Chapter 1 Released From Prison

The sound of police sirens pierced the sky before finally surrounding an old-fashioned villa. “No! I didn’t do it! I didn’t kill Mr. Sterling!” Tia struggled and screamed, her face filled with fear. There were tears in her eyes. Two policemen dragged her out, and upon hearing her pleas, they just coldly chuckled. “Ms. Tia, there’s no point in arguing now. Accept the consequences of the law.” Tia closed her eyes helplessly, her mind in utter chaos. She did not know how she had passed out or how she ended up here with Mr. Sterling’s lifeless body lying next to her. Not to mention her fingerprints were on the murder weapon. “Mr. Vick, the criminal has been apprehended. Thank you for your cooperation.” “Was it you?” Tia looked at the man in front of her, her heart suddenly aching. “Was all of this your doing?” “Oh, don’t say it like that. I wouldn’t be in cahoots with the police to catch a wicked woman like you.” Vick’s handsome face contorted with disdain. “I never thought you could be so heartless. Mr. Sterling treated you so well, yet you brutally murdered him. The law will punish you.” “You actually betrayed me?” Tia felt a sharp pain in her heart. They had been dating since they were in college. Vick Ivan was known as the campus heartthrob. They met at a gala, where Vick invited Tia to dance. After graduating, Tia returned home to inherit her father’s fortune, and the two of them planned to get married soon. However, not long ago, Tia noticed something strange about her fiancé. It was as if he was hiding something from her. Hence, Tia started investigating secretly and eventually found some clues. Vick was secretly transferring away her assets. Just as Tia was about to confront him, someone knocked her unconscious at home. When she woke up, she was already at the crime scene. The police arrived just then, and Tia had no chance to defend herself. “Mr. Ivan is right. You reap what you sow. Get ready to atone in prison.” At that moment, Tia’s half-sister, Angelica, came over and intimately embraced Vick’s arm. It dawned on Tia that her fiancé and her own sister had been having an affair all along. They were the ones who set her up. She never expected that years of genuine love and affection would turn into knives that were pointed at her. “I won’t let you two get away with this!” Tia glared at them fiercely. “Sure, I’ll be waiting,” Vick sneered. “But before that, you'd better think about how to protect yourself.” Tia firmly denied the crime, but with insufficient evidence, she was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter. In court, Tia listened to the judge’s verdict with indifference. She welcomed her life in prison. Prison life was monotonous. Besides labor, she had to undergo re-education. Tia spent every day planning how to get her sentence reduced with good behavior. She had to deal with troublesome inmates to boot. “Hey!” A woman in her 40s nudged Tia with her elbow. “You look quite young. How did you end up in here?” “The police think I killed someone,” Tia replied with a grimace. Gritting her teeth, she continued, “I was framed by others.” “Oh, I see. Looks like you’ve got it rough.” The woman touched her ankle. “Your appearance and demeanor don’t seem like those of an ordinary person. This sounds like a feud among the elite.” “I’ll make them pay one day.” “I think you should take care of yourself first. I’m afraid you won’t even survive to see the outside world…” The woman shrugged, looking as if she knew a lot about such things. She then walked away confidently. At first, Tia did not understand the woman’s words, but it did not take long for her to finally understand. The sound of a metal bucket hitting the ground was jarring. Three or four female prisoners were curled up on the ground, clutching their stomachs in agony and howling in pain. Tia’s face was covered in blood. She shook her numb arms as she looked coldly at the few people in front of her. She then raised the iron rod in her hand. “Who else wants a little taste?” The people opposite were all intimidated by Tia’s imposing demeanor. “I didn’t expect you to be such a tough one.” The woman leading the group had a large tattoo on her neck and a gruesome scar on her forehead. Her gaze upon Tia resembled that of a fierce wolf eyeing its prey. “I’ve never done anything to you. Why do you keep targeting me?” Tia had been in prison for over a year, and almost every day, someone would pick on her. At first, she tried to avoid confrontation, but eventually, they became relentless. Tia realized that her silence only made them see her as weak. Thus, they continued to bully her. Tia had fought with many people on her own, but most of the time, she was the one getting beat up. Yet the worst fight she had gotten into was when they caused a large hole in her head, nearly killing her. Even so, she always maintained an indomitable spirit. “You didn’t offend me. It’s just that someone doesn’t want you to leave here alive.” Tia immediately thought of who that someone might be. “Well, I intend to stay alive. Those damned ones out there haven’t died yet, so how can I let myself die?” “I quite admire the determination in you.” The woman with the tattoo on her neck rotated her wrist. “If you don’t mind, let’s be friends instead. I’m Inova.” From that point on, Tia became good friends with Inova. Although this turn of events was somewhat strange, it saved Tia from a lot of trouble. Prison life was extremely tormenting, but she had finally endured five long years. Due to Tia’s good behavior, she had earned the chance for parole. “You’ll be released next month. Any plans?” Inova asked casually while lighting a cigarette and casting a nonchalant glance at Tia. “I intend to take back everything that belongs to me.” Tia looked at the Bible in her hand, her gaze icy and terrifying. Vick, along with Angelica, had taken away her family’s inheritance rights. They had even framed her for killing her teacher, Mr. Sterling. They caused her to spend five years in prison. She was determined to make them pay tenfold. “Well, that sounds quite interesting.” Inova chuckled. “I’ll tag along once I’m out.” “Don’t you have to spend two more years here?” “Well, I'll have to thank some friends outside,” Inova said mysteriously. On the day of Tia's release, it was snowing heavily in Philly. Everything seemed to be covered in a vast expanse of white. Tia looked around, somewhat bewildered. Where should she go now? Just when Tia was feeling lost, a Lincoln Stretch Limo pulled up at the prison gates. A man in an expensive suit stepped out of the car and looked somewhat surprised when he saw Tia. “Long time no see, Tia Celeste.”