Chapter 8 Shattered Trust

After Emily's visit, I lived with a constant pain in my chest, as though the ocean air couldn't fill my lungs enough. Every sound the cottage floorboards made, every car engine that I heard on the road, sent my heart into fast beats.

Mark did everything to reassure me. He cooked, he laughed with Lily, he held me at night when sleep wouldn't come. But I saw the tension and fear in his eyes, the way his phone vibrated endlessly with calls he never answered.

I knew that we would have to leave the cottage soon, it was only a matter of time. Mark was being stubborn, he didn't want to face his family or leave but I knew we couldn't stay here forever.

Our love story was going to be shortlived. Every fibre of my being knew that even though we loved each other, his world was not mine.

I was washing dishes while Lily coloured at the table when I heard the knock. It was sharp and it was not the gentle tap of any of our neighbours at the cottage..

When I opened the door, two uniformed officers stood on the doorstep.

"Clara Evans?" one of them asked.

My stomach dropped within me "Yes."

"You're under arrest for fraud and theft. We have a warrant."

The room started to spin. My hands went cold. "What? No, there must be some mistake..."

One officer stepped forward, he showed me papers that I couldn't even read. "We've had reports of stolen funds tied to your bank account. Please step outside, ma'am."

Lily's face dropped, her crayon dropping to the floor. "Mummy?"

"I haven't stolen anything!" My voice cracked with fear rising in my throat. "I don't even have anything to steal! Please, you're wrong."

"Uncle Mark!!!!!" Lily started screaming Mark's name.

"Go inside Lily, go inside get uncle Mark.'' Lily didn't want to leave the hem of my gown but I pushed her inside nad heaved a sigh of relief when she ran to call Mark.

I could see Mark running down the stairs with his afce filled with confusion and fury.

"What the hell is this, officers?"

The officers faces wore a bit of shock when they saw Mark. It was like whoever sent them didn't tell them that he would be with me.

"Sir, if you interfere, we'll have to take you in as well. The complaint was filed by Mogul Enterprises. We are just doing our jobs"

I bit my lips in pain.It was his family. Of course, it was them.

"On what grounds are you taking her into custody?'' Mark had moved so close to me and the officers that he was now holding my hands.

"We can't answer that sir. You'll have to come to the station. '' One of the officers answered.

" This is stupid.'' Mark roared in anger. "You can't arrest a person without cause.''

I was about to tell Mark what they had said before he came, but I suddenly felt cold metal bite into my wrists. Handcuffs. The humiliation of wearing them made bile rise in my throat.

"Mummy!" Lily screamed, rushing to hold me, but Mark carried her up, his own voice breaking. "It's okay, baby. I'll get her out of this. I promise."

I looked at Mark's face to get some sort of reassurance. He looked at me, I could see fear in his eyes.

" I'll get you out of this my love." He came close to me and kissed my forehead. "I promise you, baby. I'll get you out of this.''

Tears blurred my vision as they led me out, my daughter's cries echoing like knives in my chest. Neighbours peeked from windows, whispering, watching the entire scenario.

When we got to the station, I was thrown into a small cell that smelled of damp concrete and human sweat. I sat on the hard bench, my hands shaking and my mind racing. Fraud? Theft?

They were fabricating this lie , just to destroy me. I had never stolen a dime in my life. I had lived an honest life and I worked for every cent that I had spent.

Hours passed before the door to my cell opened. Mark stormed in, his hair dishevelled, his eyes wild.

When I saw him, I was angry. I wasn't angry that he came. I was so angry that it took him hours to come to the station. He later told me that he had to pull some strings to get me released.

He had to call some of his father's friends who owed him to temporarily drop the charges. They didn't want to help him because they were scared of his mother.

He had to bribe them with millions. When he told me this, I didn't know if I was to be relieved. All I felt was fear. He was already spending his life's fortune on saving me.

"You're being released." Mark said to me as the officer opened my cell door and uncuffed me.

"The charges won't stick. They were all lies from the start. I have sorted it."

Relief washed through me, followed by a surge of anger. "They did this, didn't they? Your parents."

His silence said of all.

I buried my face in my hands, my voice breaking in hot uncontrollable tears. . "They won't stop until there's nothing left of me, Mark. They'll drag me through the mud, ruin my name, and my daughter's future. What am I supposed to do, Mark?"

