Set Free // HS ✓

Five.

Finally able to find a few minutes to escape the confines of my crowded office, I happily walk to the nearby courtyard and settle on the first bench I see. Taking in the beautiful spring scenery around me, I can't help but smile.

It's amazing how a little fresh air can improve my mood so much.

I dig into my blazer pocket and pull out my phone. My breath quickens, and all peacefulness leaves my body when I see the first few lines of an email that was sent to me earlier on my lock screen.

This matter is in regards to you giving a Victim Impact Statement on behalf of Mr Oliver Brinsley on Tuesday, April 21st. Your statement will be heard in front of a judge, the jury and the accused, Mr Peter Wagasky's Lawyers...

I'll admit that working so much has made me forget that the court date was so close. All of the extra hours I have been putting in is a perfect excuse to procrastinate writing my statement.

What exactly am I supposed to say to this person?

The thought of seeing him again makes me physically ill.

Leaning my head back, stare up at the clear sky and the sense of dread takes over as my mind takes me back to that night.

"Finally! It's finished! Just in time for the baby shower tomorrow. Only took me until midnight." I beamed while I held up the pink baby blanket that I had been working on for over a month as a present for my sister in law.

Oliver still focused on his laptop screen, gave me a quick thumbs up.

"Good job, Precious. I'm sure Miranda will love it."

I couldn't help but smile at his compliment, even though I knew he hadn't even looked up to see the blanket.

I grabbed the gift bag, along with the card and other items that I had purchased for our future niece off the coffee table and sat next to Oliver on the sofa.

"Do you mind going ahead and signing the card—"

"Wren, is it not obvious that I'm trying to work?" He snapped.

I tried my best to hide the fact that I was hurt because I knew how stressed he was.

"Sorry."

I slid to the other side of the couch and began busying myself by carefully wrapping up each of the gifts in the purple tissue paper while he continued typing away.

We jumped when we heard sudden loud, violent bangs at our front door.

Oliver had slammed his laptop shut and we both stand up.

"The security system is activated, right?" He asked me,  in a panic-laced voice.

It wasn't.

I had forgotten to set it when I came home from shopping.

Before I could disappoint him with the answer, the deafening sound of the front door becoming unhinged and slamming to the ground startled us.

My heart began to race, and my brain had completely lost all function.

I noticed Oliver's muscles completely tense up when a hooded man entered the living room with a gun drawn out.

Despite seeing what was happening, my mind couldn't compute anything. My eyes started to blink rapidly, and my body started quivering. It was like everything was happening in slow motion, yet so fast at the same time.