BEAUTY & THE DARK PRINCE

Episode 18

Chad's thumping heart can be see through his chest as he reluctantly steps away from me and raises his hands above his head as a sign of surrender.

Wide eyed and mouth opened I stand still waiting for my brain to catch up. What is happening right in front of me is confusing and my brain needs a few minutes to try and make sense of it.

But the police do not wait for my brain to catch up to proceed with their mission.

“Chad Rivers you are under arrest for the assault of Ayden Freeman and the kidnapping and attempted murder of Tyra Smith. You have the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law,” the officer utters loudly and huskily with a smug smile on his face. He just couldn't hide how happy and proud it makes him to be making an arrest.

Talk about cops who actually love their jobs

The officer keeps his gun pointed at Chad whilst the second officer pins him to the ground and handcuffs him, not giving a damn if he is being gentle or not.

I guess criminals do not deserve gentleness.

“You have a right to a lawyer and if you cannot afford one the state will appoint one for you,” the second officer adds.

"Oh no!" I gasp and I soon find myself struggling to breathe. I become speechless and temporarily incapacitated. My brain desperately scrambles to give me answers to what's happening, why and how?

"Are you okay Miss?" The officer sympathetically touches my shoulder. I stupidly look up at him and say nothing.

I watch as a handcuffed and tearful Chad is shoved past me by the other officer and forced into the police car. I blankly run outside and watch as the officer behind the wheel starts the engine. Chad glares at me through the window.

"I'm sorry," my lips move but no sound comes out.

As the police car heads towards the police station Chad is struck dumb with fear, astonishment, disbelief as well as wrath and a broken heart. He deludes himself into thinking it's not real...it's a nightmare that he will wake up from tomorrow. It's a nightmare that feels very real.

It doesn't take me long to figure out that it's my so called best friend Maria who dared to go against my wishes and called the police.

I'm seething and burning with rage as I speed home to confront her. It's a short ride home from Chad's place but today it kind of feels like a very long trip. I'm bursting to confront Maria and the sooner I get to do that the sooner I can normalize my breathing.

Finally I pull up the car and without wasting time I slam the door shut after I storm inside the house. I find Maria lounging on the couch amusing herself with the big flat screen television that Chad bought. The way she is relaxed without a care you'd think she is innocent of what I'm about to berate her for.

She is not even aware of me who is standing idle by the living room doorway. I guess that means she can't feel the heat from my eyes which are glaring at her.

I stomp forward to shut off the television and before Maria can get a chance to protest I spit fire at her, “What the f**k have you done?” I sputter with glowering eyes.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she tempts the darkness in me by trying to play dumb.

“Why did you do it...why did you call the cops on Chad? It was not your decision to make Maria! Why must you always insist on playing God?” I yell.

She rises to her feet and folds her hands across her chest in a challenging manner.

“It was the right thing to do...you just didn’t have the guts to do it. Ayden also deserves justice for what happened to him.”

"Oh so you are Ayden's lawyer now? Maria why is it so hard for you to mind your own damn business?" I snarl.

She doesn’t respond, she looks away.

“How did you get the cops to arrest Chad without evidence? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't just take your word for it,” I furrow my brows as I curiously question.

“You gave me the evidence Tyra,” she promptly responds.

“What do you mean I gave you the evidence?” My jaw tightens.

Maria nervously peers at me and says nothing.

I ponder for a brief moment and I'm appalled when the last conversation I had with her dawns on me.

“Oh my god! You are such a conniving b***h!! You deliberately started talking about what Chad did because you were recording everything knowing very well my response would confirm his guilt.. How could you do that to me Maria?” I glare at her.

Maria is not even a little bit fazed by my wrath because she believes she did the right thing and if she could go back in time she wouldn't change anything.

“I know you are mad right now but trust me you will thank me one day.”

“Yes I will and very soon when we run out of food and the landlord demands his rent that your peanut salary can’t afford and when my nana’s nurse asks for her salary as well as food and medication I will surely remember to thank you Maria.” I sarcastically state.

“Don’t worry about any of that Tyra I’m sure God will make a way for us where they seems to be no way,” she utters with uncertainty.

“Hmm you better pray he does Maria!” I bark before scuttling away.

