Retribution

Chapter 41 - Fighting Back

With the estate agent booked to come around during the week, after work, I was feeling empowered. He wasn't going to get to me; he may think he had all the power, but I would show him different. I knew he wouldn't agree to selling his half of the house, but I'd done enough digging over the past few weeks to know that I could apply to the courts to force the sale through. That would wipe the smug grin off his face.

An hour later, I was at Charlie's after she'd called me with her apologies for not ringing earlier. She had two new horses arriving today and couldn't leave the house, so she'd asked me to go to hers. Being surrounded by horses on my birthday wasn't something I could complain about.

I filled her in on my retaliation this morning, repeating the poem with the sarcasm I intended for Adam to get.

"Oh my God," she said, giggling. "He hates your sarcasm at the best of times. Are you sure this won't make him worse?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know; possibly. But the point of it is to throw him off track. Instead of me being a quivering wreck, jumping at any sound, and throwing my food up, I've fought back with a smile on my face. It'll stop any 'rational' thoughts he thinks he has."

"I see your point. I just hope it works like you think it will."

"Me too."

She led me into the office, chattering away about how Jonny had been teaching her his cooking skills.

"I hope you mean cooking in the kitchen," I said, laughing.

Sticking her tongue out at me, she laughed. "Yes. I may have disowned my husband, but unfortunately that means I'm still legally married until the coward comes home."

"You're definitely going through with it then—the divorce?"

She nodded, a determined, steely stare controlling her features. "In reality, deep down, I knew he wasn't right for me. I guess like most women, I hoped he'd change his mind about kids, but it just wasn't meant to be."

"I'm sorry, Charlie, I really am."

"What for? It's not you I'm married to."

"No, I know, but I thought you had it made, that's all. I'm just sad for you that it's not worked out that way."

"Everything happens for a reason," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Where one door closes, another one opens."

At that, she opened her office door. When I looked inside, I gasped before tears sprung from nowhere.

"Jake?" I said. I ran to him and flung my arms around his neck. "What are you doing here?"

He hugged me back, his arms encasing me like body armour. My tears slipped free, but I didn't care; this had made my day. I'd wanted nothing more these past few weeks than to have a hug from my manfriend.

"I moved things about and worked my arse off so I could come home." He kissed the side of my head and moved back to look at me. "You didn't really think I'd miss your big three-oh, did you?"

I didn't know what to say. This was the icing on my cake.

"Happy birthday, beautiful," he said, holding up a car key and shaking it from side to side.

My heart skipped in my chest. "Wh...what...why are you showing me your car key?"

He flashed me one of his dazzling grins and leaned forwards to kiss me. "Well," he said, giving me a peck on the lips. "Because it's not my car key; it's your car key."

Kissing me on the lips again, I couldn't even kiss him back because I was so shocked. He was giving me his car? His top of the range Audi that cost more than my annual salary was now mine?

"Oh, and I hope you don't mind," he said, rubbing his hands up and down my back. "But I kind of personalised it for you, too."

Dumbfounded, I let him lead me outside, past a grinning Charlie, to where his car—my car—was parked in her garage. He lifted the door, letting me see the private plate he'd had put on it—30 LOUS. The shiny black metal gleamed back at me, beckoning me to it like darkness calls for light.

Overwhelmed didn't really describe how I felt. I looked at Jake and burst into tears. Chuckling, he gave me a hug and somehow managed to hear my sob-strangled thanks.

"No need to thank me," he said, nuzzling into my neck. "Nothing makes me happier than seeing you happy."

Finally getting a hold of myself a few minutes later, I took the key from him and squealed in delight as reality set in that this was mine. I couldn't believe my luck. Itching to get behind the wheel, I backed it out of the garage, grinning like a Cheshire cat. The way the leather seat embraced me, holding me firm, was a piece of heaven. As I breathed in the addictive 'new car' smell, I closed my eyes and revelled in the fantastic machine that was now mine.

Getting out, I glanced over at Jake to see Charlie walking up behind him, leading Roxy. Seeing Charlie's devilish grin, and the massive red bow hanging around Roxy's neck, I gasped. My happy tears had all been used over the car, so when Charlie gave me Roxy's leadrope, passport, and a huge hug, I couldn't do anything but accept her present with shaking hands.

Stood under the June sunshine with my best friend and my Prince Charming, I didn't think life could get any better.