Destiny's POV
I struggled and fought the Police, but I ended up crawling on the floor after he shoved me inside.
"Don't make this harder for us, Ms. Ganzon; you can't fight with your strength. All you need is to call your attorney or a friend to bail you out." The officer said as he locked my cell.
"Your stepmom and step-sister are willing to negotiate, just you know," he added.
"What do you mean? Have you seen the look on my stepmother's face? She will never negotiate, I beg her, but she didn't listen to me." I answered.
"You can always negotiate with us," he said in more than a whisper, ensuring no one except me would hear him.
"Don't you have a lawyer?" He asked as he put his hand on the bar grillage.
"I don't need a lawyer since I am innocent, and you fucking know that!" I shouted, and he shook his head as his gaze focused on my face.
"Still feisty, huh! You are already helpless, yet you still act as if you can get yourself out of this place without help." He answered with irritation in his voice.
"When you calm down, you can talk to me anytime, and I am willing to help you, Destiny."He added before he turned his heels and left.
With trembling limbs, I scooted on the farther side, as far away from the bar grillage as I heard his footsteps fading away from my prison cell. I injured my knees from my fall and could feel the sting on my scrapes. I leaned on the wall, hugging my knees with my head down, feeling more helpless than ever.
"Carmen, you are going to pay for this," I mumbled to myself, grinding my teeth with anger, cursing my stepmom and stepsister until I couldn't fight the tears that welled up in my eyes and flowed down on my face like waterfalls.
I didn't know how long I had been sobbing until there were no more tears left in my eyes. I calmed down from the outside, but my mind was tangled with many thoughts.
"Hey, what is your offense, girl?" I heard a woman's voice not so far away from me, and when I looked up, I saw a middle-aged woman wearing a comforting smile in the adjacent cell.
She had tattoos all over her arms and wore an oversized shirt and worn-out jeans. Even if her curly shoulder-length hair was a mess, she still looked beautiful. I wasn't scared of her; something on her face made me feel like I could trust her even if she were a stranger. The way she looked at me without judgment made me feel at ease.
"I didn't commit any crime," I answered as I looked at her face.
Her eyes got swollen, and the remnants of tears were still visible in her eyes. I could tell she had just finished crying, too, and I wondered what could be the reason for her imprisonment.
"I am Gale, by the way," she spoke.
"So, you are telling me you are also a victim of injustice, right?" She added, and I slowly nodded my head.
"Yes, I am innocent. I haven't wronged anyone." I softly responded.
"And you can call me Destiny," I added.
"Destiny, what a beautiful name. Your mom must be so happy when you were born." She stated with a soft smile on her tired face, and I suddenly remembered my mom. The emptiness I always feel every time I am reminded of my mother came rushing back to me.
"You are young and beautiful; don't just sit there on the corner and accept your fate. You are stronger than that; call someone whom you think can help you." She added.
"There is no one," I replied since I couldn't afford to make Daria worried about me, knowing she had no money. If she learned I was at the police station and needed help, she would surely come in haste, but she couldn't help me.
I had already pawned all my jewelry.
"That is impossible," Gale responded, and I ended up telling her my life story, including my identity, and she looked at me for a long time before she spoke.
"The more you have to get out of her, don't let those leeches take advantage of your family's wealth." Gale enunciated with a wide grin on her face.
"How?" I asked, feeling so lost, and I felt a little better that there was someone I could talk to and share the story of my misfortune.
"That Lucas guy can help you. You have no choice, Des. If you want everything back, you must hold on to the blade." She replied as I felt horrified by what she had said.
"Your virginity is no longer your major concern right now, but I salute you. Girls nowadays give up their virginity easily, to anyone, with random guys and in random places, but you? You are exceptional for saving it for the right man." Gale declared, which made me blush.
"He is married, I didn't want to commit adultery," I weakly answered
"As you told me, Lucas is crazy about you and will do anything for you. Why don't you call him and then make an agreement that you will only sleep with him after he confesses to your father and boyfriend." She answered with excitement on her face.
"You don't need to sleep with him afterward," Gale added.
"Lucas will never agree with that. I knew him too well. He is not easily get fooled. He will ensure he gets what he wants before agreeing with me." I stated, and then she clicked her tongue and looked at me with seriousness on her face.
"Then let him be your first; sometimes in this life, we must make sacrifices to get what we want. Lucas is hot and handsome, so it is not bad to surrender your purity to him. It is for a cause." My new friend said as if she was talking about a simple matter.
I never slept with anyone, and it would be traumatic for me since I wished to sleep with someone that I love.
"Be mindful that the man you love left you when you needed him the most," Gale added, and her words stabbed my heart.
"You are lucky to have that option; if I only have one choice, I will do it in a heartbeat. But I committed a crime and must pay the price for it. I had no regrets about doing it, and I will do it again if I have to." Gale went on as her face suddenly shrouded with sadness.
"What is your crime?" I asked, suddenly curious why this wise woman was here with me.
"I prefer not to tell you, Destiny. You started to trust me, and I already consider you my friend. I know you will leave here sooner than later, but I am glad we met. I didn't want you to look at me differently once you learned what I have done." She responded.
"Okay, I respect your decision not to tell me anything about you, but I just want you to know that I will never judge anyone, whatever their circumstances. We have different struggles in life, Gale. I won't judge you." I added.
"Thank you for that; if you stay with me for over a week, I will tell you." She joked, and just pondering whether I would be staying in this prison cell for more than a week horrified me.
"Hey, I know you can get out of here by tomorrow," she added when she noticed I fell silent.
Gale was already asleep while I was still leaning on the wall, reflecting on everything she had said. I needed to make a decision about whether I wanted to get out of this place or stay. The coldness of the floor made me shiver, and I slowly stood up and transferred to the bunk bed.
Carmen and Carmie would do anything to make me suffer, but as long as I live, I won't surrender. Gale was right; I should not sit in the corner and wait for things to happen. I fell asleep after I finalized my decision.
"I want to call someone," I said to Officer Calderon when he made his round on my cell.
"Is he your friend?" He inquires with seriousness.
"Not anymore, but he can be my salvation," I replied.
"Okay, call him now," he said as he opened my cell and quickly put handcuffs on my wrists.
"Can I just use your cellphone?" I asked, and he shook his head and brought me to the telephone booth.
I was having second thoughts, but I didn't want to stay in jail for another day; I had to make a phone call and leave at once.
I trembled as I dialed Lucas's number; I memorized his mobile number since he was one of my friends before his rivalry with Red started. We used to hang up with Emma and Red before he confessed his feelings for me.
"Hello, it is me, Destiny," I said, making an effort to contain the shaking of my voice.
"Yes, why are you calling me? Does it mean you change your mind?" He asked with excitement.
"Yes, but you have to come here at the police station and bail me out," I responded, and there was a long silence on the other line.
"What happened?" He asked after he recovered from his shock, and I told him I would fill him in after he showed up, and he told me he would be there.
I had to embrace my new life and play my card right; I couldn't believe I had to use Lucas to get back to Carmen and Carmie.
"Ms. Ganzon, you are now free to go!" The police officer said as I could hear the opening of my cell and I was dumbfounded that I had just got back after I called Lucas, and he was there at the speed of lighting.
I lazily sat up from the bunk and was surprised to find Red in front of my prison cell beside the police officer who arrested me yesterday. My ex-boyfriend looked so haggard, and I could tell he was deprived of sleep. he stared at me with a disappointed look all over his handsome face.