All your promises

4 "No more false promises"

It may seem stupid, but I didn't sleep much that night. I didn't think it could be so bad. I was rolling from side to side on my bed because the pain in my heart didn't allow me to find a comfortable position for myself.

I got out of bed, wrapped myself in a robe, and walked to the desk. I sat next to it and turned on the laptop. I looked at my clock on the wall, it was three o'clock a.m., which was the perfect time to write an article.

It was sad that I was lock my writing in the sock drawer. I didn't have a place where I could freely publish my articles, my thoughts. I felt like a bird in a cage.

I was overwhelmed by this to the extent that since the Riverdale Register was taken away from me, I stopped writing.

I accidently opened a website and noticed an advertisement about buying a place near the pharmacy.

I knew this place. It was an old hair salon whose owner had recently died. Apparently her daughter didn't want to own it, so she put up a building for sale. It was the only chance for me to get back on my feet. I grabbed the phone and (ignoring the missed calls from FP) I wrote down this woman's number.I made sure that the place was well-groomed, because I often went there to cut or dye my hair.

I had a lot of money in my bank account and I didn't know what to do with them. Maybe I wasn't aware of how rich person I was, but I had collected over five hundred thousand dollars.

Hal received invitations to various journalistic meetings for which they paid him a lot of money. For advertising various things in the newspaper, we also got a lot of money on our account. And that's how we got a large sum of money that I could have invested in my own business.

When I wrote down the number in contacts, I looked at messages from FP.

"Alice, I care about you."

"I admit it. I wanted to arouse jealousy in you, but I only arouse guilt in myself"

"Can we meet and talk?"

"I'm an asshole"

"Forgive me"

We were constantly making the same mistakes. I couldn't give him another chance.

Although I knew it would be painful for me, I had to end my romance with him. I had to finish everything related to him.

My heart was choking me at the very thought of being ignored by him, but that was the wisest solution.
Now with a pure heartache, I can say:

Thank you, next.

~~~~~~

"Mom, are you sure you want to buy this place?" Betty asked as we stood in front of the building.

"Yes, Betty, I'm sure," I said with a smile.

"How did you get the money for it?" Betty looked at me and I stroked her cheek.

"From our bank account." I adjusted my daughter's collar and we went inside.

I talked to the owner and I found out that she's going to move to Canada with her family, so she wanted to sell this place.

For the next few days I took care of everything related to the purchase of this place. I sat and spent days and nights looking for the right decorations. I wanted to make everything before Christmas.

"Mom, you need to eat something." Betty brought me two toasts on a plate.

"Thank you, Betty," I said with a smile and closed my laptop.

"What about the decorations?"

"I still have not found the right one, maybe you and your best friends would decorate The Smith Register?" I asked with a smile and Betty opened her mouth widely.

"Are you serious, mom?" she looked at me in disbelief.

"Yes, Betty." I laughed when my daughter squealed with joy.

"I'm going to call girls now!" she said and ran out of the room.

The next day I went to my new workplace to check if the furniture had already arrived. I didn't find furniture next to the door but I found FP. He was leaning against the door and obviously wondering about something. I moved closer.

"What are you doing here?" I asked calmly, and he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I ... I was passing by accident ... I really came to see you."

"And now you see me," I crossed my arms.

"I have come to apologize," he added, and I rolled my eyes.

"It looks ridiculous, you apologize to your mistress because your wife has returned to you and you have to act like a good husband," I laughed softly. "No, FP. You are acting worse than in high school," I shook my head and pulled the keys out of my purse.

"Alice" FP grabbed my wrist and I turned around. The keys fell out of my hand straight onto the sidewalk.

"What do you want?" I asked, and there was anger in my eyes.

"I want you, and your forgiveness. Believe me, Gladys doesn't mean anything to me. She's only the mother of my children"

You liar.

I knew he was lying. I knew him very well and I knew when he didn't tell me the truth. "Answer me with three simple questions"

"Ask me what you want" he raised his hands in surrender.

"First of all, did you kiss her?" I asked, but I knew it was just a formality. He must have kissed her.

"Well, yes ..." he answered, slightly flustered.

The first blow to my heart.

"Second, did you tell her that you wanted to leave her and start living with me?" this question now sounded very funny in my mouth.

FP sighed heavily and shook his head. I saw the flusters in his eyes.

"I didn't tell her." he responded more quietly, and I felt tears in my eyes.

I was so naive.

"Thirdly, did you sleep with her?" I asked in a trembling voice.

Of course she slept with her, stupid!

I was afraid of the answer because  our future depended on that. I looked at his confused face and sighed quietly.

You don't want to hear it, Alice. You know the answer. Tell him!

"Don't answer. I know that you slept with her " I whispered and picked up the keys from the sidewalk.

"Alice, let me explain!" FP wanted to touch me, but I moved away.

It's a trap. When you let him explain he'll tell you new false promises. He doesn't deserve you...

"I know that Gladys is your wife, FP! I know you can have sex with her, I know you can kiss her... Just please, don't ever give me more false promises for our future" I said and opened my workplace. I went in without looking back.

No more false promises.

What is going on with me? Why am I talking to myself?