Sam had finally gone to bed in the small bedroom next to Elaine’s, and the baby was asleep in her carry cot in the living room, to young yet to be put upstairs.
Elaine was weary, no matter how hard she tried to stop herself, tears kept welling up in her eyes. When she thought of the future without Colin, a sense of panic and desperation filled her… a fear that she had never known before. What was she going to do without him? Elaine in the hours that she had to think, after putting Sam to bed, knew in her heart of hearts, she could never trust him again! Never look at him again, without hearing that woman’s voice! And she knew she could never ever make love to him again! She shuddered at the thought, even if she lived to the rip old age of a hundred!
Then her heat ached, when unbidden, a though came into her head, of the many nights she had spent cuddled up to Colin’s warm body, and feeling his arm pulling her towards him, even when he was asleep Colin had wanted to be near her. The times when he had woken up, kissed her gently to wake her, arousing her slowly, so that her body was aching for him… Shaking her head to get the thought out of her mind, Elaine mentally gave herself a reprimand, for being daft enough to be thinking such thoughts now.
They had been so good together, why would he have risked that? Why hadn’t she picked something up to warn her? Surely there must have been signs! But for the life of her, Elaine could not remember Colin’s attitude or his behaviour changing towards her. She went over and over the last four months, analysing every word. Every touch, there was nothing! There really was nothing, to pick up.
How could he have been having an affair, and been so callous, as not even to feel guilty about it? Elaine surmised that it was the guilt, that would have showed or made Colin act differently, but he had not!! So he didn’t even feel guilty, that he was cheating on her behind her back, and abused the trust she had for him.
The though of Colin’s infidelity tormented Elaine, she could actually feel a physical pain in the stomach as if a knife twisted in her gut at the though of Colin making love to another woman. If she stayed with Colin she knew it would torture her. She could not cope with feeling like this all the time! She knew she would if she stayed with him….Elaine know there was nothing else she could do. Her marriage was over, she had to end it! She had no choice even if she felt as if she had lost everything she had!
She really had lost everything that the beam of sunlight had picked up this morning, her happy family! What did they say about people living in glass houses? Surely this is what she had been doing for months, even if she hadn’t known it.
Her world as she knew it had gone. Her mind was ticking over, trying to think how she was going to survive! And survive she must, she had to, because of Sam and Toni. She was dammed if some tart of a woman was going to go near her kids. I’d run a knife through her, if she came within a hundred miles of them she though. I’m dammed if I am going to see my kids go without because of that woman, and a man who had his brains in his trousers!
She stood up and paced the room, anger showing in every movement of her body, her eyes puffy and red with crying.
She had to end her marriage, if she carried on like this, it would make her ill. She would not let a man do that to her! She decided it would be for the best, for her and the kids to end their marriage! If she didn’t, she would turn into one of those women she despised. The ones that won’t let their husbands move without them being there, the ones that didn’t trust their husbands, watching every move they made. Elaine did not want to become one of those possessive, controlling women. Maybe if she had of been, this wouldn’t have happened! No far better to end it, she could not go on feeling as she did now.
Strangely enough, once Elaine had made the decision to end her marriage, the panic subsided… It was replaced by anger, which she had never known before. A cold anger, which brought with it a determination! A determination to get her own back! Revenge is sweet. It certainly was a day for new revelations, not only about Colin, but about her as well.
A determination to rise above this hurt and come out on top! The fear and desperation was still there, but she was able to push that to one side. Pretend that those feelings didn’t exist for the time being.
Take one step at a time, she thought, and get through tonight. Make a plan and get through tomorrow. Don’t think of what’s going too happened after tomorrow. Concentrate on the here and now. Make a plan! A plan that would hurt Colin, nearly as much as he had hurt her, a plan to ensure she had enough money for the time being, to feed the kids.
A plan that’s what she needed a plan! So stop this crying for Colin. Elaine chided herself, he defiantly isn’t worth it. After all who does that to someone they love, no one! Colin didn’t love her. She was buggered if she was going to cry another drop for a man that didn’t love her. Elaine’s thoughts carried on in this vein, talking her self into a better frame of mind. A frame of mind that she so badly needed, to enable her to act!
With a mental shake, Elaine stood up quickly from the settee.
While the kettle was boiling, she got out all of the bills to see how much she needed to shed and how much she needed to keep hold of, to manage her financial responsibilities. She had decided to go through them, and try to put some financial organisation at least, into this mess that Colin had made of their lives.
Coffee made, and back in the living room, she sat on the comfortable settee which was the colour of pale terracotta. It was the larger of the two settees’ that dominated the room, the baby’s carrycot stood to one side of it. The room was quite a sizeable room, with a large bay window, curtains reaching the floor, in rich terracotta to compliment the colour of the settees. With magnolia painted walls, which hung paintings that Elaine and Colin had acquired on their many holidays together. They both loved travelling and art, so there was quite a few painting in the room, giving colour to the plain walls. With a fire in the chimney breast, shelves with ornaments and photographs in one of the two alcoves, the TV in the other. The finishing touch was the warm terracotta carpet, making the room feel cosy and welcoming.
