Chapter 1 Blair's POV

I stood at the bus station, waiting patiently to catch the next bus to work, as the cool morning air brushed against my skin. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unknown caller. I frowned, ignoring it, but when the call persisted, I answered.

"Hello," the caller's voice boomed. "Am I speaking with Blair Rodrigo?"

"Yes, and who am I speaking with?" I asked in a hurry.l, trying to cover the sudden anxiety tightening in my chest.

"Your brother, Trevor Rodrigo, has been accused of rape." His words hit me like a big slap. "I'll send you an address. You are needed in court."

"What! How?!" I questioned, freaking out, disbelief and panic rising within me. But the caller had already hung up. A moment later, my phone beeped with a new message with the court address.

********

I sat in the courtroom, my hands clenched tightly in my lap, the air thick with anticipation and dread. The room was stark, the pale walls adorned only with the American flag and the court's seal. My gaze was fixed on Trevor, who stood at the defendant's table, his face a mask of stoic resignation. This couldn't be real. It felt like a nightmare but the cold hard seat brought me back I to reality.

Trevor worked as a cleaner at the Williams mansion-along with his girlfriend, Betty. My mind raced, piecing the story I had heard together. Betty was allegedly raped by Xavier Williams, the son of Trevor's boss, but in an effort to manipulate the situation, they bribed the girl's family to coerce her into accusing Trevor instead. The rich ones had pulled their manipulative strings again.

"After hearing from both parties," The judge's voice resounded in the court, pulling me out of my thoughts as I regained my focus.

"This honorable court..." He paused, his gaze fixed on Trevor, who stood in the witness box, visibly consumed by fear and anxiety. "...finds you, Trevor Rodrigo, guilty of the accusation of rape, and hereby sentences you to fifteen years in prison. The court finds Betty George not guilty."

A sharp gasps escaped my lips. I shot to my feet to reassure Trevor, but the police were quicker, preventing me from meeting him.

"I'll do anything to get you out of here, I promise!" I screamed at the top of my voice, but he was already gone.

As anger rose inside me, my eyes darted to Betty and her family, who were sitting amidst the crowd in the courtroom. How much did they pay them to betray Trevor? I turned my gaze into Sam Williams, my gaze locking with his son's Xavier Williams who was smirking with confidence in a corner.

"Barrister Paul!" I called out, spooting him admist the crowd. A young man in his early thirties, dressed in the customary attire of a black robe and white wig, clutching a leather-bound legal briefcase. As he turned to me, I rushed down to meet him.

Slightly out of breath, I went on, my voice trembling, "Barrister Paul, we both know that Trevor...isn't guilty. You know that!"

"Err... Well, Miss Rodrigo, you heard when the girl testified that your brother was the one who had violated her." He replied, shifting uncomfortably, glancing away. "And there was other evidence, along with witnesses to corroborate it... I'm sorry, but, the case was out of my hands."

"What?" I stared at him in disbelief.

He said it with an air of indifference, "I really tried my best to help you and your brother despite the little you paid me, but I guess you just have to suck it up." He added, "It is just fifteen years, after all."

If only looks could kill, then he would have been dead by that moment as I shot him a deadly glare.

"If you would excuse me," and with that, he walked away.

My phone buzzed in my hand. It was the hospital. Dread settled on me as I answered, "Dr James."

"Miss Rodrigo, you have to find every way to get the money. Your grandmother's condition is deteriorating rapidly. Her kidney has ceased to function." He continued, "If the surgery is not carried out as soon as possible. I'm afraid there's a significant risk that she may not survive much longer."

"Please, Dr James. She is all I...we've got." I begged, my voice trembling.

I had been tested and confirmed as a potential donor for my grandmother. However, the delay in the entire process was primarily due to the cost of the transplant.

Feeling suffocated after hearing what the doctor said, I begged, "Dr. James, please, I am begging you to do everything in your power to save my grandmother I promise I'll find a way to get the money... I'll pay you."

He replied, almost immediately, "Hmm...I'm afraid there is nothing we can do, Miss Rodrigo. It's only fair that you deposit at least half of the money before we can do anything for her. Remember, we have treated her without collecting a dime from you." He continued, "Or better still, you can take her to another hospital."

A brief silence lingered over the line before the doctor's voice returned, saying, "Have a nice day."

The whole world seemed to be closing in on me and I wondered if I could escape before it I got trapped. How was I supposed to come up with a whopping sum of twenty million dollars for her kidney transplant when I only had three thousand dollars in my account?

Frustrated, I crouched down in front of the court, people passing me by. I caught a glimpse of Betty. Attempting to call out her name, another call came in again-this time, my short-tempered boss, Micheal.

I worked as a waitress at a restaurant not far from where I lived. While the pay wasn't sufficient to cover all my expenses, it was still reasonable.

"Mr Micheal, good morning," I greeted anxiously, already anticipating his outburst.

He shouted, "What is good about the morning, Blair? Huh?!" I could picture his facial expressions as he talked, "You tell me what's good about the morning. Your shift was supposed to start at 9am, and it's now past ten, yet you're not here."

"...errm, Sir, I-" I started to say but he cut me off.

He thundered, "Shut it, Blair! I am not paying you to slack off or just play around. You are fired!"