Chapter 1: Out of prison

out of prison

Caroline pov

The clang of iron and the screech of rusted hinges rang throughout the prison yard.

A rough hand slammed into my shoulder.

“Get moving, bitch. Time to see the world,” the officer barked.

I turned slowly, locking eyes with him, but said nothing. No biting remarks. No sarcastic smirk. Just silence. Something in me had dulled over the past nine months.

Ungrateful? Maybe. But when you’ve spent almost a year rotting behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit, joy doesn’t come skipping back so easily.

Another shove. “Get up, you lucky bitch. I hope you come back.”

My middle finger was the only response he got from me. as I collected my things from the counter. The female officer sneered as she handed me a plastic bag with my clothes.

“Arrogant rich idiots, they always come back” she muttered under her breath.

I leaned forward, giving her the coldest smile I could muster. “Just wait until my husband finds out how you all treated me…”

That shut her up.

Her face turned pale,

and for a second, I basked in the power of those words. My husband, The same man I believed had pulled every string to get me out. The man I trusted with everything.

Yeah, I was a married woman to one of the most influential man in Abuja. Nathan, CEO of Johnson Group International. and before you would go on to judge. I was accidentally framed for a criminal act in my company.

I gnashed my teeth in anger, as the memory of that fateful day played in my head.

It was the early morning hours, I had just come back from my husband's office grinning like a lovestruck fool. with a flushed red face, and my blouse half unbuttoned.

“You are being charged for embezzlement of 20 million dollars of the company funds, illegal dealing of banned goods…”

I had blanked out, my mouth opened like a stupid idiot, the only thing I was seeing were the numerous zero digits I have never seen in my entire life.

I was not sure I could ever see either.

“You are under arrest Mrs Caroline, whatever you say will be used…”

The police officers would have been declaring my death for all I cared. My only focus was the signature that looked like mine…exactly like mine.

The finger had done a great job, that for a moment, I doubted myself. I almost believed that I had done it. that I had signed an unauthorized check of millions of dollars.

Everything that happened from that day was a blur of actions. It had passed like I was watching a drama unfold before my eyes and before I knew it, I was being sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

Yet here I was, outside the stinking wall of the prison, released just a month out of my 20 years sentence.

Who could have done it if not my dear powerful husband.

Is that why he stopped visiting me all of a sudden? I had thought he had abandoned me, but I didn't know my sweetheart was fighting to release me.

It's been 5 hours since I was cleared and asked to go home, and I called my knight in shining armor, but he was not picking my calls.

That was odd.

Was he not the person who cleared my charges for me and convinced the police that I was innocent?

Then why was he not picking up my calls for the twentieth time that I had called.

I shook any bad thoughts away from my head. My mood was already sour from the police officers action, I wouldn't want it to affect our perfect reunion.

I tried Amelda… my only friend, the one person who visited once… until she didn’t anymore.

But Alas, she was not picking either.

A tight knot of unease coiled in my stomach.

“What the hell is going on? Was I gone too long from the world?” I exclaimed in frustration, attracting attention from passers-by.

Having no other choice, I flag down a cab. Surprisingly, the remaining penny that I had before my arrest was still there.

“At least the officers were not thieves ”

We reached our mansion. But surprisingly, everywhere was cold and deserted, like a forgotten dumpster.

After paying the cab driver, I hesitantly traced my path through broken bottles, wastes, and nylon bags to the front door.

It was open.

What the hell was happening?

This was not how I envisioned my coming back to look like.

I had envisioned a surprise welcome home party. That all my fellow Co-workers would be in attendance to witness my sweetheart Nathan at the end of the room, holding a bunch of flowers while confessing his love for me.

That was my wish. But coming to an empty house was not part of the deal.

I hesitated at the front door. It was wide open.

A glass of unfinished wine was on the table. Meaning that somebody was home.

A sour taste filled my mouth. Something felt very wrong.

I wanted to turn back, And then I heard it.

A soft giggle.

Feminine and familiar

My blood turned to ice.

I turned toward the direction of our bedroom. The door was slightly open, light spilling out into the hallway.

I wanted to turn away, to run, to pretend I hadn’t heard what I just heard.

But some twisted part of me had to see it with my own eyes.

Bracing myself, I crept to the door of our room, but my hands froze at the handle.

“Oohhh baby…, yes pound me harder…aahhhhh”

Muffled moans were coming out behind the door of my own bedroom.

I froze.

What was happening? Without wasting time, I pushed the door.

And the world froze around me.

A whore was bent over on the bed, her ass on full display, while Nathan, My husband.

Naked.

Thrusting into the woman like an animal.

I gasped unconsciously, not believing what my eyes were seeing.

“Caroline!” Nathan called surprised.

But I was not looking at him, The whore turned her face when Nathan stopped his movement.

My eyes widened, i staggered like i have been shot.

The woman that my husband was cheating on with was not just a whore, nor any random stranger.

“ Emelda!!”