BENEATH ALL THE LIES

Zasha's P. O. V

It's been more than two weeks since I had been detained by the police. The day the police came and arrested me in my own house was still clear in my mind as if it was just yesterday. I had not been paying attention much that night, I was just elated that my daughter came and visited me that day, just like she promised. I should have seen it coming. She brought along a police detective with her, although at that time she told me she met him at the office and I immediately jumped into conclusion that he was just another of her coworker. Boy, was I wrong.

After they headed home that night I was cleaning up the house and getting ready to bed. I noticed a black sedan parked not far from my house but I didn't suspect anything at that moment. I thought it must be one of the neighbours' guests. I went to bed early that night but was awaken by the banging on my door. As I opened it, a police officer shoved a warrant for me on my face and told me that I was arrested on the charge of kidnapping. There was no doubt in my mind who they were talking about at that time. Cassey.

For 23 years, I successfully hid us from everyone. But I had guessed that this time would eventually come. I just let those police handcuffed me and took me to their car. I didn't say anything, not even when they were questioning me.

"I need a lawyer," was the only thing I said to them. I wouldn't speak unless in the presence of my lawyer. They finally gave up and allowed me to make that one call. I really wanted to call Cassey, my fingers were itching to dial her number. But something else in my mind kicked in. I had to do this right, to protect us, I would need a lawyer. A good one at that. So I dialed the number I had come to memorized all this while.

"Hello," a familiar voice answered at the other end of the line.

"You need to help me. The police found me and my daughter out." I didn't have to elaborate since she must have already know what I was talking about.

"I will send a lawyer to you, don't say anything until we know it's safe."

I already knew what I had to do. We had practiced this, we had prepared ourselves for this moment. I hung up the call after I told her which police precinct I was taken to. I just had to wait till the lawyer came and then I could start the talking. I hoped Cassey was safe wherever she was.

Cassey. That was all I could think about. I worried about her, she didn't know anything about what was happening. Now as I was sitting in my cell, Cassey was the only person I wanted to see again, to make sure she wasn't in danger. That day she came with Deena, I almost lost my mind. I almost didn't recognize Deena, she had aged quite a few years. But I could never forget her voice. The same voice that haunted my nightmare since the day I had to hide in that closet to protect Juliette's baby.

Deena had sat in front of me and claiming Cassey as her daughter. It took me all the strength I had, not to claw her hands off of Cassey. She might looked like a heartbroken mother who just found her daughter, but I was the only one in that room who knew her for who she truly was, a sneaky bitch.

But eventually I lost it when she called Cassey as Anna, her dead daughter. That was when I cracked. I told them all that Cassey was in fact Juliette's and the only kidnapping done by me was to take her from the orphanage illegally. But of course the DNA result definitely proved that Cassey was a Thatcher. She was a Thatcher alright, but she wasn't Deena's. My revelation might not be believable to Detective Stevens but I could see Deena squirming in her seat.

Today, as I was sitting across my lawyer, my mind kept playing what Cassey told me the last time she came, she had pleaded with me to admit the kidnapping charges against me. Little that she knew, pleading guilty would be my last resort of attempt to save her life.

"Mrs. Bennet, I've received the letter from the court regarding your first hearing. It'll be next week," my lawyer, Albert told me while showing me the said letter.