Violet woke up that morning feeling sick with dread. Today was the day that she was going to leave Ben, and, although she had been planning every detail of this day for months, she felt nervous and strangely emotional. As she lay in bed she looked at him lying fast asleep next to her, his arm thrown possessively over her chest, and for a moment her resolve faltered. She still felt a wave of love for him every time she looked at him. He looked so beautiful as he lay there, breathing peacefully, his long dark eyelashes still against his cheek and his black hair curling gently against the pillow.

Studying him now it was easy to remember how she had fallen deeply in love with him from the first moment that they had met . She could hardly believe that it had only been two years since she had first looked into his liquid brown eyes and felt with thrilling certainty that her life would never again be the same. She knew that the feeling was mutual. Although he had never said it aloud, he could not live without her and they both knew it. Within days of his moving in with her into her one bedroomed flat she could hardly remember her life before he came into it.

She sighed heavily. Oh she still loved him,; she would always love him, but very gradually she had begun to resent the way he had come to control every aspect of her life. She had not admitted this to anyone, but sometimes she felt that his need for her was sucking the life –blood out of her. At the beginning, she had loved going everywhere with him. She was so proud to be seen with him. She had enjoyed noticing other women stealing admiring looks at him –let them look, she thought, he was all hers .. She had been amused to notice how just one look from him would melt even the coldest of hearts . Only yesterday the grumpy old dear serving at the post office positively simpered like a lovesick teenager when he fluttered those eyelashes at her, as he knew she would.

In some ways her life had changed for the worse. From the first, he had wanted to spend all of his waking hours with her, so much so that he seemed to resent having to share her with her friends who had gradually stopped visiting. At first, she had found this rather sweet and touching but for the last few months she had started to feel suffocated and isolated.. He had made it clear that he didn’t like her going out without him. The last time she went out in the evening he had actually begged her not to go and when that hadn’t worked, had stood at their bedroom window, gazing reproachfully at her as she left the house. As she had walked down the street she had felt his eyes watching her, willing her to return to him.

He looked so peaceful now, yet she had found to her horror that he had a temper. Any little thing could set him off and it seemed to be getting worse by the day. Last night he had actually thrown his dinner on the floor because he hadn’t liked what she had cooked. Several times he had actually hit her. Thank God that she had decided to make the break before things had gone too far.

Violet sighed and eased herself out of bed, trying hard not to disturb him. If she was lucky this morning she would be able to dress and have her own breakfast in peace without his constant demands and interruptions, She would need all her energy to cope with his reaction to her news. She knew he would not like it one little bit.

As she climbed into the new suit she had bought especially for this occasion she was surprised to feel excitement bubbling within her. Gazing at her reflection in her bedroom mirror, her heart leapt to her mouth as she realised that Ben was not only awake but sitting up and gazing at her intently, a questioning frown on his face.

There was nothing for it. It was now or never. She should have told him sooner, really, but she couldn't face the tears, the recriminations. Keep calm, keep calm, she thought. Taking a deep breath she began.

“Ben, do you remember that nice place we visited last week? With the tricycles and all the other little boys and girls? Well, today, you’re going to go there again but this time……without mummy. Will you be a brave boy today and be good for mummy?… Will you?

As the tears and screams began Violet knew the answer to her question.