FLASHBACK

"When you're extremely calm and apathetic during a very serious situation, it just means that there's a storm brewing"

"So what do I do dad?", An eight year old me asks my father who is cleaning up my injury on my elbow or more like changing my cast.

I had just gotten into a fight with a kid at karate class. He had called me a boy and I had anger issues. My parents never took me to any form of anger management class or whatever. They always wanted to handle things their way and they thought me joining karate was the best way to fuel anger.

I was eight, what did I know? Apparently, nothing. This kid called me a boy and God how I hated being called that. I nicely asked him to stop but he didn't. I just kept on smiling, void of feeling and very calm. I willed for him not to come closer at the same time sizing him up.

He was as big as me but looked three years older and I think that's what made him feel inferior.

But boys and their fragile egos right? They will always think they can get away with bullying a girl. He came closer and in the blink of an eye, my fist connected to his ears. I think his ear drums got busted.

"You little bitch" he scowled and that was when I learned to never throw the first punch no matter what! Not even if I am right or if I'm being humiliated. Never throw the first punch.

"When you feel this way, I want you to take a step back and analyze the situation on ground. Process your actions and reactions in your head thoroughly. Let it go through due examinations before doing anything ", Dad said as he wrapped the last bit of cast around my elbows.

I had come home with a broken elbow and the boy had gone home, partially deaf.
I'm not proud of what I did and I have learned from my mistakes.

FLASHBACK ENDS!!!

That same feeling of calm and void I felt those years comes rushing back as I stare at Jack. My supposed "best friend".

"Hi Jack", I say with as much courage as I can muster. I feel my body shake with sadness and my insides melt as I am about to confront him.

Eric leans against the car and Nicholas just stands hands akimbo watching me.

"You gotta hurry up though, time's our enemy right now and we gotta race it", Nicholas says, more like murmur.

"Jack. All I ask for is the truth", I say.

"I have nothing to tell you", he replies, shrugging his shoulders

"Do you know anything concerning the murders of Asher Hudson and Uncle Austin?"

"Why am I being interrogated Sam? Why are you with these people? I am your best friend! Me! I have been through thick and thin with you and all of a sudden you trust them with your life?", Jack says vehemently as he gesticulates frantically in the air.

I close my eyes and sharply suck in the air around me. I count to five and open my eyes again.

"That's not what I asked", I say way too calmly.

"I know nothing Samantha", he says rather aggressively.

"Listen to me Jack! You better tell me everything you know or"

"Or what? Kill me like you did to Asher?", He bites back.

"Hey watch it", Nicholas says rushing towards him. Eric just stands there probably reeling from shock.

I take a step back and just chuckle lightly. I comb by fingers through my hair and look at the sky. I feel a glint of tear in the corner of my eye.

What did I ever do to deserve this?

"Listen to me Jack. I've been on the run for close to four years and if you think for one moment that I'd go back to jail for a crime I didn't commit, you're in for the longest, grueling ride of your life".

I say with my hands on my hips and my eyes seething rage. I feel my blood boiling and my hands begin to shake from intense anger.

"I haven't had a good sleep in the last fifteen hours and I'm cranky as hell. If you don't start talking soon God help me because I won't regret my next action"

I breathe in and out a couple of times to try and calm my nerves down a bit.

"You say you're my best friend right? Does a best friend sell out their fellow best friend? Does a best friend lie? A best friend, emphasis on the word best, a best friend is one who is always there for the other. Compromises and all. Makes sacrifice. Most importantly, a best friend never lies. I was the best friend to you and you were just my friend. I considered you my brother when I thought I had lost Damien. I covered up for you even when you raped that girl. Do you know how many times I had to get in trouble just for helping you stash your coke? You were never mine? I was just a tool right?", I ask as the tears pour down like rain.

Eric hands me a napkin and I mouth a thank you.

"No!", Jack whispers and starts sobbing.

"No? Of course yes. I was blinded all these while and now I actually see it. I was only a tool for you. Heck I never asked you to repay my kindness or my love and I won't ask you now. If you think you were using me, that's on you because everything I did, I did out of pure love"

"Are we seriously going to ignore the fact that you mentioned Jack and rape in the same sentence?" Eric says with wide eyes.

"Yeah that's sick. You covering up for him doesn't make it better. You are what's wrong with the world!" Nicholas says in a condescending tone. I wince from the harshness of his tone.

"I have done some things I am not proud of doesn't mean I need a condescending son of a god-damned bitch to judge me", I say rather harshly.

Yes, Jack raped a girl and I am not proud of it neither am I proud of covering up for him. I did what I had to do to protect him.

"Sam!", He begins and tries to touch me. I move back and wipe my eyes.

"Don't even think about it" I say.

"I am doing everything in my power not to hit you right now so just answer me by telling me what you know!"

"I can't!", Jack says and suddenly breaks out sweating.

Eric brings out a knife and I suddenly go green with irritation and fear. My breath suddenly seizes and I soon start to feel hot.

"A..a..a..knife?", I stammer and flashes of that day comes rushing in. I move back one step and see myself being grabbed by the stranger while holding the butter knife.

Why is Eric holding a knife?

"Are you okay?", Nicholas asks and I open my mouth to answer but no words come out.

Noooo! I hear myself scream as Asher was stabbed multiple times.

I suddenly become faint and weak in the knees.

