Chapter 4. Suspect

Brie POV

Noah must have assumed that I had accepted his accusation with my silence because when he spoke his words were full of venom.

“Facts won’t lie Briana.  And the report said that someone deliberately caused the accident. Someone tampered with the car.” 

“It wasn’t me!” I argued in my defense.  My voice came out harsh because I never thought that I would become a suspect in the accident. 

Not in my wildest dreams.

“You have the motive.” 

“What motive?” 

“Don’t tell me you have forgotten about your lover? Didn’t you plan this whole thing with him so you would be left to inherit our family’s fortune once we were gone?” His voice held his contempt, and my brows furrowed, recalling when I had ever had a lover. 

“You know I can never kill them. I love Marsha and Danny too much!” I tried to grope for the right words to say to make him see that what he was suggesting was preposterous.  I can never kill the two people who took me in from the orphanage when I was young.  The ones who had taken the role of my parents?

“I love your parents. I love you,” I said, my voice sounding flat. 

There was a tense silence following my outbursts before Noah laughed insultingly in response. 

“Lies. They were all a bunch of lies.  Too bad I believed them.” Noah hissed. 

“I never lied to you, Noah.” I insisted.

“Do you think you can still fool me?  Be gone, and don’t show yourself to me ever again.” Noah shouted before dropping our call.

I looked at the black screen with shock on my face. 

How could this happen to me?

How can my life vanish in a flash?

This is not how Cinderella’s story went. She lived happily with her prince, why can’t I?

I looked heavenwards and saw that the sky had started to darken. Moments later, the sky started crying, too.

“Lord, what have I ever done to deserve this?” I implored the skies while tears streamed down my face. 

Three years ago, Noah married me. That time, I was the celebrated one. 

I was the proverbial Cinderella who got her prince.

Everybody loved me. 

Now, I feel like the discard nobody wanted. Suddenly, everyone does not know me. No one came to my rescue when my husband threw me that dismissal letter, firing me from my job or forcing me to sign those divorce papers. 

And now this! It was like everyone rejoiced in my downfall. 

I felt so alone and scared.  

I caressed my belly – an unconscious act – that was also a way to remind myself that I was not alone. I have a baby to protect at all costs. 

I dropped to my knees and started picking my things up, carefully choosing the important ones and intending to leave the rest. 

“If you wouldn’t take them all at once, I am afraid I will have to put them in the dump,” Dorcas told me when she noticed what I was doing. 

“Noah does not want to see anything belonging to you when he returns from the hospital.” She added. 

That brought a bitter smile to my face. Of course, what else would I expect from the same man who quickly dismissed his wife without talking it out? 

Why was it so easy for him to believe in the evidence rather than talk to me?

“It’s alright. You can throw everything away.” I told her bitterly. 

“I only needed my documents,” I added. 

I loathed to bring all the things that Noah paid for. 

The elegant dresses, the jewelry, the bags, and the shoes – all of those - were gifts from Noah, and I do not need them anymore. 

Dorcas looked at me strangely. 

“Those are Noah’s gifts. Are you sure you wanted me to throw them away?” I saw her falter while she asked, and something in her voice changed, but I was too hurt to even give it so much attention. All I want is to get away from here. 

I  nodded. “What was the use? Noah bought them for his wife. He did not buy them for me.” I said contemptuously, causing a frown to form on Dorcas’ head. 

Then my eyes accidentally caught sight of the wedding band on my ring finger. I took it while Dorcas looked on. 

“I forgot to return this to Noah,” I told her, putting the ring into her palm. 

At first, she refused to take it, but I insisted. 

That ring was no longer relevant to me, and holding on to it meant I was still holding out for Noah to change his mind. 

I do not have any illusions now. Not after what Noah did and said to me today. 

He believed I killed his parents. He believed I caused the accident. 

My shoulders started shaking as I tried to control the sobs that wracked my body. I do not want Noah’s household staff to see me like this.  

I walked out of the house slowly because my chest felt too stuffy, and I felt light-headed. 

At the gates, I have to hold on to the frame to keep my balance.

“Are you okay, Briana? Do you want me to call a cab for you?” It was Dorcas. I did not know she followed me here. 

I shook my head no and smiled my thanks. 

“I can manage. I don’t want you to get in trouble with Noah.” I told her. 

She did not smile back, but her look was probing. I waved at her. 

“Thank you for your kindness in all the years I stayed in the Hunters,” I told her and left. 

Outside, the rain was pelting hard, but I didn’t mind. It seemed as if I was numbed off by what happened today.

I opened my mouth to inhale because my nose was clogged. My vision became blurry, and I suddenly swayed to the side.  

Blackness took over.