Unexpected Love

The gates of the federal prison opened, and Grace came out of there with Mrs. Tala. The female warden of the prison. Her eyes closed, inhaling the scent of freedom she had longed for.

"I'm finally free. I'm finally really free," she said softly.

Grace expected to see Clara who had promised to pick her up today. Instead, she saw someone she hated.

Jason Lewis, standing puffed out in front of his luxury car. From behind his sunglasses, he stared hatefully at Grace, though she didn't seem to care.

"Today is the day of your freedom, start a new life well." Mrs. Tala gently rubbed Grace's back. "Find a good job and improve your future."

Grace smiled at Mrs. Tala and replied softly. "Thank you, Mrs. Tala."

Actually, Grace didn't want to talk much, still wanting to savor the scent of freedom that she had just tasted a few minutes ago. After five years of being confined behind high walls as a prisoner, this freedom was the thing she had been looking forward to the most.

Mrs. Tala had nothing to worry about, because even without being asked, she would never come here again.

"Enjoy your freedom." Mrs. Tala handed a worn bag to Grace who accepted it with a sad expression.

There were no valuables in the bag, only a few unimportant personal items. A photograph of the vast sky that she had always seen during her confinement in the dark prison. A letter from Judith, a friend who had now officially become her enemy, and a library card. The only thing of value that she might use someday.

Five years ago, that battered bag was forced to accompany Grace to this place to account for a mistake she never made. Accused of negligent driving, which caused a woman to lose her life.

The unfortunate woman who died in the accident was Michelle Lewis. The sister of Jason Lewis, her fiancé turned enemy.

Mrs. Tala smiled, then gave a farewell hug. "Don't ever come back here. Fix your life and future."

Madame Tala turned to leave, closing the federal gate, after receiving a slow nod in response from Grace.

"I will not return, Mrs. Tala. Except to visit you," Grace said quietly, not caring whether Madame Tala heard her or not.

The promise was made only to herself.

At the same time, just as the gates of the fiscal prison were closing, Jason Lewis approached clapping his hands.

"Finally, you got your freedom." Jason smiled mockingly.

Five years ago, to avenge Michelle's death, Jason paid some money to some people to prove that Grace was guilty. Drunk driving, as Judith had told him. He had even hired a prisoner who was in the same cell as Grace to torture her.

Grace took a deep breath, holding back the sudden anger. Today was supposed to be her lucky day, but it turned into a very unlucky day after meeting Jason.

"What did you expect, Jason? To see me die here?" Grace asked sarcastically.

She and Jason used to love each other, but when he distrusted her, even paying false witnesses and evidence just to throw her in jail, that love died instantly.

Jason was the one who had a big hand in putting Grace in jail.

"Of course I expected you to rot in prison. But unfortunately, you're not dead yet." Jason's jaw and both eyebrows hardened.

According to Judit, Grace was the person most responsible for Michelle's death. That night, after the graduation party, Grace insisted on a car swap and drove drunk.

Grace, who has a very low alcohol tolerance, did not want to be driven home, because she wanted to drive Judith's luxury Bugatti.

Had she not been so stubborn, their current relationship would have been fine, and Grace would not be in jail.

"Too bad you won't get your wish, Jason." Grace smiled mockingly. "You'd better get ready, because I'm going to avenge all your evil deeds."

She may look very pathetic right now, but she promised to avenge Jason and Judith's evil deeds. She didn't know when, and it might take a very long time, but she didn't care about time.

"You know what? I've been slandered, betrayed, and experienced the rigors of prison life. I already have plenty of power to destroy you and Judith." Grace pulled away from Jason. Her eyes closed tightly as she felt the pain in her stiff fingers.

In addition to the grilling in prison, Grace had also gotten a lot of abuse from the inmates there. Some of her fingers were broken, so she often felt pain and had difficulty doing things. Her food was stolen, she was beaten for no reason, and she was even locked up in the darkroom of the prison by the guards who had been paid by Jason and Judith.

All that pain had been endured, and she wanted revenge. He didn't know when, but someday there would be a way to do it.

Jason clenched his fists. He was so angry that he wanted to run Grace to death. However, just as he was about to get into the car, he saw Clara coming with her daughter in an old car.

Clara was the prisoner he had paid to hurt Grace in prison.

