Chapter 2

Violet's Pov

That was it. My already weak knees gave out and I stumbled backwards.

My son was calling someone else mummy. The world seemed to spin and everything became a blur.

'What had gone wrong?' I asked myself.

My eyes stung and tears were threatening to spill from my eyes but I held them back. This was not the time to act weak. No! I refused to appear weak in front of my son.

I was not going to sit down and watch my son being taken away from me.

"Gerald!" I called out softly. "Baby. It's me, your mummy."

I stretched out my hands to him slowly. I was hoping he would recognize me but my son stared at me with confusion in his little face. For a moment, I thought he was going to recognize me and come to me but instead, he held onto Francess tightly.

"Mummy, she is a stranger!" He cried as he buried his face deeper into her clothes.

My hands dropped to my side as my heart shattered into a million pieces.

The realization that my son no longer recognized me felt like a huge blow. I clutched the neck of my shirt tightly from the pain.

Francis rubbed his head gently.

"It's okay Gerald, today is your birthday and I will not allow anyone to spoil it for you." She assured him.

It was then that I knew that the party was Gerald's birthday party and I was not invited.

Francess looked at me with coldness in her eyes and when she spoke again, her words were cold.

"He doesn't know you, stay away from him!" She ordered.

I shook my head in denial. No! This was not happening.

“He’s mine now,” Francess added.

I shook my head slowly.

“You know that’s not true. I gave birth to him. I carried him for nine months. I nearly died giving life to him!” I half screamed.

She tilted her chin higher in defiance.

“He doesn’t know you. You’ve been gone for three years. He doesn’t remember your face or your voice. I raised him. I took care of him when you weren’t here. You lost that right when you chose to go to prison.” She retorted.

I looked at Leonard, hoping for anything. A word. A glance. A sign that there was still something human left in him but there was nothing. Nothing to remind me of the man I had married. The man I had gone to prison for.

“Leonard,” I called.

He didn’t respond. He didn't even acknowledge me. It was as if I did not exist.

"Leonard!" I called out again. "Don't do this to me please, he is my son! Our son!" I reminded him.

He finally looked at me but there was no emotion in them. He has built a wall around him and I was not in it. It was an outsider now.

"He is in good hands now, and he loves Francess, so let him be," Leonard said nonchalantly.

My eyes widened in shock. He could not be serious right now.

"You heard him, I don't want to ever see you near Gerald again!" Francess added.

I refused to allow them to overthrow me like that. I challenged Francess and soon, there was commotion.

Then a deeper voice echoed through the garden.

“What is going on here?”

Leonard's father, Mr. Derek walked towards us. His steps were firm and his eyes were filled with disapproval the moment they landed on me.

He stopped just a few feet away and looked me over like I was dirt on his expensive shoes.

“What is she doing here?” He questioned angrily.

"Mr. Derek, I.." I tried to speak but he did not let me finish.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. After what you did to this family, you have the nerve to show your face?” He demanded.

I knew Leonard's father never approved of me but he surely knew that I had gone to prison on behalf of his son. Why was he still treating me this way?

“I went to prison to protect Leonard,” I said. "You knew why I had to do it so why are you acting this way?"

“You brought disgrace to our name,” he snapped. “You are nothing but a criminal. You’re lucky we didn’t erase every memory of you.”

My chest burned. I fought the tears, but they were already falling.

“I just want to see my son, I just want to take him back with me. Please! I don't want anything, just my son.” I pleaded but my pleas fell on deaf ears as Mr. Derek called the security guard.

“Throw her out and make sure she never step her foot in this place again!” He ordered.

“Please don’t...” I tried to step back but the guards grabbed my arms.

Their grip was tight and I struggled against it. I turned to Leonard one last time.

“Please,” I said through my tears. “Don’t do this. Please.” I pleaded but he looked away while Francess kept smirking.

They dragged me away and threw me into the street.

***

I had nowhere to go except to meet my mother. I already knew how she was going to react but there was nothing I could do. She was right after all.

I walked the long distance to the house because I did not have money to take a cab.

By the time I got to our humble house, my legs were already filled with blisters.

I knocked on the door and my mother opened it.

She took one look at me and her face twisted in mockery.

"You finally remembered you have a mother." She snickered.

"Ma..." I tried to speak but the words caught in my throat as fresh tears began to fall.

I knew my mother was angry with me but seeing the state I was in, her motherly instincts kicked in and she moved out of the way so I could enter the house.

I entered the house and sank on the chair.

"What happened?" My mother asked.

"He betrayed me, he married his best friend Francess while I was rotting in prison on his behalf and worse, he denied me access to my son," I explained.

My mother shook her head in disappointment.

"I warned you, didn't I? I told you not to marry into that family. I told you that they will never accept you because they are way above our class and I warned you not to take the fall for him, not to throw your life away for him but you did not listen, now see how you have destroyed yourself, I'm so angry and disappointed that I can't even pity you!" My mother lashed out.

I could not blame her. I had been blinded by love but now my eyes are opened.

I looked at my mother and wiped the tears from my eyes. My determination is firm.

"Mother, I promise you that I will pay Leonard back in ten folds. I will never let him get away." I vowed.