Elaine was going through her household bills, which were piled up on the coffee table, placed in front of the settee she was sitting on. A sinking feeling in her stomach, as she realised the amount of money she would need to pay the bills. How she was going to manage to pay all of this! Next week all of the big bills were due, the telephone, gas and electric.
On the positive side the council and water rates had just been paid, so at least she wouldn’t have to worry about them for another year. There was still over a year to pay on the car and caravan. Eighteen months on the new carpets they had brought when she found out she was carrying Toni, and another year to pay on the fire in the living room. She didn’t have a cat in hells chance of paying all of these! She didn’t have a job!
She hadn’t worked since Sam was 2 years old; even then she only worked sporadically once he was born, going back to her old job as a secretary, when they required additional staff. Elaine had not worked at all since they had moved to St Aspah. It was impossible for her to even look for work, with Toni being twelve weeks old. There were after school clubs for Sam, but at five, he was too young to face such a long day at school. Elaine realised it would be some years before she had any hope of returning to work. She leaned back on the settee, eyes closed, she was feeling tired, weary, utterly drained and she was feeling sickly too. She realised that she hadn’t had anything to eat since that phone call, the though of food made her stomach churn.
Christ, what use is she going to be to the kids, if she can’t afford to pay for the basics or the things in the house like carpets and the fire, let alone the mortgage! Tears rolled down her cheeks feeling helplessness. She was ill equipped to deal with this situation. Dam Colin!! If I live to be a hundred I will pay him back for doing this to me and the kids. What sort of a man does that! What a situation to be in, she couldn’t think of anything worse that could happen to anyone.
It would be okay for Colin, when she ended this marriage. He wouldn’t be left with all the bills to pay; she would have to pay them! All he would have to do is find somewhere else to live! It was not fair; she was not responsible for destroying their marriage. It wasn’t her, that couldn’t be trusted, but it would be her that suffered for it. Trying to pay bills, making ends meet… robbing Peter to pay Paul, so that she could manage to keep a roof over their heads and food in the cupboard. What a mess!
She would have to ring up tomorrow and put all the household bills in her name, because she would have to be responsible for them from now on. Her face showed the worry that the situation was causing her. Elaine pretty face was tearstained with frown lines showing on her forehead, a dejected worried look in her eyes, tears only a breath away, she folded her arms around her body hugging herself, to give herself some comfort, rocking back and forth, as she kept going over the list of bills over and over again and with no money to pay them.
From now on, she was responsible!! The thought kept repeating in her brain as she rocked back and forth on the settee, as if there was some significance to it! The way you do for one those brain teasers, you mull the question over and over in your mind until your brain starts turning, and finally hits on the solution. From now on!! She mussed, from now on!
Suddenly the penny dropped! The solution, going over and over in her mind, building up with momentum, her excitement mounting as she realised that she had finally got it!! Her way out!! She had got it! Oh yes indeed she had certainly got it!!
How she got the idea she didn’t know, but the idea would not only see her through the short term, give her a bit of breathing space, until she had the chance to sort out social security and the like. But, she would get her own back on Colin too!
Oh revenge is sweet Elaine though while she hugged her arms around herself, something verging on glee showed in her face, a small determined smile appearing her appearance changing as she formulated her idea. She would indeed show Colin that he would have to get up awful early to catch her out! Elaine actually smiled, as the thoughts crowded into her head.
She looked over at Toni who was sleeping in her cot, glancing at the clock. God was it that time already, time for the baby’s feed again. She decided she would make the baby’s bottle, feed and change Toni and once she had the baby settled again, and then start work on her plan! Make the germ of an idea into a practicality. She need to act and act upon this quick!! Before Colin suspected what she was up to. Oh yes! It was a marvellous idea, marvelling at the way it came to her out of the blue. Almost pure inspiration!
With her plan in her mind, Elaine got busy sorting out her daughter, so that she could start work. Every now and again shaking her head at her amazing idea, Elaine had even impressed herself, that she, had though of it. Colin wouldn’t know what had hit him. What was that saying? Hell has no fury like a woman’s scorn, must have been made for situations like this! Elaine actually chuckled, for the first time since that phone call. Elaine though, she could, if she played her cards right, get something out of this nightmare she had found herself in.
Elaine’s plan was so simple….She would write to the telephone, gas and electric companies, changing the bills into her name, as from tomorrow! Which meant, all of the past quarters bills would go to Colin, they were in Colin’s name! Colin would have to pay those bills! She would only be responsible for future bills, and as the bills were to be paid next week - Elaine would have another three months before she would have to worry about them being paid again! Genius! Pure Genius!!