"It's the fucking knife!", Jack says and Eric immediately puts it away.
I heave a sigh of relief.

"I had no idea..."

"No it's okay. Just a minor case of aichmophobia", I say as I suddenly feel all the colors that left my face start to return.

"Here", Nicholas says handing me a bottle of water. I take a gulp and mouth a thank you. He gives a curt nod and nods towards Jack who's still leaning against the car.

"Alright Jack. All I want from you is the truth but you already know how it goes. I've played nice enough so I'm going to appeal to your conscience. If there was anytime you ever felt any iota of love and care for me it should be now", I gingerly say testing the waters. He gives an eye roll and I chuckle.

"No? Okay. I tried to warn you. Now here it is. I know where your wife is. I know where your children are. I have someone with them now and if you don't tell me where they are I'll order the person to harm them and there's nothing you can do", I say trying to blackmail him.

"Blackmail? Really? Really not your suit. Besides you're not a killer", he says with a scoff.

Who are you Jack Fernando?

"Maybe I am not a killer, but there's nothing I won't stop at to redeem myself and you better not push it"

"Bluff!", He calls out with a smirk.

Am I really bluffing? Let's test that shall we.

I signal for Eric to hand me his phone and he does so with a smirk. I play the video of Jack's twins and his wife.

"Three different guns held at their heads. One word from me and it's bye bye to your family forever and you're gonna regret it for the rest of your miserable fucking life", I say very calmly.

He looks frantically at all three of us.

"Okay okay Sam, you win! Your mother is not dead. She faked her death because she's hiding so many things from you and she doesn't want to confront you. I never wanted to be a part of this but my mum's life was at stake and I needed to do this. Please believe me. I've always wanted to tell you but I had to. My mum isn't dead either. She's locked away somewhere but I don't know where. Your mum is protecting someone over you Samantha. She has calculated every move since Asher's death. Everything is a planned deal" he pauses to catch his breath and I just stare at him, not wavering my gaze for a second or changing my stance either.

"She knew you were going to find out who the killer is and she brought Damien back. Damien is not the killer. He never drowned. He tripped by himself into the well because your mother told him to. She instigated Damien against you. She knew you were going to react exactly how she wanted. Damien was forced to go to a boarding school in Iraq. Damien is the one true person who loves you and he came back to tell you the truth. Well not exactly, your mother forced him to get back so you'd think you saw him and then send you to the asylum under the guise that you were mental"

"Wow!", I say as tears spill down my eyes.

So many calculated moves!

"So where is her mother now?", Nicholas asks.

"In Nantucket. She's in the Montero warehouse in Nantucket", Jack says and falls to ground landing on his knees. He covers his face with his palms and begins sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry Sam. Believe me I wanted none of these to happen. That day in the hotel, I saw your mother talking to the masked stranger with tears in her eyes. I knew it was the masked stranger because you had already described him. I confronted her later on and wanted to tell you she has a hand in this but she threatened me Sam. She still has my mother! If your mum finds out I told you any of these, my mum would pay for this. My mum has chronic dementia and I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through right now. I didn't know what else to do. Please forgive me. I'm really sorry" he says wailing.

Should he have sacrificed his mother for my sake?
No! That'd be too selfish on my part.
Well he did find a way to communicate with me even while in the asylum.

"Why did you send me those letters?", I ask afraid of the answer.

"Your mum asked me to"

"Why?"

"She knew you were going to try and escape but she needed to give you an excuse"

"Still doesn't make any sense"

Why would she need to give me an excuse to escape?

"She brought back Damien. Put you in a cell immediately. She did this so you'd think it's all Damien's fault"

"Why..."

"Are you seriously going to keep interrogating him when the culprit herself is literally ninety miles away from us?", Eric asks face palming him.

Oh Jack!

"Alright let's go Sam?", Nicholas says gesturing for me to get in the car.

I look at Jack contemplating whether or not to go with him or just abandon him here.

"Don't worry about him. He can't leave here for now. At least not when he still has the ankle monitor", Eric says and I follow solemnly.

Nicholas sits behind the wheels, zooming off and Eric holds me by the shoulder.

"Next stop, Nantucket", Nicholas announces.

"Did you record everything?", I ask Eric.
He simply nods his head and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Are you okay?", Eric asks wiping off a tear from my eye.

"No! I am not okay! None of this is normal. My mother is if not the entire reason but part of reason I went to jail. She did this to me. She is responsible for everything", I say screaming into the car.

I scream out my lungs and gasp for air. I trash around the car but the limited space doesn't allow me to do much. I weep non stop and Eric allows me to. Nicholas stares at me with sadness in his eyes.

I cry my eyes out until it's swollen, puffy and red.

"There there!", He soothingly calms me as I place my head on his shoulder.

"At the end of it all, you'll be fine"

He says and just holds me there while I doze off.

A/N:
Author: Such a reveal right?

Samantha: No shit!

Author: You wanna know a fun fact? I wrote this chapter out of the top of my head at three in the morning. Nothing about this was premeditated so I can as well say I'm as shocked as you to find out so many things 😉

Nicholas: Mrs Montero?

Author: Yeah! Shocking right? I wanted it to be her dad initially but like I said, it just happened!

Well unto the next chapter shall we. If you enjoyed this please don't forget to vote and leave your comment. Thank you 💕🤗