Chapter thirty-five #2
I scream. Harry slams the computer closed. “Fuck’s sake Connor. Could you not have fucking warned us?” he yells.
“They’ve been shared across various porn sites,” he replies as I drop to the floor.
“Those were private photos,” I wail. Aiden has posted and shared intimate pictures of us. Pictures we took to be used when we were apart. His identity is hidden, but mine is in full view for everyone to see.
“What is your password?” Harry says, bringing my attention back to him.
He is standing looking down on me from above.
“If he’s not changed it, I’ll deactivate your account now. We’ll need to get the cyber team on this to see what they can do about the rest.”
His voice is calm, but when I look into his eyes, all I see is pain.
I can’t imagine how it must feel for him to see me with someone else like that.
If it had been the other way around, I’d be devastated.
I tell him my password and it works. “He knows your personal information, Violet. You need to change all your codes and passwords for any accounts you have.”
He pushes the computer toward me while holding his hand out to help me rise, immediately releasing it when I stand.
“I’ll go and make some calls about getting the pictures tracked and taken down,” he says as he walks off down the hallway with his phone at his ear.
Connor comes to stand beside me. “I’ve spoken to Father,” he says quietly.
“He’s in full support of Aiden having contact with your child. They’re close, Violet. Closer than we could ever have imagined. He’s given Russ and I an ultimatum. It’s either Harrison or him. We chose Harry.”
I glance at my brother, and he places his hand on my back.
“Thank you,” I say honestly. “By choosing Harry, you’re choosing me.”
Harry reappears as I log into all the accounts I can remember, changing each one’s details. He stands on my other side, looking over my shoulder and the screen. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “It’s not your fault.” His lips touch my hair. “It was a shock seeing you like that. I love you.”
I close my eyes, a tear escaping down my cheek. My heart aches for both of us, my embarrassment and his pain. Aiden becomes more and more evil as the days pass. I hardly recognize him.
“Call Damon. Have him arrest Marley on the grounds of image-based sexual abuse,” Harry says.
“We’ll struggle to prove it’s him,” Connor replies.
“He will have been the only person other than Violet with access to the images. These were shared with the intention to cause distress and without consent. I want him fucking arrested for it,” he snarls. Connor holds his hands up.
“Okay, okay, I’m making the call.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask him quietly. My eyes are trained on the ground, my cheeks still burning with humiliation.
“I’m going to fucking bury him.” He places one finger under my chin, encouraging me to look at him.
“Violet, you have done nothing wrong. This is one of the lowest ways a person can abuse another. He will pay for this, either through the judicial system or by my hand. You are not to allow him to hurt you. Do you understand me?”
I blink at him, shame engulfing me for the first time in months.
“Couples conduct these types of relationships all the time. He had no right to share these images. Taking them was consensual for both of you, but he has broken the law. I will ensure he pays.”
***
1st February 2023
“You ready?” Samantha says, smoothing down her fitted pink dress.
She makes an incredible bridesmaid, all slim and neat, with rosy cheeks and smooth skin.
On the other hand, I feel like a beached whale at almost full term and wearing a cream satin dress that cascades over my now huge bump.
My breasts are swollen, straining against the fabric. Every part of me feels ready to burst.
“I’m just glad we got here,” I tell her, and she laughs.
“Yes, the false alarm two days ago certainly caused panic. Fucking indigestion.”
She smiles warmly, then applies another layer of rouge to my cheeks.
“You look beautiful, Violet. Twenty minutes to go.”
We are in a dressing room provided at the registry office.
There is only our little group attending.
We gave notice to be married as soon as we could, and life has been quiet since.
Aiden was arrested for sharing the images and has since been released on bail.
Hunter’s team is monitoring the drug ring, but they are wary of being passed bad information again.
The whole thing had been a set-up aimed to ruin us and break Hunter’s ties to Joel Parker of Glasgow.
They hoped to turn us all on each other so we would destruct from the inside out.
The clock strikes quarter past two. “Fifteen minutes,” Samantha says, jumping up and down clapping her hands. There is a knock at the door. “Go away,” she shouts. “You can’t see her till she’s walking down the aisle.”
“Waddling,” I mumble, and she scowls at me.
“It’s the registrar,” a voice calls back.
Samantha skips over and opens the door. A terrified woman dressed in a black suit is pushed into the room.
My father stands at her back, his gun lodged at the base of her spine.
Aiden follows in behind him and closes the door.
He grabs Samantha by the wrist and presses his weapon at her chest.
“Pretty,” Aiden says with a sneer. “You certainly outshine the bride. How is my baby momma?” He focuses on me. “Pregnancy does nothing for you. I’ll be happier when that thing is out of you, but we’ll need to get you a personal trainer.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my eyes trained on my father.
“I’m here to walk my daughter down the aisle,” he says. “What else?”