Sage Series 1: One Last Chance

Forgiveness

     Although she was taught martial arts, she wasn't able to escape from the wrath of Justine. She pitied this woman because all she wanted was to be accepted by District Ten. But her crimes were too much to handle, if it wasn't spread out to other districts they might have forgiven her. But knowing the people from the brown table, they wouldn't let go of things that easily.

"Justine, please let my wife go! You guys can still fix it!"

She heard Ricky reasoning with Justine, she just smiled knowingly at her husband. Silently told him to not blow their covers, but maybe the situation was too much for him to handle and he couldn't focus on her instructions.

"Justine, please! She was once someone you respect right?" Ricky was desperate for Justine to let her go, she could hear it in his voice.

"Respect? Did you honestly believe that I respected your wife? No! I never did that!" Justine's reply was heartbreaking.

"Why? Why weren't you able to respect her? She didn't do anything to you!"

"Because she ruined my chance!"

Now she put two and two together, she knew what the other meant by the ruined chance. Justine wanted to be part of the brown table, she wanted to befriend them. Yet, if that was her logic it shouldn't be her fault, right?

"Your chance of what? Of being friends with us?"

Ruby was much more hotheaded than Nathaniel, goodness gracious the Rivera siblings would be the death of her one day!

"Yes! If it wasn't for her taking every credit there was, I would have been able to have a chance to be close to you all. Especially to Alexus."

She internally faced palm because she didn't expect the reason to be that shallow, all because of a guy who couldn't even make his own decisions. Justine had to ruin Dreamcatcher Development Corporation just because of Alexus? That is unbelievable! She thought.

"You fell in love with my cousin? Well, let me tell you this, no matter what you do, you will never be part of our family!"

Ruby stated as she prayed for someone to stop the other from triggering Justine because she could feel her airways had been blocked because the other was using too much force, she focused and tried to not think about the pain the knife was causing her. She needs to survive for her family still. She then tried to look for an opening on her body where she could be hit, but it was too close. She calculated her movement yet every possible move would only cause both of them harm. Just when everything was hopeless, they heard someone from the crowd screaming. It was Alexus, holding a pistol pointing at them.

"Big sis, get down!"

Since she didn't have any other way, she decided to trust him for one last time. Then she felt Justine's hand relaxed, that's when she decided to open her eyes. What she saw horrified her because Justine was shot in her shoulder and lying in her blood. Fortunately, the bullet was not too deep. They could still surgically be removed, although it would take a month or two before they could be moved freely.

"Why... why are you helping me?"

She was shocked that was the first question, Justine asked her. She didn't say anything for a minute because she didn't know why she helped her as well, when in fact she could've let her die right here.

"Ahhh... I know..."

She intently waited for her answer and didn't expect it to be like this.

"Because you are a good person, you are kind, and you don't hold resentment towards anyone."

A few minutes had passed when the ambulance arrived, they took Justine away, and she stepped close to Ricky. She knew he was shell-shocked but everything, so she gently held his hands and guided him towards her neck. She wants to let him know that she's safe and sound, however she didn't expect him to kiss her instead. He kissed her with everything he has, like it's a life and death situation. Well, they just had a near death experience, so it's understandable. She decided not to press charges against anyone, because she believed that if you really want peace, it should start from you as well.

"I would like to apologise for what she did, this was supposed to be a peace treaty, yet you almost got killed."

The Rivera siblings apologised from a distance, yet she stepped closer to them which again triggered the defence of every protection unit she has.

"When you apologise to someone, the other person should be able to hear it. Now, say it again in to my face. So that I can hear it loud and clear."

She of course heard them the first time, but this is her way of telling them that she would forgive them no matter what happens.

"We sincerely apologise for what happened before, and we hope to gain your forgiveness one day."

She calmed herself down because everything was overwhelming, mainly because she didn't expect to hear those words from the entire District Ten. All of them were hopeful for her answer, but she wanted to heal first before truly forgiving them. Otherwise, the cycle will repeat again. She then remembered that their advisor gave them a blue clover necklace, which represents their District. She stopped wearing it when she graduated because she doesn't want to remember the pain she had gone through, but now she wears it again.

She saw how their eyes shines, and she knew that they could mend their relationship with each other. She instructed her brothers to bring her baby up from the first floor, they're at the fourth floor right now. She wanted them to know Eloise, and hopefully they would develop a sense of protection towards her. After all her baby was the reason why they started this war in the first place, because she wanted to give her a better future. She knew it wasn't the right choice, but she vowed to herself that this would be the last war she would be taking part of. A higher being allowed her to live another day, so she would live like it's the last chance she got.