Unrequited Passion

Chapter 3 Everything Has Changed？

“If I’m going to hell, then I’m taking Mikayla with me!” Astrid sneered. “I hope you never find out the truth, Blake. Because if you do, you’ll realize how horrible you’ve been to me. You hurt me, you—”

Blake nodded at the policemen, who promptly dragged Astrid away. Her vision was blinded by the numerous camera flashes. The reporters were only too eager to capture her wretched state.

Right before she got into the police car, Astrid turned around and shot a dazzling smile at Blake. “My greatest regret is falling in love with you, Blake Ledger. I hope I never have to see your face ever again! If I had the chance to turn back time, I wish we never crossed paths!”

Between the two of them, she had been the only one in love for the past ten years. It was crystal clear to her that he had never trusted her. In fact, he didn’t even bother to file for a proper investigation despite everything she said to convince him that she wasn’t the murderer. He’d immediately decided that she was the vicious snake who had killed his mother.

What a fool she’d been for the past ten years, to believe that this man loved her. ‘You’ve broken my heart, Blake Ledger. You’ve really broken my heart,’ she lamented inwardly as she smiled brilliantly at Blake.

Astrid’s final smile was magnificent, and it was etched deeply in everyone’s minds. It was a symbol of the innocence of her youth going down in flames. This was the last time she fell so foolishly for love.

As the crowd dispersed, Blake made his way to the window and watched as the police car drove out of sight. His gaze clouded over with a complicated haze.

He knew that Astrid deserved this after everything she had done.

However, Astrid’s final words to him struck a strange chord. Somehow, he felt as if he had lost something, something that he would never, ever get back.

***

Five years later.

The gates of Bronzewood City Prison creaked open, and a frail, skinny-looking woman slowly walked out. Her blonde pixie cut fluttered ever so gently in the wind. If one took a closer look, one would see an ugly, long scar on her forehead.

The sunlight hit her face for the very first time in a long time. As if blinded by nature’s gift, she lifted her arm to block out the glaring sunlight. Five long years in prison had taken its toll on Astrid Noelle. She looked like a completely different woman now.

“Congratulations Miss Noelle on your release. You are now a free person. I hope you’ve learned your lesson while serving time in prison. It’s time to start a new chapter!” Leilani Peterson said softly as she approached Astrid and returned her belongings to her. The kind prison guard even gave her 20 bucks.

“Thank you, Officer Peterson.” Astrid accepted the items with a smile, turned around, and left.

Leilani sighed as she watched Astrid leave. After serving time in prison for five years, ex-convict Astrid could no longer claim the title of the It Girl of Bronzewood. Time in prison was harsh to her. Her hands and legs were broken from the countless brawls in prison.

Leilani had heard that Astrid was once an accomplished pianist and dancer. Unfortunately, it seemed that she would never be able to do any of those again.

Having spent five years with her, Leilani believed that Astrid wasn’t as bad as the papers said.

‘How did she get herself into this? What happened?’ Leilani wondered.

Astrid used the 20 bucks that Leilani had given her to take a four-hour train ride to White Town. She then located Annie Nash’s old home. Annie Nash was her next-door neighbor. When Astrid knocked on her door, she was surprised. They made small talk, then Annie handed Astrid a few items and a small four-year-old girl, saying, “She’s yours’ daughter.”

The girl was simply adorable. She had a round, pretty face, and her blue eyes were exactly like Astrid’s.

Astrid thanked the woman and took the girl back to the city. They made a stop at a cemetery to visit her grandfather’s grave.

When they arrived at her grandfather’s grave, Astrid fell to her knees and sobbed tearfully.

“I’m sorry for letting you down, Grandpa.”.

Five years ago, when Astrid was sentenced to prison, her grandfather suffered a heart attack from the shock and passed away. She didn’t even get to say her last goodbyes to him. This remained one of her greatest regrets until today.

Disappointed in her, her father had disowned her and stripped her of her inheritance.

Astrid sobbed as she turned to a patch of grass next to her grandfather’s grave and dug a hole to bury the items her old neighbor had given her.

When she was finally done, she bid goodbye to her grandfather. She wanted to visit Blake’s mother, Raina Ledger’s grave too. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find it.

‘She’s probably buried in the Ledge family graveyard.’ Astrid concluded.

“Where are we going, mommy?” The little girl asked timidly.