Naively, Elaine was under the impression that at least she would have gone to court by then, and sorted out some maintenance money for herself and the children. She also contacted the Hire purchase companies, for the car, caravan, carpets and fire. These were also in Colin’s name, she would inform them that he has changed his address, and give them his mums address. Ask them to send the bills to him there.
Elaine wouldn’t have to pay for any of these, but still have them in her home the carpets and fire at least. They had paid over two thirds off them, and companies can’t reposes the goods if they were more than a third paid for! She clapped her hands in glee, as she thought of Colin’s face when he realised he would still have to pay these bills.
Now that Elaine’s mind was on that track, it carried on…. ideas forming in her mind. Car and the caravan! How could she get them! Her brain grasping at the whisper of a plan, of course! She could have them as well; the plan had formed in her mind.
The car was in the company’s car park, Colin used a company van for work, and he drove their car to pick his van up, and then left it in the car park. Elaine would usually get a taxi to pick the car up if she needed it.
All Elaine would have to do is go to Colin’s works tomorrow and pick the car up. The log book was in her name already, because when they had brought the car Colin was away, when they had brought the car and she picked the car up from the garage. Elaine had signed for it, and it was in her name, but the finance payments were in Colin’s name!
Elaine, also had the two sets of keys, the spare set was in the draw upstairs, and Colin left the other set in the security lodge in work in case she needed the car. She would have the car and Colin would still have to pay for it, because it couldn’t be reposed if he didn’t. There was more than a third of the car paid for; this would be the second year they had had that car and it was half paid for. Elaine laughed; oh this was starting to be fun!!
With the car sorted, Elaine turned her thoughts, to the caravan. With the car she could pick the caravan up and tow it anywhere she wanted too. Again the finance payments were in Colin’s name. There was only another 10 months to pay on it, again it couldn’t be reposed. All Elaine had to do was find a safe place to keep, both the car and caravan; until she could sell them.
She though of her brother Kevin, he owned a garage on the outskirts of
What’s next? Elaine ran through her ideas, bills sorted, car and caravan sorted; only one problem remained money!!! Hard cash!!! All she had in her purse was ten pounds and some loose change, that wouldn’t last till any money came from social security.
That is what she would have to live on from now on and god knows how much she will get from them. Elaine hadn’t a clue about benefits; the only one she had ever claimed was child benefit.
The bank! There was money in the bank!! Colin, only got his months pays a couple of days ago. Would she dare draw it out? It would give her some much needed ready cash; she would need some for petrol money if nothing else. It would keep her going until she had sorted out the social security and sold the car. Could she do this? Would her conscience let her? It would be stealing because she would no longer be with Colin, she didn’t have a right to his wages really.
Don’t be daft she chided herself. Why, should she have a conscience! Colin didn’t, otherwise he wouldn’t be carrying on with that woman. She did not have a right to his money, but the kids did, and she would need the money to feed the kids. Elaine decided that she would go to the bank tomorrow, and see how much money was in there, leave a hundred in for Colin and draw the rest out. She needed to leave sufficient money in the bank for Colin.
Elaine didn’t want him getting suspicious before he got home, she needed time to get the car and caravan, and go to the social security. Elaine, needed time to think of anything else that she had not thought about tonight, it would be better if Colin didn’t realise too quick, that Elaine knew about the woman and that she was going to end their marriage.
Elaine supposed she should book an appointment with a solicitor tomorrow as well
Right! I think I’ve though of as much as I can tonight, I will give Tressa a ring tomorrow and tell her what has happened and ask her to look after the kids. While I go to the bank, social security and get the car and caravan.
Teresa would do this for her, she had never let Elaine down, and in all the years she had known her. It will come as a shock to Teresa, nearly as much as it had shocked her. It was only last weekend her and Colin had been away for the weekend with Teresa, her husband and kids. Teresa knew her and Colin very well. Elaine knew her friend would look at her in disbelief when she told her about the phone call. Teresa trusted Colin too; she wouldn’t think that he could do such a thing.
Elaine felt her throat tighten again. Right, time to make a move, Elaine didn’t want to dwell, in case she started crying again. Get cracking; write to those companies, with a sudden movement of her arm, she reached for the bills. She put the bills on a pile, got some pen, paper and envelopes and wrote to each one.
An hour later the job was done; ending with a small stack of envelopes. First thing in the morning she would go to the post office, get some first class stamps and post them.
Elaine wearily, picked up Toni’s carry cot, and went upstairs to bed. Hoping now that she had sorted that bit out, at least she would be able to get to sleep and blot out the days events for a few hours at least. Elaine had had enough of thinking; she was totally exhausted, all she wanted to do was sleep, the sleep of oblivion.
1 comment:
Don't get mad ... get even!
The plot thickens...
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