“Have you checked our bank account lately or checked our mortgage statement? No, of course you haven’t. You’ve been so obsessed, keeping your little secret that you’ve done nothing else. Today just happens to be the three-month anniversary of when I withdrew just enough from the mortgage account that the house will break even when we sell it. Then I donated the cash from that, plus most of our savings to charity. We’re both starting again with nothing, Lisa. My lawyer says those donations can’t be clawed back after three months. Good luck trying.”
If Dave thought that would devastate me, he was wrong. I didn’t give a shit about material things. Only about him.
“So, if you knew about my affair months ago, why did you only stop sleeping with me in the last month? What changed?”
“What changed was when my new girlfriend asked me to stop sleeping with you. In fact, it was that insistence that showed me what she was really like and made me sure she was the one I wanted to settle down with. She has the same values I have and the same values you used to have. I’ll tell you, rumours weren’t enough for her. She demanded proof you were cheating before she even let me consummate our love. That brand new smoke detector with a camera in it above our bed and one fishing trip was all it took. Embarrassingly easy really. I must say, you haven’t missed one opportunity to disappoint me in the last four months.”
Bizarrely, I knew the blame was 100 percent mine but I was getting angry. I like to be the one in control; you’ve probably figured that out by now. I’d accepted that I’d been played by John, a master schemer, for four months. The fact that Dave had manipulated me, like a pawn on a chess board, as well, just made it all so unbearable. I lashed out to show him, and myself, I suppose, that he would never fully control me. Fuelling that anger was the knowledge he’d never given me, us, a chance. I was written off on day one. It was my turn to get angry.
“Well, don’t try to get me fired and don’t even think about telling John’s wife to try to split them up. He’s already told his wife you’ve gone mad and will try to level false accusations against us. She’ll never believe you.”
I stared defiantly at him, hoping to see some sign I’d got through that hard, controlled exterior. No such luck. He just sighed again.
“Yes, that was a challenge. I think you’ll be impressed with the way we solved that particular problem, or should I say, how you solved that particular problem for us. You’ll find out soon enough.”
We stared at each other across the gulf that separated us. This was the end and we both knew it.
“Why don’t you just walk away, Lisa? Let’s stop now and preserve whatever memories we can.”
This was said in a sad voice that spoke directly to my soul. I dropped my eyes again and nodded. Steeling myself, I stood and headed for the door. Dave beat me there and held it open. I walked through and half way down the path to the gate. There I stopped and turned around. If I had any doubts that the situation could ever have been salvaged, they ended there and then. David was staring after me, eyes glistening with tears. Wrapped around him, keeping him on his feet, was Peta, staring daggers at me. As I watched, she turned a look of pride towards him. Her man had done a difficult job of work, and done it well.