"How are you feeling ? " he asks . Rubbing my shoulder .

Butterflies are erupting in my stomach and my tongue feels dry . My mouth feels pale and my head is pounding .

"I feel nervous. " I say to him . Ace nods and kisses my head.

"I'm going to miss you so much. In the past five years, I've been so happy here and I'm sad to admit that I actually wanted it to last forever . I cant believe that you're being released tomorrow ." He says .

Last week Genna and the board called me to the hall . They informed me that my release had been granted and I'd be out in a week. Of course I was excited but I worried for Ace . And my mental wellbeing in the outside world .

But finally , I'm getting out . I've spent the entire day pacing about . Wondering how it'd be for me , for Ace .

But now he's comforting me , telling me that it's all going to be alright .

" Look Cass , I know that you are going to do well in outside world. I trust you . I know this and I believe in you . And I know that in that pretty little head , all you're thinking about is me and my release . But I'll survive.

I waited five years for you , what's a month? Just sleep okay ? It's all going to be alright . And you know what? You're going to get a head start of our new life together . Sleep." He command with a smug look on his face .

Honestly, I don't want to go out without Ace , but I dont have a choice . It's either I go out on the day they give me or I stay here forever.

I nod and lie back down on his bed . Ever since Isabella got released , it didnt feel right to sleep in the room we once shared , so for five months I slept in here .

The entire night , I spent tossing and turning on the bed . My stomach erupting with butterflies and sweat heaving from my body . And dawn finally came .

After taking a shower for the last time , a guard -whose name I've learnt is Melissa - hands me the clothes I walked in here in .

Ace is standing outside the door of the bathroom when I walk out, in loose white pants , a loose white blouse and a white blazer and white heels . My hair tied into a ponytail .

Instead of when I came in here , my face is not smothered in make up . For the first time , my face is natural and I actually love it and I'm keeping it .

"See you in a month ." Is all he says . Then locks me to a tight embrace . Behind him , I see old man Jay smiling weakly at me and waving , I return a small smile .

Tears burn my eyes as I look up at him . He nods then kisses my forehead , cheeks then lips .

"Bye baby." He says . The turns and walks straight to Jay's side . I wave at them as the guard takes me toward the forest .

We walk for a few minutes until a fence appears . And on that fence there's a little door and a guard standing there . He inserts the key and turn it . Opening the door for me .

He nods . Melissa holds my shoulder , and I turn back to face her .

"Use your freedom wisely ." She says , the shoos me away . And so I walk .

A red Chevrolet sedan stands outside the gate. The driver comes out and embraces me .

"Oh , Cassiey . I missed you so much ." She says .

"I missed you too , Kim . But I'm out now. So yay!" I say and she squeals too .

We get in the car , and all that's racing through my mind is the man I left back in there. The love of my life .

How he's doing , how he feels . Is he going to be okay.

I turn my face to the window , and watch as the trees pass by. All bending over from the rapid speed Kim is driving .

"So where to?" She asks . I turn and look at her . She's staring intently at the road but I can tell that she's aware that I'm looking at her .

"Take me to my house. " I say . I can tell that she's hesitant about this . But she nods and drives ahead .

When after thirty minutes, we turn onto a familiar street , my mind races to dark places. The old club at the corner is still there although the color of the exterior is changed . Loud music is booming from it .

Up the road , Kim goes . And finally , the house I so dreadfully wanted to avoid is appears .

The paint is still grey , the windows are white and the grass is still fresh and green as I kept it . The newly installed black gate stand tall .

The moment I set foot on the ground. My stomach churns .

"You can go , I'll call if I need anything ." I say to her .

It's a Friday so most probably Jason is at work .

The gate guy is our gardener . The moment he sees me , a smiles appears on his face and ge opens the gate almost immediately.

"Madam , I missed you so dearly ." He says .

"I missed you and the world so dearly too Tom." I say , he looks pleased that I remembered his name .

"May I?" I say and he nods .

I walk into the house and onto the long driveway . Strutting my legs . All the exercise helped because I am not panting like a hairdryer when I reach the door .

The driveway is still red brick and herringbone style .

I pull up to the chestnut front door. I raise my hand to knock , then I remember.

This is my fucking house .

I open the door and am met by the one and only . Kayla .

She's sitting on my thousand dollar couch , feet first . Watching television. Of course she turns to see who entered . The look on her face when she sees me is priceless.

