we can do. Sit tight, Carter.”
“Thank you,” I said, relief washing over me.
She hung up, and I put the phone back. All I could do now was wait.
The hours felt like days. My mind kept replaying the scene, Meghan crying, people staring, the officers putting me in handcuffs. They didn’t even bother to hear my side of the story, they were only concerned about the pregnant girl on the floor.
Finally, the same officer returned. “You’ve got a visitor,” he said, unlocking the cell door.
I stood up, my heart pounding.
When I walked into the visitation room, my mother was there. She looked calm, but her eyes were filled with different emotions I couldn’t quite place. Next to her was Mr. Decker, our family lawyer, carrying his
briefcase.
“Carter,” my mother said, crossing her arms. “What 1
What happened?”
“Mom, Meghan lied!” I said, stepping forward. “I didn’t touch her. She threw herself on the ground and screamed for help. She’s trying to ruin me!”
Mr. Decker raised a hand to stop me. “Start from the beginning,” he said. “We need every detail,”
I took a deep breath. “We had an argument. She got upset, and then out of nowhere, she started crying and saying I hurt her. She even told the crowd I was threatening her and the baby. But it’s not true. I swear.”
My mother frowned, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Do you have witnesses? Anyone who can back up your side?”
I shook my head. “The crowd just stood there. Nobody said anything. They all believed her.”
Mr. Decker nodded slowly. “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. I’ll get in touch with the police and ask for any security footage from the area. If there’s video, it might show what really happened.”
“Do you think that’ll work?” I asked, my voice shaky.
“It’s a start,” he said. “But Carter, if there’s even a chance Meghan is telling the truth…”
“She’s lying!” I said again. “You have to believe me.”
My mother sighed, but her expression softened slightly. “We’ll figure it out, Carter. Just don’t make this worse for yourself. Stay calm and let Mr. Decker handle it.”
I nodded, even though the knot in my chest refused to loosen. At least now, I wasn’t completely alone in this nightmare.
