Sapphire.

Chapter Fifteen

I was assigned to clean the prison cafeteria that afternoon, so I put on my orange jumpsuit and pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail. My eyes were fixed on the greasy stove tops and sticky tables as I scrubbed and wiped them down with a damp rag. I knew better than to let my guard down while doing my prison duties, especially in front of the guards and other inmates.

The sound of a radio cut through the silence, and I paused in my work duties to listen. The familiar tune and lyrics hit me like a wave, and my heart swelled with pride and memories. It was one of my songs, a piece of my soul that I had poured onto paper. But as the voice of the singer filled the air, my heart shattered into a million pieces. It was Rhys. The man I had trusted more than anyone with my music, my passion, had taken what was mine and claimed it as his own.

I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, as the betrayal washed over me like a tidal wave. It felt like a knife plunged deep into my heart, twisting and turning, ripping apart every ounce of trust and love I had ever felt for him. I had poured my heart and soul into that song, bared my innermost thoughts and emotions, and he had stolen it from me.

I leaned against the counter, gripping the rag tightly in my hand, and closed my eyes. I tried to block out the sound of Rhys's voice, but it was like a persistent echo that wouldn't go away.

How could he do this to me? How could he take our song and use it for his own success while I was stuck in prison, alone and forgotten? It felt like a cruel joke, a twisted form of betrayal that I couldn't escape from.

All the memories of Rhys came flooding back to me, every moment we shared, every laugh, every kiss, every time we I played my music for him. But now, all of those memories were tainted by this ultimate act of betrayal. I felt foolish for ever trusting him, for ever believing that he loved me as much as I loved him.

As the song ended, I couldn't help but let out a sob. The pain was too much to bear, and I felt like I would never be able to trust anyone again. How could I, when the one person I thought I could count on had stolen from me so callously?

A sea of questions flowed through my head. When did Rhys start to sing? Did he just pretend to love me because of my songs? Was all of what happened between us just a charade? Was he the one who framed me? How could he?