Chapter Three

"You are under arrest for physically assaulting Mr. Michael and for causing disturbance in his peaceful house." The other cop replied.

"What?" I was surprised that they did not interrogate any of us before coming to a conclusion. 

That is exactly what they were expected to do.

"Just get him out of here." 

That was when it dawned on me that that was the reason Michael said that I would regret my actions. He had obviously called them before he showed up behind the door.

I could not believe the cops meant their words until one of them started approaching me.

My eyes locked with Sarah's as I expected her to plead with Michael on my behalf, even though everything that happened before me moments ago broke my heart, but she did not.

She seemed not to take what was happening anymore and left, her eyes tinged with pity, leaving me with Michael and the two cops.

"What the hell are you doing? This is a violation of my rights." I wanted to call their senses into them as if they had been spellbound by Michael, but it did not work as they handcuffed me and forced me into the car.

My heart sank more, realising that I had been treated unjustly due to the influence of money.

Before they drove out of the scene, Michael waved at me, smirking derisively. 

Everything seemed like a movie until we arrived at the police station. 

I had planned to create a scene once we entered by drawing people's attention to how I was unjustly arrested by shouting, but that did not help. Instead, it ended up worse for me as different cops kept on hitting and harassing me, making me realise that I was powerless in the situation.

"You are a damn fool for thinking you can escape the wrath of people like Michael. You don't cross paths with people like him." A cop stationed at the counter that was collecting my belongings scoffed.

Before I realised it, I found myself locked up in a holding cell with four others.

Sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, I remembered the last words spoken by the cop at the counter.

"Just hope he is not willing to take this to court; if not, you're done for." He had told me.

"What mess have I gotten myself into?" I bumped my head against the wall lightly.

I had stepped on the tail of a cobra, and now I was left with nothing but to face its confrontation.

Getting imprisoned just because of a lady did not even make sense. But Sarah deserved it. I could do anything for her. If she was remorseful and later followed me home to settle everything that happened, I would not even bother being locked up there.

"You don't have courtesy. Do you?" A voice in the cell snapped me out of my thoughts.

I didn't say anything since I was certain that he was not referring to me—not until I saw two huge figures standing before me.

Before I realised it, they began punching me repeatedly in the face, alleging that the noise from my head hitting the wall was disturbing them and that I showed them no respect—I was meant to treat them with reference right from the moment I stepped my foot on the cell.

After they were satisfied with beating me, I sobbed silently on how unfortunate I was as everything that happened in the night replayed in my head.

"This is all because of you, Sarah." I whispered, groaning in pain.

The next morning, while every part of my body was still aching in pain, a cop opened the holding cell, informing me that I had a visitor.

I let out a slight smile, knowing that it was definitely Sarah. I had no family. The only family I knew was my mother, who died when I was nine.

I did not know who my father was, whether he was alive or not. When my mother was alive, I would ask about my father, but her reaction was always sombre, sometimes leading to tears. 

I stopped asking because I could not bear to see her upset, especially considering all she had done for me.

If only I had known that death would come between us very soon, I would have asked her of who my father was and the family we belonged to regardless.

The question of my family's identity has weighed heavily on my heart since my mother's death, until I met Sarah.

She had never made me feel left out in my entire life and showed and gave me a purpose to live—to keep going on with life regardless.

I scrunched my face as I saw her sitting on one of the chairs in the waiting room, a pretext that I was annoyed at her.

"What happened to your face?" She touched the bruises on my face, her eyes tinged with concern.

"What happened to my face? Are you not the cause?" I scoffed.

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

I could not keep up with my act and held her hands as our eyes locked with each other's. "Tell me, Sarah, what really happened?"

Before she could reply, I added. "I know it's not because of money. You've never been swayed by that, so don't tell me it is." 

"Lorenzo…just forget about us. Let us put an end to this." She announced it, which came as a shock to me.

"What are you saying?" I chuckled in disbelief. 

"I'm sorry I made this happen to you. It's my fault, and I didn't mean for it to happen, whether you believe me or not, but this relationship cannot work any more." She clarified.

That was not what I was expecting her to say. How could she say that? Had she forgotten what she meant to me?

"Babe…" I hushed, barely a whisper.

"I believe you. I know there's a reason you were there. But I forgive you… I'm ready to take you back into my life. Heck! What happened between you two may not even be what I thought last night." 

"If what you thought last night was if we had sex, I'm sorry to break your heart, but..." She pulled out her hand.

"We did," her voice was barely above a whisper as she broke the news to me.

My eyes widened, but I hid it, determined to forgive her regardless, even if the wound would take a very long time in my heart to heal.

"Still-"

"Just forget about it, Lorenzo." She snapped.

"I came here to tell you that I have apologised to Michael on your behalf, and he has agreed to release you. Only if you..."

She lowered her voice. "If you go down on your knees before him and apologise."

"What?!" All eyes fell on me as I instinctively shouted.

I whispered. "What do you mean? Me? Fall on my knees to beg that asshole? Never! Besides, I thought that you were here to bail me out."

She told me that Michael had instructed the cops not to grant my bail and that I would be released unless I did what he said.

"Never! That is not possible. Not in a law-abiding country." I replied.

"Haven't you realised what is happening?" She raised her voice at me, which had never happened before.

A guard cop cautioned us that if any of us shouted again, that would be the end of the visit.

She apologised afterwards.

"What do you mean? What is happening?" I asked her.

"I can't believe you can be asking me such a question." She chuckled in disbelief, scrunching her face.

"Don't you realise you can never win this battle? Michael has shown you one of the things that the rich have over the poor, which is the reality, just like he did to me."

"What did he do to you? Tell me." I curiously asked, excited that she was finally going to spill the reason for cheating on me with him out.

"Never mind." She muttered.

"Yes, he cheated you, but it's either you rot in jail because he is ready for you to be charged in court or you do as he said." She explained.

Her statement made me realise that she was right, including recalling what the cop at the counter the previous night had said, which broke my heart because the universe had always been against me. Always defeating me with any chance it had.

I agreed to do what Michael said after she explained it to me, but I suggested we could still salvage our relationship. 

But she was determined that it was over between us.

She stood to leave, telling me that that would be the last time we would be seeing each other and advising me to cut off every connection I had with her.

"Do you know... do you know that I planned to propose to you last night?" I informed her, as she was some feet away from me.

Without turning, she replied. "I didn't wish for us to end this way. I never even wished we could get separated, but you just have to let go of me the way I've decided to. Bye, Lorenzo."

With that, she walked out of the room while my eyes could not get off her figure, brewing tears.