On the night of my 27th birthday party, I received a call from my husband. His voice was low and shaken as he confessed to having hit someone with his car on the way to the venue—and begged me to take the blame.
After calming him down, I agreed without hesitation. I told him to stay where he was, grabbed my car keys, and prepared to leave.
Everyone at the party was stunned. Friends rushed to stop me.
"Ariella, are you crazy? That's a serious charge! You can't sacrifice yourself for Derek like this! Your child still needs a mother—and you're pregnant again!"
I gently cradled my baby bump and simply smiled.
The man involved was my husband, Derek. We had been married for seven years. For him, I was willing to give everything.
Without a backward glance, I sped through the streets and arrived at the scene. My parents were there, supporting each other as they approached me in tears, begging me not to take the fall. Derek stood nearby, his expression was solemn as he clutched my hand tightly.
But my mind was made up. Nothing would change it.
My mother collapsed to her knees in front of me. Overwhelmed, my father suffered a severe asthma attack and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Even then, I didn’t waver.
In the end, I confessed in place of Derek. When the police arrived, they arrested me on the spot.
In court, the judge ruled the accident was entirely my fault, and I was sentenced to ten years in prison. My parents fainted as the verdict echoed across the courtroom.
While being escorted out, wearing my prison uniform, Derek approached me with his childhood sweetheart, Jade. She rested her hand on her pregnant belly and sneered, tossing divorce papers in my face.
"You seduced Derek for all these years, and now you're a convicted murderer. You're not worthy to be part of the Ortiz family!"
"Sign these divorce papers and leave with nothing. Your son will have nothing to do with you in the future."
Our son, Cody, peeked out from behind Derek, his little face twisted in disgust.
"Daddy said you killed someone. You're a bad person. I don't want you—I want Aunt Jade to be my mommy!"
Mocked and humiliated, I said nothing. I struggled to control my trembling, handcuffed hands and signed the divorce papers without a word.
But as I was taken away, my heart remained calm. I had already made my plans.
Before being transferred to prison, I made one final call—after speaking briefly with my parents, I dialed a different number.
At that moment, fate shifted quietly.
In just one week, everything would change—for me, for Derek, and for everyone involved.
1
When I arrived at the scene, five months pregnant, I walked up to Derek, who stood dazed and bloody. The moment he saw me, tears welled up in his eyes.
"It's all my fault, Ariel... I'm so sorry," he choked out.
“It’s okay. I’ll handle it.” I gently stroked his hair and whispered comfort, promising to take care of everything.
Despite the pain, I climbed into the crushed driver’s seat of the wrecked car. Then I told him to call an ambulance and hide.
He slipped into the shadows just as the police and medics arrived.
The scene was a disaster. The victim’s identity was unclear, but a black birthmark on his arm caught everyone's attention. He was quickly taken to the emergency room.
I smeared myself with the blood on the car and feigned panic. When the police questioned me, I offered no explanations and took full responsibility. They soon contacted my parents, who arrived with our family lawyer, Leonel.
Before the officers could take me away, my trembling parents approached.
"Don't do this, Ariel!" my mother wept, clutching my hand. "You're our only child. If you go to prison, what will happen to us?"
I gently told her I had already arranged everything with my cousin, Mathias—he would look after them in my place.
My father's expression was grim, and he muttered bitterly, "So the one who did this just hides like a coward, letting his wife take the blame?"
Right then, Derek appeared, freshly changed into a sharp suit. The contrast between his polished appearance and my disheveled state was painfully obvious.
But he still kept up the act. With tears in his eyes, he held my hand and turned to my parents.
"You both know the Ortiz family business is about to go public. If this scandal breaks, it'll ruin everything. I'll never forget what Ariel has done for me. I'll take care of the baby—and take care of you, too."
His gentle gaze met mine with supposed sincerity. When I asked why he changed clothes, he claimed it was to look presentable for the upcoming trial. He was more anxious than I was, so I let it go.
Meanwhile, Attorney Leonel pulled Derek aside for a private word.
"Mr. Ortiz," he said, "this isn’t right. If Miss Ariel changes her mind, she could reverse her testimony. You should handle your own mess—"
Before he could finish, Derek cut him off.
"Don't worry. Ariel loves me deeply—she would never betray me. Just focus on getting her a lighter sentence."
He said it with total confidence, his gaze fixed on me.
My father, suspecting something, pulled me aside. "Did he threaten you?" he asked. "Don't worry, we'll stand up for you."
My mother clung to me, sobbing. "You're still carrying a child. When you had Cody, you nearly died from blood loss. If you go to prison, who'll take care of you?"
I didn't answer—just begged them to take care of themselves.
My father, furious with my devotion, suffered another asthma attack. My mother quickly gave him emergency medication before he was rushed off to the hospital.
The police were almost ready to take me away when my mother fell to her knees.
"Please, my baby girl. Just tell them the truth. Say you didn't do it—we'll figure something out."
Tears welled in my eyes, but I couldn't respond. Before I could comfort her, the officers pulled me away.
Derek stepped forward, and held my hand. “I’ll look after your parents. I promise.”
Only then did I allow myself to be led off.
...
At the detention center, I spent six hours giving a statement. I admitted to everything. Outside, Attorney Leonel paced in frustration.
Before he arrived, he'd gone to the restaurant where I had booked my birthday party—hoping to retrieve surveillance footage and reservation records to prove my alibi.
But he was told everything had been wiped due to a "system error."
While I gave my statement, the hospital delivered devastating news: the victim was still unconscious, and was in critical condition. After investigation, the police identified him—he was Gavin Reed, a senior executive at the Reed Corporation.
With solid evidence and my confession, the case went to trial the next day.
Despite Attorney Leonel's best efforts, I was sentenced to ten years.
My parents collapsed in the courtroom.
During the recess, I was ordered to change into a prison uniform.
My parents, ignoring the staff’s objections, insisted on seeing me. The officers reluctantly gave them thirty minutes.