"Congratulations on the day of your freedom." Clara got out of the car with her arms spread wide. However, her eyes looked at Jason who looked very angry.

"Thank you, Clara." Grace was not in the mood to talk much. A hint of fatigue appeared on her withered face.

"Your face is gloomy? What were you thinking?" asked Clara as she opened the car door for Grace.

Clara's old car sped off down the highway, leaving Jason still very angry.

Grace looked back, and Jason looked very small. She said softly. "I thought I'd see Judith. She promised to pick me up when I got out, but she never saw me again, after a year in prison."

To be honest, when he saw Jason's presence in front of the prison gate, Garce also hoped to meet Judith. Unfortunately, her former friend was too cowardly to meet her.

"Judith will never pick you up. She has forgotten about your friendship, and is busy making love with Jason Lewis." Clara said sternly.

Grace probably forgot that she had been paid by Judith and Jason to hurt the poor woman. In the end, though, she refused to commit that foul crime again.

"I know, and I don't care about that. I just want to see her and ask her why she set me up." Grace turned to the passenger seat, seeing Lily - Clara's eight-year-old daughter, busy playing with her doll.

The little girl was unperturbed by their conversation, which was inappropriate in front of a child.

Clara sneered. "Do you think she'll tell the truth? You're in prison and suffering there, because of his tricks."

Clara didn't know exactly what had happened, but according to the rumors, Judith was the one who had put Grace in prison.

"I know," Grace said in a soft voice. "But I want to meet her and ask her directly."

Judith was Grace's dorm mate in high school and university. She was a nice girl, so Grace felt comfortable befriending her. She never thought anything bad of it, even when Judith asked her to exchange vehicles on the night of the graduation party.

However, she should have been suspicious that night and rejected Judith's crazy idea, because her old car would never match the woman's luxurious Bugatti.

On that night, Judith's luxury car that Grace was driving suddenly skidded out of control, causing an accident. It accidentally hit a luxury car and caused one of the passengers to die, and another to go into a very long coma.

Unfortunately, the passenger who died was Michelle Lewis, while the paralyzed passenger was said to be the richest businessman in Washington and known to be Michelle's lover. For this mistake, he was antagonized by Jason.

Judith, who was supposed to help put out the fire of hatred for Jason, added more gasoline and gave advice that made things worse.

"Do you think he'll give you an answer?" Clara shook her head slowly, disappointed with Grace's stupidity.

Grace paused, then shook her head. Judith would never admit what she did, because it was Michelle Lewis who died. The older sister of the man she wanted so badly.

"I shouldn't have believed her." Grace's voice was sad.

At the trial, Grace had presented evidence that could have been mitigating. Yet, somehow, there were false witnesses and evidence against her. She was accused of driving drunk and causing someone to lose their life. Even though that night he didn't touch alcohol at all.

"Never mind, forget about Judith and your ex-girlfriend," Clara chuckled. "We're both ex-convicts, finding a job is more important than thinking about bad people."

Clara's laughter sounded pathetic. Three years out of prison, she had no good life other than being a mother to Lily. Although, she had to work very hard as a dishwasher in a fancy restaurant for a meager salary.

Grace smiled wryly. "There are no decent jobs for ex-convicts."

"No matter how bad things get, you and I have to keep fighting." Clara looked sadly at Grace. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Clara's car turned into a rundown apartment complex, where Grace would be living in a small apartment left behind by her parents.

Inwardly cursing the fact that they were both ex-convicts. Their presence, in society, was difficult to accept with open arms.

Grace struggled slightly to open the apartment door, her hands trembling as she held the rusted key. When the door creaked open, sunlight pierced through the window curtains, unraveling memories stored in layers of time, undisturbed.

She coughed a few times. The small apartment, left by her parents, silently accumulated dust and silence for the five years she was in prison. It was as if the apartment had frozen in time.

Grace entered the living room and considered her options. There was a lot of work waiting. Every room was filled with dust, and the furniture covered in white cloth resembled the sleeping ghosts her mother used to tell stories about.

"We need to clean up this mess." Clara moved across the room, her steps echoing in the silence.

Grace took a deep breath, knowing she needed to clean the apartment, but it felt overwhelmingly difficult. "I'll start with the bedroom."

She entered the room, removing the white cloth covering the bed. Struggling