I choose not to brew up a fight, so I walk passed her like the nothing that she is .

Our house being an open floor plan, I see the kitchen from the lounge . The white cabinets look dusty and my copper decorations look rusty .

I walk up the stair to the bedroom . As has been before , the bedsheets are white and the walls are a masculine grey .

The picture that was once on the side table of us on our wedding day is gone . Replace by a picture of them in a restaurant. I still say nothing .

I walk straight to the closet. All my clothes are gone, on the left side is Jason's clothes - as had been - but on the right side is Kayla's clothes .

Still I say nothing . Instead I reach up to the top shelves where I see my Louis Vuitton suitcases and I put them on the floor .

"You're stealing." her voice says.

I turn and study her face . It no longer looks puny. It now has a heart shape , her features are sharper , but that's only from the heavy make up she's wearing .

Her hips are wider but her upper body is the same . Her face looks older and more evil . I say nothing to her .

I pick up the suitcases and head to the first guestroom on the right of the hallway .

In there I find my shoes , all the shoes I've own since it was me , fill the floors of the room .

I pick them up and put them in one of the biggest bags that I have . I only take the ones I really like and want to keep . The rest , Kayla will wear , I know she's been wearing them because my red bottoms are scratched .

I walk to the second guest bedroom and I walk into the closet . There I find all my clothes , I pack them neatly.

"You're stealing. " she says again .

" It's not stealing if all of this is mine ." I say in a tone that's so low, that if this house wasnt this quiet, she wouldn't have heard me .

I put the clothes in the bags . Then I pull the bags to the master bedroom again .

I walk into the room sized closet and put my hand under the shelves on Kayla's side .

I find the little key . I use it to open the little drawers at the bottom of the closet shelve . There I find my laptop and my electronic devices .

I walk to the office , the place I spent many nights in , and grab the book I used to write the times Jason came late at .

This house is beginning to give me nostalgia.

I push the bags downstairs and I walk right into the kitchen . I open the fridge and take out a few ingredients to make a cheese and weenie sandwich .

After making the sandwich, I plop down on one of the barstools and I eat .

"You cant be here . I dont know if you escaped prison or what but you can't be here . So ... so get out , you jailbird. " she says . I finish chewing my bread and I look up at her .

"You wanted a job , I gave you . You wanted my husband , I gave you . You wanted my house , I gave you . You wanted my life , I gave you . I gave you all of that with no nagging or noise. Willingly.

And all I ask is a bit of silence when I eat my sandwich and you cant fucking give me?" I ask . All the while my voice staying implacably low and dangerous.

She looks at me and I see fear written all over her eyes and face . For only a second that is . She then puffs out her chest .

"Get out Cassandra ." She says .

"Or what ." I asks , staring right into her eyes. Voice still monotonous. She visibly shivers .

"Or I'll call the police ." She stutters out .

"And what would the police possibly do to me ? I'm just eating a cheese sandwich at my house which is legally mine . I'd stop talking if I were you . Wouldn't want to make the same mistake. " I say the last sentence staring intently at the scar I left on her forehead .

She feels my gaze burning into the scar and she pats it with the tips of her fingers .

She nods in understanding then heads back to the couch she was sitting on , she turns on the television and tries hard to ignore my presence. But that's going to be hard now isn't it .

I grab another slice of the sandwich and chow it down . The black half fingered glove I'm wearing over my tattooed hand makes me look dangerous.

As I eat , I think of where Ace and I could live . We could live at the Grand Central Hotel , but that only allows a max of one week and its not even a great stay .

Or we could live at the apartment houses Jason and I own . I know that there's one approximately twenty minutes away from Smith Industries. And for three years now the two penthouses have been unoccupied.

Of course because of how expensive it is . It's great, it has a great view of the city and we can stay as long as we want .

I could've always opted for our condo , in Manhattan, but I dont think Ace would be comfortable living there.

I grab my bags and all my other belongs and I head out .

"Bye Kayla ." I say sweetly . She mumbles a reply.

I'm glad that I've closed this chapter of my life . I was so scared with how I was going to handle seeing Kayla, but I think I took it very well .

And now she knows that she and I would never be friends . I ask Tom to call an Uber for me .

He nods and in minutes the Uber is here . I get in the ride and fill the back seats with my belongings.

All that's occupied my mind is Ace and the fact that , I'm finally a free woman !!