The Alpha's Exchanged Mate
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 62

Edwina’s POV…

I have always been the one who gets to go and visit Sonia, but today for the first time since I started the journey of trying to build my relationship with her again from scratch, she called me.

I was shocked when I heard my mobile phone ringing. People rarely called me on that line. It was only Ben and Sonia that had the number. Ben got me the phone to get in touch with me when he was out on long trips and come to think of it, it was probably him f*****g my sister and maybe calling me while she was in his arms, I don’t want to think of all these things, but anytime I do, there is this growing rage in me that wants to revenge and make them pay for all the pain I had gone through because of them, but on the other hand, I had chosen the path to forgiveness and even if it’s hard, I would have to stick by it for the long run.

And the phone rang for the second time that day. I was afraid to pick up because I had already concluded in my heart that the call was going to be coming from Ben. I didn’t know what to say to him. I couldn’t blackmail him because I had nothing for him except my beating heart that seemed to race faster than the speed of light anytime he was being mentioned around me or his name was being called.

I was in my nighties, and I slowly approached the phone back like a thief that is about to devour it.

I had thought it was the problem, but it turned out I had a long time of difficulties lined up for me.

And I sighed and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the call wasn’t coming from Ben but from the upstate penitentiary. And that would only mean it was coming from Sonia. I wasn’t sure to me if that was good or bad news. I had been avoiding her since the date of her court date was set. I knew I wasn’t ready to confront her, but I couldn’t use it because of my greed to keep being a little bit manipulative about how different I was from her.

“Hello, Edwina,” a feminine voice came from the phone. As soon as I picked it up, I could tell the voice was happy and excited. I wasn’t.

“Hello, Sonia, I hope you are faring fine,” I replied casually, trying not to sound as if this call was not causing me a mini-stroke.

“I am glad I could get you, I need to speak to you, can you come over to the state penitentiary today?”

I sighed and knew that my day, life, and the world were just about to get so f****d up.

Now here I was sitting down before her, in the private room at the state prison, with a deep smile on her face as she came in today.

When I had hoped to rebuild the relationship with my sister, I didn’t know I would also be in the situation that I wish I had kept her at arm’s length and not granted her such access to me.

“I am so happy you are here,” she said with so much enthusiasm in her voice. I truly wish I could give back all the vibes she was giving out now, but I was far gone to be this happy.

What the f**k was I thinking when I asked Alex if Sonia’s trial could hold? I was just caught up in the moment. I saw an opportunity to help her get free because even with this uneasy heart, I never have at any point wanted to let her give birth in prison or have to choose to either raise her child in the prison or give up her child for adoption. No mother should ever be faced with such a hard decision, and she was already in her last trimester, I wasn’t sure how face-off she was, but I knew she was already gone.

“So what’s been going on, you have not come visiting for days, I was kind of missing your company, you do know you are the only one that comes to see me,” she muttered, reaching across my hand from the table and nuzzling them all together.

“I know you have been missing me, but I have been doing a lot, having to shuffle a new job and building a new life,”

So I might have told her that I got a new job and am trying to build a new life. If only she knew that this new job was her old job.

“I am sure you will navigate through it all and please don’t give up on me especially now that I need you the most,” she replied with a smile on her face.

“I won’t,” I said briefly, trying not to give out too much information than is required.

“So my trial date has been set for tomorrow, I don’t know if you are aware,” she finally arrived at the uncomfortable part of the conversation I didn’t want to get to have with her. Was I to act happy when truly I was both happy and terrified?

I was happy that she gets a shot to redeem herself and terrified of the truth that would be revealed in the process.

She was going to hate me. At this point, I was almost just getting happy having someone I could relate to, especially when that person happened to be my sister, the one I had been craving to have a relationship with.

“Wow that’s great, I didn’t know, finally,” I said, trying to fake being happy for her.

“Yes, I am so happy. I was getting worried that I would have to give up my child, and that’s something I don’t want to do,” she replied plainly, and to me, that broke me down.

