"Let me tell you, Evelyn!" Madison shouted. "I don't care if you're some fashion queen. Here, you'll have to obey me!"
"Yeah!" an inmate shouted.
Another chimed in, "What are you pretending to be all high and mighty for? Hurry up and apologize to Maddie!"
A third added, "Exactly. Didn't get enough of a beating yesterday? Do you have a death wish?"
The surrounding inmates egged each other on. Everyone was eager to join the fray.
I clenched my fists tightly and suppressed my anger. I couldn't afford to lose control now. Not now. Not here.
Just as the tension reached its peak, a prison guard rushed over and pushed through the crowd to stand before me.
"Evelyn, someone from the court is here. Come with me, now!" Without waiting for my response, he grabbed my arm and began tugging me away.
Madison's furious roar echoed, "Trying to run away? You think you can run?"
I didn't look back and let the guard drag me along. I raced toward the gate. Finally, the bars that had confined me for two long years had been lifted.
As I stepped out of the prison, tears streamed down my face. I was finally free. The sunlight was dazzling. The breeze was gentle. Even my tears felt warm.
I took a deep breath of the fresh air outside and felt an overwhelming sense of relief. I looked around and noticed a black car waiting nearby.
The window slowly rolled down, and there he was—the person I had longed for day and night. His eyes glistened with tears as he reached out toward me.
"Darling, I'm here to take you home," Ethan said. His voice was hoarse, and tears were flowing down his cheeks. Overcome with emotion, I reached out to hold his hand. As I looked closer, I froze.
The person in the car wasn't Ethan. It was Kevin and Lianne. Hadn't Vivian already been sent to prison? Why wasn't Ethan here to pick me up? What on earth was going on?
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