Chapter 9
“What the hell is this supposed to mean?” Jayden’s eyes widened in disbelief. His father and mother struggled to break free, but the police held them firmly in place.
“Sorry, Mr. Corrick,” one of the officers said, presenting his badge, “You and your parents are being formally arrested on charges of attempted fraud and extortion.” He gestured for the others to escort them down.
They had never learned much about decency, and now-who knows from where they had picked up this crude and blatant method of blackmail, only to get caught in their own trap.
The three of them were eventually taken away, still shouting as they disappeared down the stairs.
Since the idea had originated with the elderly couple, they bore the brunt of the sentencing. They would spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Jayden, though only a participant, received several years as well.
Before being taken away, he said nothing. He just glared at me, full of hatred. The look sent a chill down my spine.
But life went on. He knew my old address, so I moved. A new place, a new chapter.
A few years later, Sophie was also arrested-charged with defrauding Jayden’s family. Her case opened a floodgate of investigations, uncovering countless other scams. The amount of money involved was staggering. She was sentenced to life in prison.
I felt nothing about it. Maybe this was what people meant when they talked about karma.
Years passed. One evening, pregnant and calm, I walked along the river with Nick. The scenery was gentle, and we breathed it in quietly.
I had slowly stepped back from my family’s business and was ready to devote myself entirely to our new life, to the child soon to arrive. Nick seemed content with that. He held my hand as we walked, speaking with lightness about the future.
“What should we name the baby?” he asked, gently placing a hand over my belly.
“You can decide,” I said. “Anything is fine.”
He smiled, and I leaned forward to kiss his cheek. The riverbank was crowded and lively, full of warmth.
Then, without warning, everything shifted.
“Leah! Nick! I’ll send you both to hell!”
The voice was ragged, unrecognizable at first. A figure lunged out of the crowd, unkempt and clutching a knife.
My heart sank. Nick reacted instantly, shielding me with his body and kicking the attacker hard. The man collapsed, the knife clattering to the ground. Only then did I see clearly-he was frail, his limbs shaking, no longer the fierce threat he’d tried to be.
He groaned in pain and looked up. It was Jayden.
He looked like a ghost of himself. Gaunt. Dirty. Hair in clumps, eyes sunken deep into his skull. Clearly, life hadn’t been kind to him these past few years.
“Leah! I’m going to kill you!”
He gasped, reached again for the knife. But that delay was enough. A bystander kicked the blade away. Several people pinned him down together.
The police arrived quickly and took him away.
Still shaking, I leaned against Nick. He held me close, scanning me carefully for injuries. When he was sure I was fine, he turned to Jayden with a cold, unblinking stare. We went to the police station afterward to give our statements.
1/2
Choper d
+15 Bonus
It was there I finally learned the rest.
His parents had taken their own lives in prison, one after the other, their minds consumed by despair.
Jayden, upon his release, had lost touch with reality. He wandered from place to place, obsessed, unstable, searching for me like a man possessed.
Eventually, they locked him away in a psychiatric hospital. I visited him once.
“Leah! You betrayed me!” he screamed, eyes wild as he hurled himself against the walls of his padded room. “You and Nick! I’ll kill you both! I’ll drag you all to hell!”
He kept shouting, cursing, and accusing everyone of ruining his life.
I watched for a moment, then sighed and turned away.
I was due any day now. Nick was going to be a father. We, the three of us, were about to begin a new life.