Minutes turn to hours and hours to days and before I know it a week has drifted by since my heated fight with my best friend.

Our relationship has become strained and there is awkwardness and simmering tension between us. I try my best to avoid Maria and unnecessarily being in the same room with her.

We no longer eat together I have my meals alone in my room and I make sure to stay locked in my room until she leaves for work and I get the whole place to myself.

Despite the fact that Maria has tried to apologise a number of times I can't forgive her...at least not yet. I still have unresolved anger within me and I'm finding it hard to believe her apologies are sincere.

I have a gut feeling that I can't shake I think the real reason she got Chad arrested is jealousy! Yes I said it right.. it's a normal and common thing for friends or family to be jealous of one another.

I suspect Maria didn't want me getting thirty thousand dollars from Chad. Maybe it made her feel insecure, perhaps she feared having that kind of money would make me leave her or she just couldn't bear the thought of our financial lives being on a different level.

Every time I think of what I could have done with that thirty thousand dollars and how my life would have changed my wrath becomes renewed.

As any wise person could have predicted we soon run out of house supplies and the fridge runs out of food. The financial challenge compels us to change our diet from rice krispies to instant plain oats. No more toast accompanied by bacon, steak or Italian salami and gouda cheese its just plain bread and butter now.

This change has hit my tongue hard to the point that everyday I have to force the tasteless food down my throat for the sake of not ending up malnourished or collapsing from hunger.

Well diet becomes the least of my worries after the landlord hands me an eviction notice. Even though I was expecting it since we failed to pay the rent, it didn't make it hurt any less. My eyes are wet with tears as I kiss goodbye to the small but cosy and classy two bedroomed house that Chad had been paying for.

We have no choice but to move in to a one bedroomed apartment located in the poorest parts of the City. As if that isn’t bad enough nana’s nurse calls bearing bad news which I was anticipating.

“Ms Tyra I am very sorry to do this to you but I cannot work without pay I have a family to feed,” she politely states.

“I understand Betty,” I sigh with furrowed brows.

“I knew you would...well then I will be leaving this weekend. You might want to bring food and medication for nana it's about to run out,” she informs.

I dejectedly bury my face in the palm of my hands. I'm overwhelmed by all the financial wars I'm battling and someone has to take the blame, for me that someone is Maria. I blame everything on her.

It is unbearable living with her in a one bedroomed apartment. When I think about it there is no reason for me to stay in town especially since I've failed to get myself a job despite having distributed hundred of my resumes across the whole town.

With nana’s nurse leaving I cannot afford to hire someone else to replace her and so there will be no one left to look after my grandmother. It's only fitting that I do it myself. Why should I stay in Hilthray just to suffer? It would be best to go and take care of my nana and if I'm to struggle endlessly then there is no one else I would want by my side besides my nana.

She will be my comfort, my strength and my hope just like she has always been.

I pensively stride into my room and rifle through my belongings pulling out all my expensive jewellery, shoes, handbags and clothes that Chad presented to me as gifts during our dating period.

Yeah it has definitely come to this...I have no choice but to sell my precious accessories in order to get some cash to support me for the next hard days. Affliction knocks me down as a result of having to part with my belongings which I have always treasured. I cuddle them to my chest one by one for the last time.

A sense of gratification and alleviation fills me up after I manage to raise a significant amount of money that I estimate to cover my expenses for at least two months.

**

Following his arrest Chad's apartment was searched for further evidence and the police discovered the rifle he used to shoot me as well as the clothing he wore that night which still had my blood on it. Heaven alone knows why he wasn't wise enough to dispose of all incriminating evidence.

He was found guilty of second degree attempted murder and sentenced to five years in prison with a possibility of parole provided he puts on his best behaviour.

Its been weeks after his arrest and I don't plan on leaving the city without paying him a visit. There is so much I need to say to him.

In a twit, I saunter across the prison hallway following behind the prison guard who is ushering me to the visiting room.

I have never set foot near a prison since I was born and I would have never guessed that I would one day find myself within the prison walls.

My pulse begins to race, I'm not sure what to expect.

I have no idea if he will be happy to see me or not?

"We are here," the guard announces as the door is swung open.