Chapter Four
Colin & Laurel
{Colin's POV}
I'm so depressed. It's been a week and it feels like my life has completely been ruined.
“Colin Jonas!” A prison warder calls out. “You have a visitor.”
Who could it be this time? Ever since I got here, I realize I have no one to call family, not even a friend. Ivy hasn't come to see me since. What could she be doing? Looking for a way to get me out of here or happy that I'm out of her life.
I step out of my cell to see who it is visiting a nobody like me. I enter the visiting room unable to recognize anyone. Except maybe a lady sitting at the far end. I walk towards her and as she sees me, she raises her hand beckoning me to come over.
Laurel! Ivy's best friend. Did Ivy send her here to comfort me or tell me that it's over between us? Fear grips me with that last thought. I don't think I'm ready for a heartbreak yet.
I sit across the table, she opens up, “how are you, Colin?”
I'm perfectly fine, I live on my own. I made up my mind I'm better off being alone
That line comes to mind. Honestly, I'm better off on my own if all she wants is to tell me any heartbreaking news.
“If you think I came here to accuse you, then please change your opinion,” she says.
That's a relief.
“So why are you visiting?”
“I want you to tell me everything that happened.”
What!!! Does she think I'm innocent too?
“Are you sure? Would you believe me if I tell you my own side of the story?”
“I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.”
I want to tear up. My word! My heart leaps for joy. She may not realize how insanely happy I am right now especially when I'm getting this kind of concern from someone who knows nothing about me.
“Thank you so much!”
“Just get to it already.”
I start off, “that morning, I went up to Ivy's room to serve her breakfast. She stood by the window, looking outside.”
FLASHBACK
“Breakfast?” I call to her.
“Thanks, just leave it,” she says, still looking outside.
I drop the tray of hotdogs on a stool beside her bed.
“Colin dear.” I turn back and see her walking towards me. “Can you help me with something?”
“Anything for you dear.”
“Can you help me serve uncle Benjamin his usual coffee?”
“Huh!” My mood changes. “You know I don't like him and the feeling is mutual. I don't think he'll drink the coffee if he knows I made it.”
“You know, being in bad terms with uncle isn't going to help. Eventually, he's still family and you have to treat him like one.”
“Come on Ivy,” I grumble, “why are you making me do this?”
“It'll make me happy if you and uncle can get along for once. He knows about our relationship, you can help by making him accept it.”
I sigh. She does have a point. Fighting with uncle Benjamin will only create problems for me and Ivy.
“Fine, I'll do it. But only because you asked me to.”
She smiles and kisses my cheek. “Thank you.”
* * * * * * *
“How come his coffee got poisoned?” Laurel asks.
“I don't know. I can't imagine anyone wanting to poison him.”
“There has to be a loophole somewhere. Did you by any chance leave the kitchen while preparing the coffee?”
“Did I leave the kitchen?” I ask myself, then suddenly remember my phone rang that day. “I left the kitchen to answer a call from an unknown number but nobody was on the other side.”
“There!” She exclaims.
“What?” I look around me to see what made her react that way.
“Don't worry, I have a better understanding of what transpired.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Thank you Colin. I think I know how to help you now.” She gets up and leaves in haste.
If that didn't give me joy, I don't know what will. Alas, someone has decided to help me out of here. I wonder if Ivy is doing the same thing. She has really disappointed me.
{Laurel's POV}
I don't know who to meet next. Should I meet my boss who's a lawyer or Officer Henry so I can explain to him everything I've learnt or maybe go directly to Ivy's?
The little discussion I had with Colin really opened up ways for possibilities but brought me to more questions. Who poisoned uncle Benjamin and who killed him? Are they the same person or two different people? Why would anyone even do such a thing?
Since I've heard Colin's side, it's better I hear Ivy too before I draw any conclusions.
*
I arrive at Ivy's house. She isn't expecting me by the way she looks so stunned at my arrival.
“Let's talk.”
I think she already has an idea of what I want to talk to her about. We walk to a restaurant nearby.
“Why are you here?” She asks nervously.
“Why? It's me, your best friend so there's no need to get nervous or anything.”
“It's about uncle's death, right?”
I thought so. She knew.
“Can you honestly tell me what happened?”
“Laurel I…”
I don't give her a chance to lie to me before I interrupt, “I know you sent Colin to prepare uncle's coffee.”
She shocks.
“I also know Colin left the coffee unattended to before he came back to serve him.”
