My Kidnapper, My Partner!

Violet's Pov

The prison door creaked open and I stepped out slowly.

It had been three years! Three whole years since I last felt the sun on my face and I was happy that I was able to do so again.

I lifted my face upward and breathed in the fresh air greedily.

'So this is what freedom feels like!' I mused to myself.

The smell of freedom, the feel of the sun, and the thoughts of seeing my beloved husband and son again were making me giddy with joy.

Three years ago, my husband Leonard was accused of smuggling drugs. I was devastated. It was a trying period for us as a family and the more I watched Leonard deteriorate due to it, the more I felt pity for him and the urge to help him which was why when he begged me to go to prison on his behalf, I did not think it twice.

"I will take care of our son till you come back." He had promised me.

Our son Gerald was just a year old at that time and he was my major concern but with the promises Leonard gave me, I believed him.

I will go to prison for him and he will take care of everything else. He will take care of our son, our home, and our future.

I smiled softly as I thought about Gerald. I imagined his little arms wrapped around me. I imagined him calling me 'mummy' with that soft baby voice of his.

The thought of it warmed my chest. It made every second I had spent in that cold and grey prison wall worth it.

I waited outside the prison gate for Leonard to come. I had hoped that he would be outside waiting for me with Gerald in his arms, all eager to see me.

Leonard did not bring Gerald to see me all through the three years I was in prison. We both agreed that it would not be nice if Gerald saw his mother in prison at such a young age.

We believed that it would take a toll on his mental health.

I had imagined Leonard waiting for me outside with flowers and some other things to welcome me back but there was no one waiting for me outside.

It felt odd but I decided not to think much about it. Maybe there was traffic and he was stuck in it.

I waited and waited. One, or two hours passed and yet there was still no sign of Leonard.

I got tired of standing and decided to sit on a bench nearby. I began to give myself reasons as to why Leonard might not be here.

Maybe he was planning a surprise welcome party for me. The thought made me smile because I know Leonard to be a man full of surprises. Or maybe, he wanted the first place I saw to be our house, our home that I had fought for.

With that thought in mind, I decided to go to the house. I flagged down a taxi and gave him the address to our mansion.

All through the ride, my mind was on the thought of seeing Gerald again. Would he still recognize me? The closer we got to the mansion, the faster my heart was beating. I wondered what he would look like now.

Halfway there, I felt a strange feeling crawling up my spine. It felt like I was not alone like I was being watched.

I turned around quickly to check but everything seemed normal.

"Are you okay miss?" The cab driver asked.

I quickly nodded and smiled at him because I did not know how I was going to explain.

"Yes, am fine," I assured him.

The driver gave me a brief look and turned back to focus on his driving.

I assured myself that it was just nerves. Perhaps, I was thinking too much.

We finally got to our mansion and my heart nearly burst out of my chest. There it was. Our home, just like I remembered. Leonard had kept to his words. He had taken care of our home.

I came out of the taxi and got closer to the gate and that was when it hit me. Music! Loud music. It was a party! A welcome party!

Oh, Leonard truly decided to surprise me. I felt giddy and when I was about to open the gate, the security guard stopped me.

"Who are you? You are not meant to be here!" He said and blocked my way.

I looked at him with confusion on my face.

"What are you talking about? I live here! My name is Violet and I am Leonard's wife." I explained to him.

"Leonard's wife is already inside." The guard said frowning.

The smile on my lips instantly froze.

"What?" I demanded softly.

My heart began to beat fast. Something was wrong somewhere.

"No! Leonard does not have any wife apart from me! Go and call him and tell him that his wife is outside waiting for him." I insisted.

The guard shook his head dismissively at me in pity like I had gone mad.

"You must have made a mistake miss, please leave now," The guard told me.

I was about to reply to him when I saw someone walking towards us. Her heels made a soft click on the floor.

She was dressed in a red silk dress. Her hair was perfectly styled like royalty. She got closer to us and burst into mocking laughter as she saw me.

"Well, well, Violet, is that you?" She asked mockingly.

"Francess?" I asked staring at her in confusion.

"Yeah! In flesh and blood!" She replied proudly.

"I'm sorry ma, this woman appeared out of nowhere claiming to be Mr. Leonard's wife, I told her she was mistaken. I will drive her away now." The security guard explained and tried to drag me out but Francess stopped him.

"It's okay, I will handle it, you can go." She instructed him.

The security guard nodded and quickly left, grateful to escape the tension.

"Francess? Are you the one the security guard was referring to as Leonard's wife?" I asked.

"Yes, I am!" She replied sly.

It felt like a punch to my chest. Francess was Leonard's best friend and she has joined Leonard to beg me to go to jail for him.

She had promised to join Leonard in helping me take care of Gerald, but I didn't expect that she would do it in this way.

"You... You are his wife?" I asked again in pain.

"Yes, Leonard and I got married. You were in prison and he had to move on." She smirked.

I couldn't breathe, I stepped back as my legs suddenly felt too weak to support me.

Just then, Leonard appeared behind her. He was wearing a black suit and holding a glass of champagne in his hands.

He looked the same, just that he was colder.

"I didn't expect you to come here." He said coldly.

"You didn't come to get me." I reminded him softly.

My voice was quiet and small.

"I was going to send someone to come pick you but I forgot." He said calmly.

I was taken aback by his nonchalance. I had half hoped that Francess was lying and that Leonard was coming to prove her wrong. To tell me that it was a prank but from the look of things, Francess was right.

"You promised me, Leonard! You promised to come pick me up!" I reprimanded him.

"Look Violet, things have changed now. You are now an ex-convict, I can't stay married to you. My family will not agree and I will lose the CEO seat." He explained.

I opened my mouth in shock and disbelief. Was he being serious right now? I had many questions to ask him but I would ask the most important one first.

"Where is Gerald? Where is my son?" I asked him.

Right there, a little boy ran to us and wrapped his hands around Francess' legs.

"Mummy!" He giggled.