Reborn from a Wrongful Conviction
Chapter 1
The day after I married Ethan Cole, he threw
me in jail for his darling Lily’s sake.
Three years of hell wrecked me, body and
soul.
When I finally got out, I swore off him for
good.
And now, he’s asking if I still love him?
I told him I couldn’t. Not anymore.
- 1.
A month ago, someone arranged my early
release, said they’d written a letter of
<
I’d spent three whole years in that
godforsaken place.
The prison doors swung open, and the
sunlight hit me like a punch in the face.
I shielded my eyes, totally disoriented.
Waiting for me were Ethan, my husband, and
Lily, his precious sweetheart.
They stood together, looking like they
belonged.
And me? I was pale, skinny, wearing rags,
—
with a butchered haircut nothing like the
confident, happy person I used to be.
Ethan, looking disgusted, barked, “Get in the
car!”
“Where are we going?”
“To get divorced, of course!”
Ha… figures.
Years ago, Lily got stabbed, and my
fingerprints were all over the knife. No matter
how I pleaded, Ethan went ballistic and had
me locked up. Seven years.
The man I’d loved for seven years, the man I’d
given everything to, had thrown me away like
trash.
I’d only served three years. How’d I get out so
soon?
Oh, right. He couldn’t wait any longer to
marry his princess.
Г
The old me would have screamed bloody
murder.
But prison had sucked all the fight out of me.
Three years had worn me down.
I just clenched my fists, the kind of quiet
despair that cuts you deep. “Okay,” I
whispered.
The ride was awkward. Lily sat up front, in
what used to be my seat!
She casually fed Ethan snacks, shooting
glances at me in the back like she was
rubbing her victory in my face.
And she had won.
Г
Ethan hated me now.
Three years ago, the day after the wedding,
Lily came over, said she wanted an apple but
had hurt her hand. Could I peel it for her?
We weren’t even fighting then. Next thing I
knew, she grabbed my hand and plunged that
knife into her own chest, blood staining her
white dress.
I was shaking so bad, all I wanted to do was
tell Ethan it wasn’t me.
But he shoved me away, scooped Lily up, and
ran to the hospital.
I’ll never forget what he said.
く
“Olivia, you’re going to pay for this.”
And I did.
The knife missed her heart by a hair’s
breadth. But Lily was studying to be a doctor;
she knew exactly what she was doing. No
matter how I explained, Ethan wouldn’t listen.
We got to the courthouse, but there were so
many people getting divorced that day. I hadn’t been around so many people in a long
time.
I was nervous, I didn’t dare look at anyone. I
felt really bad because I had missed my pills
this morning and could feel my anxiety
building.
Lasked Ethan if we could do it another day.
L
Lily sneered, “Are you trying to drag this
out?”
I didn’t want to talk, I wanted to find a quiet
place to hide.
My forehead was sweating, my hands were
numb. I used to be so happy and outgoing, I
didn’t need meds.
But prison was a nightmare.
The bullying, the humiliation… I was scared, I
wanted to escape, I wanted to die.
“Ethan, please, can we do this another day?”
I was practically begging.
Too many people. Too claustrophobic i
Г
Too many people. Too claustrophobic. I
couldn’t breathe.
