Cheryl POV

"Can you describe the place you stayed?" Some man in a neat black suit and shiny shoes asked from the chair opposite mine. I didn't remember his name anymore since I wasn't capable of remembering anything other than Finn's smile.

"It was dark. I couldn't see anything."

"Were there others, or was it just one?" He asked again.

"It was dark. I couldn't see anything." I repeated the same lie just like I've shelved it in my head since the interrogations started.

"From the tone and accent, can you help us describe how it sounded?"

"They never talked." I lied again, keeping everything only to myself. I trusted no one at that point.

"They? You think they are more than one!"

"I don't know. It was dark. I couldn't see anything." I was like a robot, programmed specifically to utter certain lines.

Everyone kept repeating the same exact questions, and I kept vocalizing the same exact answers back. If they could just give up for I was never going to talk.

The detective or inspector, I had no idea of his rank-stood up and let out a heavy sigh. He was unsatisfied with my response; everyone has been.

However, I must say I was grateful to my parents and doctor Kimberly for holding on to the news about the pregnancy to themselves without spilling it to the world for some reasons I hope are good.

Although I heard them last night discussing about how wrong abortion was and I've also heard them discussing getting rid of the pregnancy. So I was confused and afraid to eat anything offered from them specifically for me.

After my dad spent some time outside the house with his work partners and some lookouts, he came in and slammed the door locked.

"I think it's time you cooperate, Cheryl. Whoever that is that you are protecting must have hurt you." Dad pulled a chair from the table and sat.

"I know nothing, it was dark, and they never talked." I insisted.

"You can fool everyone, but you can't fool me. That person impregnates you, Cheryl. Please just give me a hint... you think I feel better about all this? I am grateful you are back, but you were hurt. I need to find the person who did this to you. You're my daughter, and it's giving me blood pressure knowing I can't bring your kidnapper to justice."

"I wish I have something more to give, but I don't know anything." I swallowed the bile in my throat, and my eyes began to water. I felt like I was sinking alone in the middle of the ocean.

I've cried the whole of last night after I found out I was pregnant with Finn's child. I didn't sleep, for all I wanted was to go back to Finn and tell him about it. I doubted he would be happy, but I thought I could try to convince him to help me raise our child. I was desperate to raise Finn's child and give the baby a real never-ending love.

Finn POV

"I like the white Acura. I would send you the address," I said before I hung up.

I was on my way to the orphanage home, for it was Saturday, and surprise would do for the amazing kids who had been expecting my visitation.

Mariah had welcomed me when I arrived, and we spent some time discussing with the yellow bus driver who would be driving us around town today.

"This would cheer up the kids. Linda had been feeling down this week; I'm sure this would lighten them up, thank you again for doing this." Mariah gave me a genuine smile.

"It's my honor," I assured her as we strolled around the spacious place.

The others were preparing for the kids.

When I felt Mariah's eyes stealing glances at me, I narrowed mine and pointed them at her.

"I'm sorry, it's just I was hoping Cheryl has left for good?" She asked.

I was getting exhausted arguing with her about the fact that Cheryl was nothing like her parents, so I refused to reply at that time. I didn't want that to ruin my day.

"She's not good for you, Finn. You're too good for her."

Taking in some calming breaths, I scoff. "Or rather reversely, she's too damn good for me, but she wants me anyway."

Mariah's forehead wrinkled, and her lips were in a straight line. "Finn... I'm just worried about you."

"Don't be. I've survived worst." I angrily threw at her and headed over to the excited kids loading into the bus.

I had cleaned up the house more than needed, for I was growing impatient waiting for someone who makes breathing easier, so the idea of taking the kids for shopping shoots in, on account of staying at home, only bored me.

I was missing Cheryl-It was affecting me. I wish there were a way of getting to her, so I didn't hesitate to take Samuel's call, and instead, he informed me about Dean Richards's whereabouts.

I'm sorry, Cheryl.

Cheryl POV

It was the next morning when we were eating breakfast, pretending to be a normal family, like mom and dad weren't divorced, and I hadn't been kidnapped for months.

Albeit I was mute and managed to keep my eyes to my plate, I could feel the tension in the air when dad received a call from Simon urging us to turn on the tv, and without delay, dad did as asked just the same time mom left the table to pick her husband's call.

