Chapter one

CHAPTER 1

Berlin thought it was just going to be his wedding anniversary with his wife, Genevieve, that fateful day.

He had picked a restaurant, wore the best suit he had to look his best for his wife, and fought back jitters as he waited for her to show up… only for her to walk in with his father-in-law and whenever the old man showed up, it was never something good. Especially for Berlin.

They wanted him to do a favor for them, for Genevieve especially. She did something horrible and he was asked to take the blame for her and Berlin, who loved Genevieve a lot, didn't give it a second thought before he agreed to their request because he was willing to do anything for the woman he loved.

Then two weeks later, Berlin was in handcuffs, dressed in a prisoner's uniform, and struggling to fight back tears that stung behind his eyelids as he waited for his sentence to be passed to him.

The judge gave him a disapproving look as she read through his case again and when he looked back at the people present in the courtroom, his wife, Genevieve was there and she had tears running down her face as she stared at him with pity in her eyes.

“You are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment, Berlin Emerson. You will be given no probation and hopefully, you will reflect on your actions while in jail” The female judge finally spoke and Berlin felt his heart drop as the slamming truth of his new reality hit him so unbelievably hard.

The police officers came for him after his sentence was passed and together, they pulled him out of the courtroom when he wouldn't move on his own due to the shock he felt about his sentence.

As he walked out with them, he made eye contact with his wife again and she was weeping profusely this time.

He mouthed the words, ‘I love you’ to her even though his heart felt so heavy with devastation and she did the same before waving at him then he forced a smile before he pulled out of the room.

Berlin was dumbfounded because he thought his sentence was going to be lessened. His father-in-law had promised to work on it so why was he given seven years to spend as punishment in jail?

He wanted to grab the roots of his hair, pull hard and scream out loud due to the welling hurt and frustration that filled up his heart but he couldn't.

He couldn't say anything about what he did, what he agreed to, or what actually happened because he agreed with his father-in-law and signed an NDA to keep quiet and not say a word about the truth to anybody.

Berlin didn’t commit the crime. He couldn’t even hurt a fly but the judge didn’t know that because all the evidence they found pointed at him as the persecutor. He only did it for his wife, Genevieve.

He loved her so much that he was willing to sacrifice anything for her and even though his father-in-law never exactly liked him over the five years that they had been married, he believed that one day, the old man was eventually going to cave in and act more kindly toward him. If only he knew it would forever be a wish.

Berlin was taken straight to jail along with other prisoners who were sentenced that same day and it all felt like a dream to him even as he was given a new pair of uniforms to change into and was then assigned to his prison cell.

He was the best student of the year when he graduated from college. Predicted to be the most successful among his mates but here he was, spending the next seven years of his life in jail and leaving with the record of an ex-con afterward because he did it for love but he didn’t regret it either.

He only wished life would be a bit kinder to him but if he was asked to go to jail for Genevieve’s crimes again, he knew he would do it without a second thought because of how much he loved her.

The next week, Genevieve came to see him in jail and his joy knew no bounds when he was told by the jailer that his wife was there to see him. He had a huge smile on when he was taken to see her and he wished he could pull her in for a hug and tell her how much he missed her but he couldn’t do that due to the rules and the glass that separated them.

“How is life in jail? I hope it isn’t too hard on you?” Genevieve asked him and he shook his head even though he got mocked and jeered at every day by fellow inmates of his for going to jail for a crime his wife committed.

He had no idea how they found out but they did and because of that information, they didn't make things easy for him in jail so far. It was a living hell.

“It’s way better than I expected so don’t worry too much about me. Seven years will pass soon and then we will be together again” he lied to her and she reluctantly smiled at him on hearing they would be together again but he didn't take notice of that.

“I’m here to tell you that I won’t be able to come and see you in jail anymore, Berlin” Genevieve finally told him the reason why she was there in the first place and she watched as his face fell on hearing that.

“Why? Is something wrong or did I do something wrong?” Berlin asked her worriedly and she shook her head.

“It isn't about you, love. Dad wants to get this partnership with a huge company but we can’t risk letting any of us get seen at a prison or they will pull out of the partnership so that is the reason why I can’t come to see you again” she explained and Berlin felt his body relax in relief.

He didn’t feel one bit of anger on hearing that even though she was the one who was meant to be behind bars. Instead, he worried about her and his father-in-law, Rhodes Walton, a merciless businessman who ran automobile companies in many countries and hoped they would get the contract instead.

Slowly, Berlin reached for her hand to hold for a moment but she quickly pulled hers away and his heart fell but he didn’t let it show because he didn’t want to make her worry about him.

So he waved her goodbye as she left and until he was released seven years later, that was the last time he saw his wife, Genevieve.

**********

7 YEARS LATER…

The air outside felt different. It smelt more refreshing and made him feel the freedom he hadn’t felt in years.

Berlin smiled to himself as he stood outside the huge gates that once separated him from the outside world and his heart leaped in joy while he made his way toward the road in anticipation to finally be reunited with his wife.

He understood that she must have been busy which was why she couldn’t send a car to get him and thanks to the friendship he made with one of the jailers, he had his phone charged ahead of his release so he could easily call an Uber and make his way home.

Four hours later, Berlin finally arrived at his home, a place he hadn’t been in seven years and his heart thundered anxiously beneath his ribs as he cautiously made his way to the elevator and pressed the button to the penthouse where he lived with his wife.

It was a wedding gift from his father-in-law and even though the man enjoyed making life hard for him before his arrest, he was always thankful to him for the luxurious wedding gift he gave them because he wasn’t rich.

He grew up as an orphan in several foster homes after he lost his family at the age of six so to him, it was a privilege to live in a penthouse with the woman he loved.

Berlin finally arrived at his destination and he got off the elevator. Then he walked toward the door with a smile and when he put in the passcode to the door, it was the same as they had seven years ago.

That made his heart swell with happiness because he assumed Genevieve left the passcode the same way for his sake whenever he was to return from jail but as he made his way to the room, hearing the sound of her giggles along with that of a man that sounded familiar killed all those thoughts.

Then when he opened the door, all the happiness he had been feeling evaporated into nothingness because right before him on his matrimonial bed was his wife, Genevieve, lying half-naked in the arms of his best friend, Keith Norlan.