Now, Scarlett was crawling towards me, clutching at my pants with mud smudged on them. “Zara, take the blame one more time! Just this last time! Don’t you want money? I can give you a lot!” Simon was standing by the doorframe, blocking my exit and calmly said, “Zara, name your price.”
I looked at the crowd in front of me in disbelief and said, "Are you crazy?! Scarlett killed someone! This will send me to jail!" Scarlett's parents glanced at her, sobbing on the ground and then turned to me. "Girl, name a price. The Barnes Family can't afford a scandal."
"No way, I can't handle a life sentence!" I clenched my fists, my anger boiling with nowhere to go.
Simon’s eyes turned icy, like a biting wind cutting through me. "Then what do you want? Zara, I'll do everything I can to reduce your sentence to three years. How about that?"
So, Scarlett's life couldn't have a stain, but mine could? "This is non-negotiable!" I shouted. Simon laughed mockingly, "Zara, three years in prison and you'll be set for life. Aren’t you tired of being poor?" I stayed silent, trying to think of a way out of this nightmare. Then, Simon leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Zara, do you really think it’s your choice whether you agree or not?"
The threat in his voice was unmistakable. I knew Simon's family had power, enough to make my life a living hell if I refused.
My thoughts raced as I looked around the room. Scarlett's parents were watching me intently, their expressions a mix of desperation and determination.
Scarlett herself was still on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, a pitiful sight that would have moved me if I didn’t know the extent of her manipulations.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "And if I say no?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to remain calm. Simon's smile widened, a cold, calculating smile that sent chills down my spine. "Then we'll make sure you regret it," he said simply. "We have ways of making people disappear, Zara. You wouldn’t be the first."
The weight of his words hung in the air, suffocating me. I knew I was trapped. I could either take the fall and hope that Simon kept his promise to marry me and reduce my sentence, or refuse and face a fate even worse than prison. My options were grim, but I had to make a choice.