Mind's Beautiful Prison (18+)

29 - Princess

The tears continued to fall as I pondered the wreckage of my life over the past three months. I'd been lied to, taken advantage of, kept hostage and deceived by everyone I knew.

Gunnar had kept me from my family, lied about being my husband and had hurt me both physically and emotionally.

Milos, the man who was supposed to love and protect me had also kept the truth from me, kept my own daughter from me. How could he have left me with Gunnar in that house all these months? The repercussions filled me with guilt, shame, hurt - anger. In one way or another I continued to live my life under some man's thumb. I was a mere pawn in the games that men played.

He had let me become an unfaithful wife, leaving me alone with a dangerous narcissist, when all the while I should have been with him - with our daughter. I still loved him - I could no sooner live without half of my heart - but it was apparent I could trust him about as much as I now trusted Gunnar. And what is love without trust?

And if all of this wasn't enough, Stephen, who was supposed to be my best friend, had decided to abduct me in some Machiavellian attempt to rescue me from Gunnar. To what ends, I'd yet to discover.

I felt arms wrap around me and my head pressed into Stephen's shoulder as I tried to seek logic in the cluster of puzzle pieces I was attempting to arrange in my mind. My weary heart told me that even with all my memories intact, this past month would still have been one giant mess.

"I can't bring you home to Gunnar, Anna. I'm sorry if you think I'm a monster, but sometimes we have to do hard things to protect the people we love. Especially when they're vulnerable and unprotected."

He had no idea how right he was. Of all the people in my life, as insanely misguided as this abduction had been, Stephen had been right about the people in my life who had tried to hurt me, and I did need to get away.

Gunnar and Milos had both hidden behind masks and lied to me. Pretended to be something they weren't. At least Stephen, though irrational, impulsive and laden with the emotional baggage of our past relationship, came to me without pretense. Though, it was hardly a small comfort at the moment.

"You're right, Stephen. I can't go home to Gunnar. He's a liar and a manipulator...he used my injuries against me for his own selfish gain. But I need you to bring me to Milos. He has something very important to me." I turned to him, begging with my eyes.

His eyebrows knit in a puzzled expression, Stephen thoughtfully shook his head in the negative, placing a kiss on my forehead and pulling me back into a hug.

"Anna, we're leaving tomorrow. The only way you'll be safe from him is if we leave the country. I've already created new identities and arranged a place where he won't find either of us. Milos will only lead Gunnar back to you. But...can I ask you why you're suddenly agreeing with me?"

"Milos has already been trying to help me escape Gunnar, Stephen. He wouldn't put me in danger, I promise. I need to speak to him...I can't leave the country...not yet."

He shook his head again, but the fight in me had just begun.

"Suddenly, you don't want to go home to Gunnar, but you want Milos. Anna, you know I'd do anything for you but this time I can't...we leave in the morning. Look, I'm sorry you're upset. I know you're angry at me today, but one day you'll understand I'm just trying to protect you," he answered earnestly.

I groaned in frustration, shaking free from his embrace. "Stephen, no! You don't understand, this is important! I don't want to go back to Gunnar...I finally remember, and he isn't my husband. He's been lying to me, to everyone. But Milos knows were to find someone very important to me, and I can't leave the country without her!"