The Ghost Return From Jail

Synopsis

he day I walked out of prison, the sky was a bleak gray, like a soggy, filthy rag tossed aside. Five years locked up had stripped away all my rough edges, leaving me with nothing but lifeless eyes. I didn't contact anyone. I boarded the bus heading back downtown. Outside the window, skyscrapers rose up, neon lights weaving together. The city I'd left behind for five years now felt like a completely foreign place. The bus finally pulled up at the city center square. Out of habit, I glanced up. And right in front of me, there was my own "funeral." On the biggest LED screen in the square, a public service ad was playing. In the center of the screen was my college ID photo, black and white, with a gentle, harmless smile. Below the photo, in bold gold letters, read, "Isabelle Shaw Memorial Foundation." A handsome man in a suit was speaking to the camera, his voice soft but weighted with grief. "My wife, Isabelle, was the light of my life. Five years ago, an accident took her from me, but her love and kindness will live on forever through this foundation..." Beside him, a woman in a white dress was gently dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. She was slender, her slightly rounded belly radiating a maternal glow. She looked up, her face looked so much like mine. It was etched with sadness and determination. It was Keaton Hoover, my boyfriend. And Rebecca Shaw, my own sister. In that moment, my breath was stolen away. It felt like an invisible hand had clamped down on my heart, wringing out every ounce of anguish. Five years ago, Keaton got behind the wheel drunk and ended up killing someone in a crash. He dropped to his knees, sobbing, begging me to take the fall so his future wouldn't be ruined. He said, "Isabelle, you're the only woman I've ever wanted to marry. Just wait for me. Three years, tops. I'll make sure you walk out with your head held high." I believed him. I loved him enough to risk everything for him. So I took the fall and confessed to everything in court. They gave me five years.