Rewriting My Heart's Fate

Chapter 516

My heart shattered when I saw Zachary's face, all tear-streaked behind the glass. He was only five, supposed to grow up without worries, but instead, he had to deal with the heartbreak of losing his mother. "Hey, don't cry, sweetie..." I held back my tears and forced a smile. "I'll be back before you know it. I'll care for you even more when that day comes, okay?"

Zachary nodded hard, pressing his tiny hand against the glass as if hoping to break through it and touch me.

"Mommy, I'll be good every day and wait for you to come home..." His little voice cracked, hitting me like a punch to the gut.

Ethan's eyes were red, but he sounded resolute. "Evelyn, don't worry about Zach. I'll look after him. I swear I'll find out the truth and make sure the person who did this doesn't get off easy!"

I looked at him gratefully, tears spilling down my cheeks. "Honey... I'm sorry I couldn't be the wife or mom you and Zach deserved-"

"Don't say that," he choked out, cutting me off. "You've done everything you could. Trust me, I'll get you out of here."

"Time's up! Prisoner, back inside!" The guard's impatient shout snapped us back to reality.

I took one last lingering look at Zachary before I was roughly yanked away. The iron door slammed shut with a deafening bang, cutting me off from both my family and any hope of freedom. I sank into a corner of the cell, staring bleakly at the pale white ceiling. Ten years... How was I supposed to make it through a whole decade of this?

bars was bitterly cold and brutal. Every day, I faced a group of tough, hardened inmates. Some were career pickpockets, others drug-trafficking kingpins, and some even murderers. To them, I-a "white-collar" criminal caught up in

look who it is! Our very own celebrity! The big

shoved me into the cell without mercy, and snickers rose from

shooting them a cold look. "What's the

the crap.

up, her eyes cold and menacing. "I run things here. You'd better listen-don't fight us over anything or push your luck, or you't be so beaten up,

rose in agreement. She clearly seemed to rule

name?" I asked, keeping my face neutral and trying to

Sutton. They call me Maddie. You'd better wise

notorious underworld figure. She looked the part-broad-shouldered, with cold, hard eyes and an

slightly and turned to

QUMS

sleep on. The wall was covered in carvings left by the inmates, showing the endless, painful days

the bed, staring at that sickly white ceiling as tears streamed