Revenge Served Right
As soon as I finished work and stepped out into the cool evening air, I was approached by a short, rather plump woman whose normally commanding and sharp voice had taken on an almost gentle, but still reproachful, tone.
Emily, whats happened between you and Richard? He rang me yesterday and told me you’ve left him. How could you do this? He needs you now more than ever, and yet, instead of staying and helping him, you just up and left, didnt you? Hows that the behaviour of a loving woman?
The same as his behaviour as a loving man, I replied through a thin, cold smile. Or have you forgotten how you discussed it with him in our kitchen a year and a half ago? Should I remind you? You were all in favour of his grand ideas and principles of living together unmarried, so whats changed now? Or is this just different in your eyes?
I don’t know what youre on about! I would never condone abandoning a loved one, especially not at a time like this.
Thats odd. Because I remember you strongly opposing me marrying your son. I remember you telling him, right there in the kitchen, that if he tied the knot, Id be a millstone around his neck and if anything went wrong, Id weigh him down even more. So, hes not to be burdenedyet I am?
Burden? What burden? You love each other, youre supposed to get through things together!
Well, he didnt want to do it together. Neither did you, apparently. So now you can both deal with it yourselves, and Ill be on my way. Thanks to you, Mrs. Barker, were not married and I dont even have to pay Richard any support. Much appreciated.
With a mocking bow, I turned away and strode off towards the bus stop.
On the walk, I mulled over, for what felt like the hundredth time, whether it was finally time for me to secure a mortgage for a flat closer to the office. My old placea poky one-bed left to me by my grantook nearly two hours to reach, crawling through the citys traffic and endless bus stops.
Thoughts of property and travel quickly gave way to pondering whether Id done the right thing, leaving Richard at a time like this. Logic told me yes, my heart well, it had too much sympathy for its own good.
Thankfully, that sympathy vanished whenever I remembered what Id overheard months agosomething that had changed everything.
I wasnt nosy by nature. Never was. That night, though, struck down by a cold, Id slept all day and woke up parched. I couldnt find my slippers, probably lost under a chair again, and so crept out of the bedroom barefoot for a drink. Because of that, Richard and his mother, Mrs. Barker, didnt hear my approach to the kitchen. But I heard it all.
Shes a lovely girl, son, but I wouldn’t marry her if I were you. If she were from money, fair enoughthered be some inheritance in it one day, might be worth it. But do you know what happens if you marry her now?
Whats the worst that could happen, Mum? Emilys got a job, she doesnt ask me to support her. They might even promote me if I got marriedmy boss is all about those traditional family values and the rest.
Dont tell me youre planning a child with her! Mrs. Barker almost recoiled in horror.
Of course not. Last thing I need is another mouth to feed. Anyway, Emilys never been fussed about kidsshes all about her career. Doesnt want any, says shes too busy trying to get ahead at work. I was just going to say shes infertile, if anyone asks. That way, I come off looking like the good guy for marrying someone defective.
Dont marry her, Richard! You have no idea what youd be signing up for. Everything you get while married will become joint property. If you split up, shell take half the flat, half the car, probably half your money tooand shell be well within her rights to do so. You could have a prenup but as if shed sign oneno one does. And if she gets ill while youre married, youll be legally bound to support her. I know a bloke got stuck paying his wifes bills after she ran off with another man and got herself injured. It cost him a fortune and now he has to pay her benefits every month. Not worth it, son. If you never marry her, you can show her the door any day. But if it’s official, whats in it for you, really? At least if she was rich but shes not, and she likely never will be.”
I slipped quietly back to the bedroom and cried myself to sleep. Id always known Richard probably wasnt planning to marry metwo years together and not a hint of a proposalbut knowing is one thing, hearing the cold reasoning behind it is something else. To be thought of as disposable, only acceptable until I became an inconvenience it cut deep.
Richard once said the only reason he couldnt marry me was because his employer didnt like married staff. He said hed change jobs eventually and then wed make it official. It turned out, that was all just words.
The tears didnt last long. With them went any feeling of love for Richard. The next morning, I sat down and looked at our relationship squarely, like a business transaction. Living with Richard had its perks: I saved time on chores and the commute, since his flat was almost slap-bang in the middle of town. He had his failings but, truth told, he was good in bed, and finding a replacement, on short notice, might be more hassle than it was worth. Plus, being able to rent out my own tiny flat, even for a modest sum, gave me a bit of extra money.
With love out of the equation, it was just a matter of mutual convenienceliving together until one of us decided it no longer worked.
We ticked along like this until, a few months after I overheard that conversation, Richard had his accident. Drove into a roundabout, three sheets to the wind, crashed the barrier, wrecked his almost-new car (still half on finance) and, worst of all for him, mangled his own spine.
The doctors reckoned hed recover, but it would take time and effort. And, by some miracle, he was the only one hurt, so he dodged a criminal charge.
He called me to the hospital, full of hope. Emily, well get through this. Six months, maybe a year, Ill be back on my feet. We just need to stick together and not give up.
Best of luck with that, I beamed at him, and then, gently but firmly, told him that being with someone who was effectively disabled frankly didnt suit me, it wasnt what Id signed up for, and tonight would be the last time Id set foot in his flat.
Actually, I came to give you your keys back. Ive already taken my things, photos attached so you can see nothing of yours has been touched.
Whatyou’re leaving me now? Emily, we love each other! Dont you believe people who care should stand by each other when things get tough?
But didnt you and your mother agree you shouldnt marry me precisely so that you didnt have to help me if things went wrong? It goes both ways, Richard. Im not going to carry someone who isnt my husband, especially knowing youd drop me if the tables were turned.
I wouldnt leave you! Id be there for you
You say that now. Who knows what might have happened if it was me lying in that hospital bed. Anyway, thanks for the memories, have a good recovery, and please dont try to contact me again.
With that, I walked out and blocked his number straight after. I had no intention of keeping up any ties with him or his familyever again.
Writing this, I realise I finally learned to stick up for myself instead of waiting for scraps of love out of fear of being alone. Sometimes the only way to win is to walk away on your own terms.