Now let me see how she will lie her way out of this one.
“You're right.”
I wait for her to finish confessing.
“I… I poisoned him.”
I want to act surprised but I don't have the energy for that drama. I just want the truth from her.
“Laurel, you're my best friend, right? You can do anything for me, can't you? And you believe me if I tell you that I don't know anything about his murder, right?”
Sadly, I do believe her. Ivy is not capable of killing someone. She may be nasty and mischievious but not as far as ending someone's life. And that means the person who murdered uncle Ben is different from who poisoned him. Now, it's time to know why.
“Why?”
“He scared me. You know how uncle Benjamin is, right? He followed me to work one evening and saw the kind of job I do. He wasn't too happy about it.”
Ivy told me one time that she's a network marketer. Her dealings are usually at night or late afternoons. Each time I try to find out more about her work, she just shuts me out. I don't want to lose my best friend because of the intruding questions I ask so I just leave her be. But why poison him after finding out what she does for a living?
“Look Laurel, I didn't kill uncle Ben, I promise. I just did what I had to do to stop him from being so nosy.”
“How come it's the same poison used to kill him at the hospital?”
“I have no idea about that. I was shocked myself to know about that information.”
Looks like I won't be getting anything else from her now.
“Laurel!” She grabs my wrist tightly. “Promise me! Promise me you won't tell anyone about this.”
Now this is where my personality fails me.
I can keep a secret till my last breath, but this one secret we share is more than just 'don't tell him I have a crush on him' kind of secret. Someone's life is being destroyed by it. Ivy didn't kill him, Colin certainly has no idea but someone has to pay for this crime.
“I promise,” I assure her. She knows I mean it.
{Colin's POV}
See who comes visiting today. I walk up to where Ivy sits, waiting for me. I am angry and I want to release that anger on her first before anything else.
“Oh! So you decided to remember your boyfriend today, huh,” I say sarcastically.
“Before you say any more nonsense, I just want you to know that it's over between us.”
It's over between us.
It's over between us.
It's over between us. It keeps ringing in my ear.
“You have committed a serious crime and you don't expect me to still have a relationship with someone with the guts to kill my own uncle.”
Did she just accuse me of this crime? Oh wait, this must be a dream. Dear God, can I wake up now?
“I hope you have fun while being stuck here for life. I've always known you were up to no good. You poisoned uncle Ben. As if that wasn't enough, you went ahead to kill him.”
No!!! I cry silently. This isn't a dream. Ivy is really accusing me of this crime and she's breaking up with me.
“Ivy, I didn't do it! I swear I have no idea why anyone would want to kill uncle Ben”
“Just shut up!” She cuts me off unceremoniously. “If not you, who would? You always fight with my uncle and even when I tried to make you see eye to eye with him, you wouldn't listen.”
Is she really doing this to me right now? Jane came here the other day and did what I am expecting her to do but right now she's doing what I expected Jane to do. I put all my faith and hope in her, thinking I won't even last a week in this filthy prison. But she is just taking my heart and squashing it underfoot. How dare she? How can she do this to me? I want to cry so bad but I won't let her see my tears.
“If you don't believe me, there's no point trying to convince you anyway,” I say boldly to her face.
“Well, who's in prison now?” she says and picks up her bag to leave.
There's no denying it. My heart is bleeding, it's as if I can't breathe. I watch her go, all my body starting to ache. I can't feel my self anymore. My knees - if at all I feel them are too weak to carry my weight. Only have I ever truly loved one person. I never thought in my wildest dreams that she will stab me in the heart with a smile on her face. Ivy has done to me what I thought my enemy would never think of and she just did it without any regret or remorse.
I carry the remaining broken pieces of my heart and my life back to my cell. What else can I do? What appears to be a four-walled prison meant for one person feels like a crowded room with no air to breathe. I am suffocating inside.
I just lay my back on the rickety bed provided for me and cry my eyes out till I fall asleep.
{Laurel's POV}
“Come in Laurel,” Mrs Meers requests as she dismisses two men who look like they were being scolded at.
I walk in and sit across her desk. She puts on her glasses to read some papers before her. I am not sure if I should speak or not.
“Umm… ma'am, you called me…”
“I called you to discuss and this is the time you arrive?” She looks at me sternly through those freaky thick glasses.
She's always so serious. Never smiles, never talks too much and never commends your effort. Too bad I have to deal with her right now.