"Dean Richards was a very successful man and had help building places in Arkansas for the community. It's so sad to find his body outside by the alley this morning, marked with the familiar sign."

"He's killing people like life doesn't matter. How can he be so heartless." Dad threw the remote and stood up, rubbing his forehead with his hand.

I was quiet. I was disappointed. Finn was supposed not to kill anyone anymore. I was supposed to convince my parents and let time pass before showing him up as a different person.

But the plan had already been ruined; it had been demolishing gradually until that moment when it completely fell. I was pregnant. Finn had gone back to his old habits of slitting people's throats. Everything was too much for me to handle, I was only trying, but I wasn't as strong as I looked.

The lump in my throat was almost choking me. I still kept my eyes on the food in front of me until mom returned from making calls.

"Oh my God." She sunk into the seat when she saw the headlines on the news.

Dean Richards was a friend of my parents for a long time. That was how I certified how real my prediction was. My dad and Mr. Richards, and some others had managed to ruin Finn's life, and at that moment, it had become habitual for him.

"You know what you're doing is against the law, right?" Dad turned to me with ireful eyes.

"Against the law? You are talking about the law." I scoffed reluctantly.

"Yes, Cheryl, don't be stubborn. Covering a crime is the worst thing a citizen could do." Mom's audacity was unbelievable and strong enough to drop my mouth off.

"Look who's talking?" I shook my head at them. "The both of you are unbelievable, accusing me of something I inherited? Oh, come on, dad, mom? I thought you're better than this."

"What are you yammering about," Dad growled, and mom shrugged, unaffected.

"Don't act innocent or law-abiding authorities. You both are corrupted, and you know what I'm talking about."

"What the fuck are you implying." Dad slammed the table, but nothing scared me at all. He should know I've seen worst.

"Nate, screaming wouldn't help matters."

"Oh, we can do it the loud way, or we could do it like adults. I'm all good at both. The option is yours." I arched my brows quizzically.

"I can't believe how you've changed in a span of weeks. This is not my daughter. I don't even know what you're talking about." Dad sputtered, and I wanted to scream in his face and force him to take back those words. I should be the one saying that. I was the victim, the daughter of a murderer and a criminal who spent eighteen years of life deceived.

"I know, dad, so stop pretending. I know what you two did to the Hayes family. I know you pulled the trigger, dad, I know you took the money, I know you worked with those elites in town to take away the suitcases of a man who only wanted to build a non-profit school for the poor, oh... I also knew you helped them build a private cinema instead of a non-profit school with the money that wasn't yours." A tear rolled down my face as they both became speechless. I spun to mom. "And I know you framed their corpses. You lied to the world and made them the bad guys when their heart was purer and cleaner than yours."

"Cheryl." Mom started.

I shook my head and yelled. "No! Mom, you're the worst of humans. I thought you became a lawyer to stand for those who had no voice? Yet you deny that kid his right. You told everyone he was little and delusional. You two ruined his life."

Mom was speechless. She kept swallowing. Their faces confirmed everything to me. It wasn't a lie; they really did it. Everything was true. I was officially the daughter of corrupted people.

"Whatever you heard that brainwashed you wasn't the truth. The boy was eight; for God's sake, he probably imagined something." Dad tried to make up some outrageous lies.

"No." I was fully sobbing. Listening to my parents lying was only reciting in my head how much I was blessed with the wrong people in my life. "No, dad! Why are you lying? He was eight, right? I was four when you and mom took me backpack shopping. I wore a yellow gown and brown sandals. My hair was styled in two buns. You told me to choose the purple backpack because it had a Snow White princess on it. Tell me I am lying, tell me all those memories were a dream, dad, tell me I'm delusional-I only imagine things." I sniffed.

"Dad, he wasn't delusional at all. He was traumatized by you two. He was forced to watch both his parents die on his eighth birthday because of you. You two are monsters, and sooner or later, you will pay for it." With pure and striking hatred, I boldly threw to them.

Dad was pale as his head rapidly shook in either disagreement or confusion. He was suddenly sweating and could barely form a word. "FH is the little kid? The little kid." Dad thoughtfully repeated to himself with hooded eyes while mom exhaled and closed her eyes.
"Finn Hayes."

At the end of the day, I got my answer, yet I had peeled open the greatest secret, and I then knew Finn's private life was no more a secret.