Chapter 4 Taking the fall

Bradley's POV

"Why not?" she snapped. "Only a man who controls wealth and power is worthy of me".

It stung!

To think that my fiancée now considers me unworthy of her. Looking at her, I couldn't fathom how beautiful a person could be, but still be so vile!

"I see you've made up your mind".

"Yes", she said, picking from the plate of cherries a maid had brought in earlier. "Of course".

"I hope you don't regret your decision".

"Regret", she scoffed, like someone born above consequences. "This isn't a movie or some books Bradley...this is real life, and my family can never fall-unlike yours", she added condescendingly. "I will continue to enjoy my life forever in wealth. And you? You can go on to leave the life of an ordinary man".

I chuckled bitterly. "We shall see".

"We shall see nothing!" She called out from behind me.

I walked out of the Stones' estate-resigning myself to fate-ready to accept whatever happens.

I'd just stepped inside my family's house, about to head upstairs when the light turned on. I stopped, then turned to meet my Father's gaze.

"You're soaking wet son". He said worriedly, throwing a warmer around me.

"I know you are worried about everything...but you shouldn't be, I'll take care of it".

"Father, I just want to let you know that if someone has to take the fall for all that's happened...that will be me".

"No! I won't let you do it!" He argued.

I walked closer and held his hands. "You won't be strong enough to survive this Father", I said, almost choking. "We still need you, so please...let me do this".

He took his hand from mine. "No! A father should be the one protecting his son, not the other way round".

"I have chosen to carry this burden. It is my choice".

"No! I won't let you do this".

"This isn't up for negotiation Father".

"Son", he called, eyes reddened, "it shouldn't be you, you don't deserve this. I should be the one to make amends".

"No one deserves to have to watch their legacy burn", I said, battling with my own emotions, "but someone has to survive the fire, even if it means living with the scars."

Then I gave him a soft squeeze on the shoulder.

"Go to bed Father, you need your sleep". I said, and left for my room.

---

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was 7:15am.

I looked through the windows and saw them–I knew what it was. Having already made up my mind, I came out and surrendered to the feds without struggle.

Confusion spread across their faces because I wasn't the person they had come for.

I stood straight before them and spoke in a stern voice. "You have come to arrest Ford? Well here I am!", I said, stretching my hand to the officer who was holding a handcuff.

The warrant was clear. Allegations of embezzlement, money laundering, and other fraudulent financial mismanagement that the investigators claimed to have found had to be accounted for. Someone had to be held responsible for it all. And I have chosen to take full responsibility for it.

I saw Dad's car, following us from behind.

When we arrived, I saw Mom had been wailing, her hair disarranged.

"My son...my baby", she wept, "you can't do this to yourself, please". She turned to Dad. "George...do something. Don't let them take my son away".

I hated seeing her cry and it tore me apart. Through reddened eyes, I comforted her. "Don't worry Mother, wipe your tears", I said, my voice almost betraying him. "This is not the end".

"Son", Dad croaked-voice cracked from the tears he had shed. "I-it should be me".

I gave him a reassuring smile and turned to sign the statement, accepting all the charges.

Cameras kept flashing as I was escorted out of the courthouse. Reporters were everywhere, scampering around like cockroaches, screaming different questions:

Were you forced to take the fall for your father?

How do you intend to survive in prison?

Is this the end of your family's legacy?

I remained poised and said nothing as I was led away by the officers.

I joined other inmates in the bus, and we were driven far off into the outskirts of the suburbs of the city.

I sat by the window side, taking in the view of trees and forests as we sped past them. My heart was shattered, they had crumbled me and brought me to my knees.

After four long hours, we arrived at the state penitentiary. The officer asked us to arrange ourselves in a single file as he led us inside the building.

The walls were very high, with barbed wires on them. Security patrolled every nook and cranny of the vicinity.

I was busily looking at the surroundings-the high walls that seemed to separate me, not just from my freedom, but from the life I once had. I was alive but dead, the feeling of emptiness overwhelmed me. I was lost in thought till I heard a man speak.

"Maintain a single file!", he shouted at the top of his voice. "I must let you all know, that whatever it is you think you were, outside of the prison wall is no longer existent. You are to obey every rule in here. You will not speak unless you are asked to speak. You will not look into the eyes of an officer even when you are asked to speak, and you must always respond with a yes sir! Is that clear?" He shouted.

No response.

"Is that clear?" He asked again.

Only a few responded, some weakly, some nonchalantly.

Angered at the disrespect and not wanting to lose face in front of his subordinates he reached for his baton and struck the inmate close to him. "I said. Is. That. Clear?" He asked, hitting him between questions while the new inmate groaned in pain.

Seeing this, we quickly chanted: "Yes sir!"

Finally pleased at the response, he grinned widely, exposing his brownish set of teeth that looked like they hadn't been brushed in years.

"Good! That's more like it, now keep moving!"

We were led up the stairs to a hall where we would change our clothes into prison wear.

It was dinner time-but I refused to eat. The sight of the food was revolting. Another prisoner noticed how I pushed the food aside, so he rushed at it like an animal and devoured it-licking the plate like a dog.

Disgusting!

After dinner, we were assigned our bunks. I was to stay with five other inmates, making us six in total and I was given the lower bunk.

Some hours later, already past midnight after the light had gone out, a warden walked to the front of my cell and called out. "Inmate 7148. Inmate 7148", he repeated, "stand up and put your hands behind your head".

The other inmates looked at themselves puzzled. I was puzzled too.

Getting no response, the warden opened the cell gate, looked at each one of us as if searching for something, then he dragged me out.

"Have you gone deaf?" he thundered.

"Oh no lad, you a dead meat", one of the inmates with a thick country accent voiced out.

"You will shut that dirty hole in your face you call a mouth before I shut it up for you!" The warden fired back, making the inmate scamper backward like a scared cat.

I looked down at my apparel. And there it was-7148.

The reality of not being Bradley Ford anymore within these walls hadn't yet sunk in.

So in here...I am just 7148?

"The next time you hear inmate 7148, you respond by saying yes sir! Is that clear?" The warden asked.

But I remained quiet.

He reached for his baton, held it up in the air, and asked again, with venom laced in his voice this time. "Is that clear?"

My voice tightened as I strained and managed to say, "Yes...sir".

"Now, get moving", he said, pushing me.

We walked and came into an empty hallway when he told me to stop. "Wait here, they'll be here for you soon".

They? Who? I wondered.

I tried calling him back to ask him what was going on, but he quickly disappeared from my sight.

I was left standing there in the darkness-puzzled. My heart thumped violently in my chest and beads of sweat broke out on my forehead.

Then, I heard a creak. A door not too far from where I was standing opened slowly, and what came into view sent a chill down my spine.