146
Desmond’s POV
The chill of the cell crept into my bones, but it was nothing compared to the storm raging in my mind. I sat hunched on the cold, hard bench, my head buried in my hands, trying to make sense of it all. Homicide. The word echoed in my skull like a death knell. Did someone see me that night? Did someone see me throw Brenda into the river? My heart hammered against my ribcage as a thousand possibilities flashed through my head, each one worse than the last.
The clinking sound of keys snapped me out of my thoughts. One of the officers approached, his face a mix of indifference and authority.
“Mr. Desmond, someone wants to see you,” he said curtly, unlocking the cell.
I frowned, confusion tightening my features. Someone wanted to see me? Who? My mind reeled as I was led out of the cell and down the dimly lit hallway. My stomach churned, not just from hunger—I hadn’t eaten since morning—but from the growing dread in my chest.
The officer pushed open the door to the visiting room and gestured for me to sit. I dropped onto the metal chair, my body heavy with exhaustion and unease. Resting my elbows on the table, I buried my face in my hands again, too tired to care who was about to walk through that door.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway, sharp and deliberate, the sound slicing through the silence like a knife. My heart skipped a beat. I raised my head, my eyes fixed on the doorway. And then I saw her.
Brenda.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. My chest tightened, my vision blurred, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. Brenda stood there, alive and well, her presence as real as the cold metal chair beneath me.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. “No, it can’t be. I… I killed you. I threw you into the river. You’re not supposed to be here.”
She stepped forward, her heels clicking against the floor, her eyes boring into mine with a mix of anger and triumph. Her lips curled into a smirk, and I couldn’t tell if it was meant to mock or torment me.
“Surprised to see me, Desmond?” she asked, her voice dripping with venom.
I blinked rapidly, as if that would erase the image before me. “How… how is this possible? Brenda, you’re alive?”
Her smirk faded, replaced by a cold, hard expression. “Are you disappointed to see me breathing? Did you wish I’d stayed dead?”
“No! Of course not!” I stammered, forcing a smile that I knew didn’t reach my eyes. “Brenda, I’m relieved. Truly. I’m… I’m so happy to see you alive.” My voice cracked as I spoke, but I pressed on, desperate to regain control. “Listen, Brenda, they’ve accused me of something I didn’t do. You know I would never hurt you. Please, you have to tell them the truth. You know how much I care about you.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Care about me? Desmond, if this is what you call care, then I want no part of it.”
My stomach sank. Her tone was ice-cold, and the fire in her gaze sent shivers down my spine. I opened my mouth to protest, but the words died in my throat when she turned to the detective standing by the door.
“This is the man,” she said, her voice steady and unwavering. “This is the man who tried to kill me.”
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. I shot up from my seat, my face contorted in a mix of shock and betrayal. “Brenda, what are you saying? Why are you lying? You know that’s not true!” I turned to the detective, my voice rising. “She’s accusing me falsely because I refused to marry her. She’s doing this out of spite!”
Brenda scoffed, her lips curling into a sneer. “Oh, spare me the theatrics, Desmond. You think you can fool them like you fooled me? You’re nothing but a liar and a murderer.”
Her words cut deep, but I refused to let her see me falter. I turned back to the detective, my voice trembling with desperation. “She has no proof! If she’s so sure of her accusations, then let her show you evidence. Until then, I demand to be released!”
The detective raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. “Actually, we do have evidence, Mr. Desmond,” he said, reaching into his pocket.
He pulled out a recorder and pressed play.
The room filled with the sound of my own voice.
“It’s better I kill her,” the recording played, my voice clear and unmistakable. “That way, I can own all the properties, all the wealth, and the Towers Group of Companies.”
My blood ran cold. My legs wobbled, and I sank back into the chair, my hands gripping the edge of the table so hard my knuckles turned white. “No… no, this isn’t real. This can’t be real!”
Brenda leaned forward, her eyes blazing with fury. “Oh, it’s very real, Desmond. You betrayed me first, and now you’re paying the price.”
“Betrayed you?” I snapped, my voice rising with anger and disbelief. “You’re the one betraying me, Brenda! You set me up! You’re the real traitor!”
Her laugh was cold and hollow. “A traitor? Me? Desmond, I was willing to keep your secrets, to stand by you, even after everything you’ve done. But you? You tried to kill me. And now you dare to call me a traitor?”
My vision blurred with rage. The chain on my cuffs clinked as I slammed my fists onto the table. “You don’t understand! You were supposed to stay dead! You ruined everything!”
Her expression didn’t falter. “No, Desmond. You ruined yourself.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. My anger boiled over, consuming every rational thought. “I’ll kill you, Brenda!” I roared, my voice shaking the room. “I’ll kill you for this!”
The officers rushed in, pinning me back into the chair as I thrashed and screamed like a madman. Brenda stood there, unmoved, her face a mask of determination and defiance.
“You’ve already lost, Desmond,” she said quietly, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. “And now, justice will be served.”
I slumped in the chair, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The weight of her words settled over me like a shroud. My world was crumbling, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.