Chapter 8 — White Lies

Flashback: Muntinlupa City Jail.

Accused by fraud and sentenced to five years, Lucy Mason keeps her sanity intact as long as she can. 

As a new prisoner in this kind of place that looks like hell, she tried her best to fit in. She woke up by the sudden hit of cold water on her face. 

"Wake up! You're not a queen here!” she knew that voice, it was from her mortal enemy, Arian. 

She opened her eyes and hastily wiped her wet face. She glared at her, and Arian didn't like it. 

She stretches her eyes wide open and warned Lucy. 

“Don't give me that look! I can carve those eyes of yours with my own hands!” she told her, and Lucy just keeps her eyes on the ground. 

"Get up! It's time to clean the bed and our toilet!” she charged her with that task. 

Since her first day, she always received bullying especially from her fellow inmates except for the girl with the name Cassandra. She was the one who saves her from them when she was kicked by them on her first day.

While she was cleaning the bathroom toilet, Cassandra approaches her. 

“Don't mind them. They will get tired soon. I'm just like you. Don't worry, I'm here to save you,” she said while giving a brave face at Lucy. 

Lucy slowly stretches her lips to smile even it's hard to do so. 

"I'm good. I don't care about them. My thoughts were about my son. I don't know where they took him and are they taking care of him?” she tried to hold back her tears but it's too late. 

Cassandra quickly gave her a tissue. 

“Here, this help I guess,” she said, and Lucy laughs at her. 

"You're so kind. Are you sure you're not one of them? What if you're just messing up with me?” she challenges Cassandra, but she just laughs at her too. 

“Me, against you? No way! You can trust me, promise,” she told her, and start that day they became friends. 

Little did she know that Lucy is just part of their game. Cassandra ordered them to be cruel to her until she gets her trust. 

Cassandra was resting on her bed when she heard screams inside the girl's shower area. She heard Lucy's voice, so she rushes to check on her. 

She saw her on the floor with blood on her face. She looks unconscious and she saw Arian and others laughing at her. She ran to save her. 

She pushed Arian from Lucy and she stumbled on the concrete floor. She hit her arms and called for help from the guards. 

The police guards came and hit them one by one except Lucy and Arian who were both injured. 

"What happened here?” the head of the security guard Steve asked them after the mess they did.

"It's her fault. That bitch! She told me that I'm not good at sex! She mocked me and my dignity!” Arian lied and Cassandra knows it. 

Officer Steve set his eyes to Lucy. Her head was covered by bondage when Arian pushed her while she's taking a shower and she hit her head on the floor. She won't let this woman ruin her image here inside the prison. She had enough for her, calling her BITCH. 

She took a deep breath and defended herself. 

“I am not a Bitch! You don't know me! You had no right to call me bitch. I am Lucy! I am innocent. She started the fight!” Lucy told her side. 

She's been fooled and betrayed by everyone especially Kent Oliver, the man she waited for ten years because of her deep love for him. She turned blind and deaf to loving him. She won't let them stomp her again, not inside this prison house. 

Arian was about to lie again when Cassandra came to become Lucy's witness. 

"I saw Arian pushing her! I saw it with my eyes! Just confess your sin, okay." She came inside and Lucy looks surprised about her abrupt arrival. 

After a long interrogation, officer Steve brought Arian to the detention room. 

"No! I'm not lying! That woman started the fight!” she keeps screaming and struggling while two police officers brought her there. 

Lucy went back to their room with Cassandra. They're both laughing at each other. 

“I can't believe you can be a great actress!” Lucy adored her. 

Cassandra slightly fixes her hair strands behind her ears from her face. She winks at her. 

"Of course. I told you, you can trust me!” she said and that day, it was her first time to feel special and important. 

She was a schoolgirl nerd back then, so she hasn't made a lot of friends except for Eloisa, but she soon found out that she was been used because she had a secret crush on her boyfriend Kent. 

End of flashback ***

Three days had passed but they haven't received any calls from Cassandra. The couple started to fall apart. The Zeus Palace was abandoned for days so Gale decided to take over. The Kings and Queens Hotel had many issues about going bankrupt. Kent seldom goes to his office even Lucy. They let Jennie, their new secretary, handle it since their last secretary got pregnant.

Lucy had a hard time going to sleep. She seldom ate too. Kent and she always fought because of their son. 

“It's your fault! I told you to stay with our son just for a night, but you insisted on letting Cassandra take care of everything!” Kent yelled at her. 

Lucy laughed and started to cry. She couldn't believe that her husband was treating her badly in times like this. 

"Right. I'm at fault! I was a useless mom, a despicable one! I get it. So, kill me now or I will do it myself!” she shouted and walked near the mirror. She took a scissor and about to stab herself when her husband rushes towards her. 

“Honey, don't. Don't do it. Austin will get mad. I'm so sorry. I mess up!” Kent grabs the scissor from her and throw it on the floor. 

He hugs his wife tightly. 

"What will I do? Why she's not calling us? What if she hurt our son? I can't forgive myself, Kent, never!” Lucy started punching herself while her husband holds her. 

Lucy thought her life will be perfect again after marrying Kent and brought Austin with them. She thought she found a real friend, a best friend for life but everything was like a nightmare that she didn't want to remember anymore. 

“I swear I will put justice for my son! She will call, I knew it!” Lucy was certain that Cassandra will contact again. 

***

“You know what? I want to be an actress. It's my dream to act in front of many audiences." Cassandra told Lucy while they're on their way to the bus stop. 

Lucy just smiled at her. She's not aware that Cassandra grinned behind her back.