“I need to ask you, something sister,”

That statement disseminated me into a thousand million pieces. Sonia gets to call me sister in a sentence I know I dreaded and would probably hate to have to answer. All my life, all I have been trying to get was a glimpse of what I am getting now, and now I have it all, but it comes at the right time.

I had always sought her validation, and now she doesn’t only give me that but also encourages me. I had always asked for her sympathy, but now I got her empathy.

“Okay, what is it?” I asked even though I know I would regret asking, but I just needed to do everything as soon as possible, so I could leave this God-forsaken hell hole. I was already becoming shaken. Maybe after all this, I will forever download myself to be claustrophobic.

“Okay, I am thinking of ways to help my case. I know I did so much irreparable harm but also, in my head, I was thinking about what would give me a better chance to win this case and make the jury know truly I have changed and deserved to be given a second chance.”

The word was already coming out of my mouth, but I didn’t want to react.

“What is it?” I asked, knowing where the conversation was already headed. I wish it wasn’t going to take that path, but in games of truth like this, it is almost inevitable.

“I know this is a lot to ask you, knowing that you are still dealing with a lot and you have your shit also to handle, and it had not been easy for you, but despite all that, you have been keeping your head down and had been so strong.”

At this point, I knew she was just trying to patronize me and sweet-talk me into doing whatever she was found to ask me. I wasn’t getting comfortable with it because a part of me knew they were not true, and it was just her and me being who we were in the past.

She said silently, ” I thought of it all, and I think it would help my case if you come out for me as a witness,”

And the frown had already appeared on my face like it was rehearsed to act that way.

“Before you say no, I know it is relatively hard for you to do such a thing, and considering you were actually the victim here and everyone played on your intelligence. But I thought about it if you, as the victim, came to testify on my behalf, in attestation to my recent conduit and how you have chosen to forgive me, I am sure it would truly help my case,” she explained, and I tried so hard to keep the frown on my face.

It was the hardest. I tried to actually keep a face that didn’t match up with how I was truly feeling.

The problem with feelings like this it was so hard to express but also hard to keep it hidden. She thinks the reason I might feel uncomfortable doing this was because I was the party involved, but my only worry was that I am now Luna, and she wasn’t aware of it. I know that anytime she gets to finds out, she will hate me for life, and whatever relationship I am building and trying to preserve with her will ultimately go down the drain, washed in a flood, never to be gotten back again. Because I know Sonia so well, it wouldn’t go down well with her.

“I can’t do that, Sonia,” I said, and all her smile disappeared, she was perplexed by my reaction, and I knew she thought this would be easy for her. If not for the complexity of the situation, this supposes to be one of the easiest yes she would have ever gotten in her life. But we were caught in this situation of truth versus lies.

“Why?” She asked, amazed by my answer.

“Like you rightfully said, I am the one in the situation, I am the victim here, and I know how I have been feeling and trying so hard to handle all this. I am not going to climb a podium and take an oath which could be translated as I have forgiven you fully, including Ben.”

Her eyes widened, and I could see disbelief in them.

“I thought you said you have forgiven me and we could move forward,” she wasn’t asking, but it sure felt like a question that required an answer.

“Well, I am not over it completely. I still get to wake up and wonder what I did to deserve such from you.” That was a lie. I had not thought about that in a long time.

“I am sorry, and you know that. Please don’t let my child pay for my sins,” she pleaded, and all of a sudden went down on her knees. This broke me differently; I knew I had to be stronger, not just for her but for myself.

“Please, Edwina,” she pleaded again. I stood up and walked towards the door, and she burst out in tears. I was breaking inside of me, but I knew I just had to do it for a few seconds.

“Please Edwina, have mercy on me,”

And I sighed, knowing this wasn’t what I wanted. I wished I had not even asked for her trial. When I wasn’t to make her an enemy again.

Maybe tomorrow I will be strong enough, but I was done with all the battles I have to fight for today.

“I wish you the best tomorrow Sonia,” I said and walked away before I broke down to pieces.