“I'm sorry ma'am. I was just dealing with a lot of things.” I humbly answer.
“I hope those lots of things aren't the reason you came into my office after five hours.”
“I'm sorry ma'am,” I apologize again. One apology will never be enough.
“Let me go straight to the point. I want to refer you to someone who owns a large share of this company. He is organizing a large event and he needs a reliable event planner to manage everything.”
I open my mouth. Wow! This is huge! This could be the breakthrough I've been working for for the past three years.
“He is organizing this event in the States so you'll have to prepare yourself to travel abroad once again,” she adds.
All the castles I build up in the air comes crumbling down. So I have to travel out of the country again?!
“Do you think you are capable enough to take on such responsibility?”
“Yes, I am!” I answer, but a weight lands on my conscience. She attempts to say something too but I quickly continue, “I'm sorry but I can't do it.”
She narrows her eyes at me.
“I appreciate the honour and this is huge responsibility but I'm sorry I have to reject this offer.”
“Why?”
“Umm… it's the same reason why it took me this long to come here and why I want to ask for help.”
She removes her glasses and moves her papers aside. She must be wondering what could be more important than the golden opportunity she's offering me.
“Tell me.”
“I need your service ma'am.” I start calmly. “My friend needs a lawyer and I know you're one of the best out there.”
“What's your friend's case?”
“He's been accused for murder.”
“Homicide, I see.” She nods and waits for a while looking for books I guess. “I'll have to get back to you then.”
I feel kinda relieved. She didn't turn me down and she hasn't agreed to help me. But I think she will. Not only will she help an innocent kid, it'll boost her career as well.
“From what I know, any lawyer who wins murder cases are seen as the best lawyers.” I tell her to boost her already boosted ego.
She nods in affirmation. “If a lawyer can help you get away with murder, other cases are just trivial. I'll need you to send me the details of this case by tomorrow,” she finally agrees.
“Thank you!” I almost grab her hand for a handshake for happiness sake. Thank goodness I restrain myself.
I just hope Colin is worth my sacrifice.
{Colin's POV}
I confess to Officer Henry everything I told Laurel. We sit opposite each other in the interrogation room.
“Why didn't you say this before?”
I keep silent. In my mind, I scream so loud, ‘you never gave me a chance to tell you what happened!’
“Now that you've said your side of the story, I'd like to hear Ivy's side.”
Ivy's side? “Hold on officer!” I call his attention. “What does Ivy got to do with this?”
“She's next on our suspect list.” Officer Henry replies.
“Why?”
“You're obviously too naïve to understand.”
“Just tell me already!”
“Ivy was present during the poisoning incident.”
“But why would she poison uncle Benjamin?”
“Exactly what I need to find out Colin. What her motive was behind poisoning her uncle, and until we discover that out, we can't do anything to her.”
I find it very hard to believe. Why would Ivy poison her own uncle's coffee? If she wanted to poison uncle, why send me to make the coffee? Then it dawns on me. Ivy just used me to get away with what she's done. That is why she broke up with me. That is why she didn't visit me all along. Jane suspected someone and that someone is her sister, Ivy.
How could she poison her uncle and why? My head is full with questions. But Ivy used me and that's what hurts the most. Did she ever love me like she claimed she did? Who was I to her all these time we've been dating? - If I can even call it that.
After I leave the interrogation room, I walk to my cell with the company of two wardens and they lock me back in. They make their exit, leaving me alone to drown in my heaviness. I hold on to the bars, still deep in thoughts.
Who can I really trust in this world? Everyone I ever loved always disappoints me. My parents, my own brothers, my friends and now Ivy is part of them too. I thought Ivy was different, she saved my life, she gave me hope and took me in, she cared for me and I fell in love with her. How did I not see this coming? I ignored everyone else who told me to stop my foolishness being in love with a woman older than me.
Haven't I suffered enough already? I burst into tears as I slide down by the prison bars to crouch, thinking of all these things.
No one ever really loved me. They all use me for their selfish gain then dump me like what Ivy did to me two days ago. It all seem like yesterday when Ivy and I do things together. We'd go to the park and have a nice time. She'd treat me to special foods and make me try different things, but in a blink of an eye, everything has changed.
I lean against the bars and cry myself to sleep.
# # # # #
Hey readers, you can guess the song of Taylor Swift from which I copied that lyric in Colin's POV, k
Q&A
Who's the most relatable character so far?