He knelt down in front of me, his hands gripping mine as I held onto the bars of the cell. "You hold on, please hold on to me. Hold on to Lily. We'll get through this, Clara. I promise."

But even as he said it, I saw the doubt and fear in his eyes.

He posted my bail and grabbed my things, then we left the station. When Lily saw me, she ran fiercely into my arms with tears in her eyes. Her sad little sobs made me cry too.

"It's okay baby, don't cry. Momma's here. " I hugged tightly as we walked together to the car. I didn't say anything the whole time we drove back to the cottage.

That night, when we finally returned to the cottage, I collapsed into bed, too drained to even speak. Mark sat beside me, his fingers brushing my hair back.

"They'll pay for this," he whispered fiercely to my ears. "I swear, Clara, I'll make them regret it."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe his love was going to be enough. But the fear in Lily's eyes, the shame of those handcuffs, haunted me.

I thought it was over but his family and other plans for me.

Two days later, as Lily played in the yard, a black car drove in. A woman stepped out, dressed in sharp grey, carrying a brown folder.

"Clara Evans?" she asked, her tone seemed friendly.

"Yes ?"

"I am from Child Protective Services. We've received an anonymous report that your daughter is living in unsafe conditions. We need to evaluate her placement."

I started coughing. I was coughing so hard that the Social worker offered me some water. I was coughing because I had mistakenly swallowed my saliva through my wind up.

"Unsafe? No! She's my child. She's safe with me. Who would ...."

But I didn't need to finish. I already knew.

Behind me, Lily ran into my arms, holding me tightly with confusion on her small face. "Mummy, who is she?"

I held her close, my heart beating fast. "No one, darling. Just... no one."

"Can we help you?" Mark had seen me talking to her from afar.

The woman looked at him sternly.

"We received complaints that your side chick here...." She couldn't continue speaking because I heard a thud on her cheeks.

I calmly looked around to understand what had just happened. It was then I realized that Mark hit her in the face.

I was dazed.

"Mark , why did you hit her?" I rushed to the side of the Social worker and helped her up, thankfully she wasn't bleeding.

Mark didn't answer me but looked at the social worker with anger washing all over his face. "Don't you dare call my Clara a side Chick again, you piece of worthless crap."

"Mark!!!!!" I screamed at him. "Get yourself together. Do you want to go to prison for battery and assault?"

That was when he calmed down. When he saw my angry face.

"Now apologize to her" I demanded. Even though his mother had sent the social worker to ruin my life, she was only doing her job. She didn't deserve to get beaten for doing her job.

"Clara.... I....." He was reluctant. But I stood my ground. He looked at me and realized I was dead serious.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." He apologized and then looked away.

I helped the social worker back to her feet as she looked at Mark with disdain. I took her to a corner and begged her not to press charges. She agreed. But I wasn't sure she was telling the truth.

She walked back to where Mark and Lily were before she spoke again. I followed her closely behind.

"We still need to complete the assessment. The complaint filed is about neglect, insufficient housing, and... inappropriate relationships." The anger on her face was fierce but she kept her cool.

"This is ridiculous. Clara is a wonderful mother. You're just wasting your time."

"We'll see about that, Mr Mogul." She replied with anger in her voice.

Shame burned through me, it was hot and suffocating. They were calling me unfit. They were saying my love for Mark made me dangerous for my own daughter.

Pain stung my eyes as I whispered, "They're trying to take her from me."

Mark's arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me against him. "Over my dead body," he replied.

The woman eventually checked around and left after her inspection, but her warning to me was clear.

"If we find any evidence to support these claims, we'll have no choice but to remove the child. Have a nice day, Mr Mogul." She looked at him as if to say, I'll get my revenge then she left.

When the car drove away, I fell to my knees, holding Lily so tightly she said I was hurting her. I loosened my grip but I was scared that I would lose her.

"I can't lose her," I sobbed into her hair. "She's all I have, Mark. They can take everything else, but not her. Please, not her."

He knelt beside us and I felt a drop of warm liquid on my shoulders. I looked at his face, and I saw that it was wet and red.

Mark was crying too.

."You won't. I swear it. I'll fight them with everything I have. They won't touch her. They won't touch you." He said amidst tears.

I pulled him into the hug with Lily and we all stood there sobbing silently, under the pain of a forbidden and difficult love.

Deep down, fear filled my chest, because every battle we fought seemed to end with his family doing more evil things.

And I wondered, how much more of this could I take?