‘I’ve got an agent coming around to value the flat at midday. Shall we meet this afternoon to finalise the paperwork and start arranging some viewings?’
‘Good plan.’
‘See you later then,’ Libby said. ‘I hope it goes well with Jules.’
‘So do I. I’m not exactly looking forward to it.’ She could tell he was anxious.
‘It’ll be fine,’ she said. ‘Stay strong.’
The agent came around to view the house. Libby found herself buzzing with excitement: the plan was actually in motion once and for all. He told her his valuation and she was pleased with how much the flat had gone up in value since she had bought it. It wasn’t far off her estimate, and the money she could get from selling it, coupled with the money Angus had proposed to invest, would give them a substantial deposit. She couldn’t wait to start viewing some real properties. She wished Angus would hurry up and get here so they could get the ball rolling.
She knew that she watned to find a place relatively near the coast, that there needed to be space for Angus’s studio, and that she would rather inherit a business that was already set up and running than start one from scratch.
Time seemed to be moving painfully slowly. She kept checking her watch. Why hadn’t he called? She couldn’t stop thinking that Jules had got her way; that Angus had capitulated and would soon be ringing her to tell her that they were back together. The thought made her feel anxious. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Why was she having such a strong reaction to the idea?
Libby’s nerves were so on edge that she decided to get out of the house as a distraction. She took Izzy to the park and walked around it, trying to stop the onslaught of images that were running through her mind: Jules declaring her undying love for Angus. Jules pleading for forgiveness, telling him it had all been a moment of madness. Jules begging him to stick to his wedding vows, promising to give him the baby he had always longed for… Her head spun. She tried to focus on the scenery around her instead. She checked her phone frequently in case Angus called her. She hoped that he would ring straight afterwards, just to put her mind at rest.
She walked all the way around the park and then via the shops on the way home, picking up some groceries. She set Izzy on her play mat and unpacked the shopping.
Just then she heard a knock on the door. She opened it and Angus walked in.
‘So how was it?’ She felt her breath catch in her throat as she waited for his response.
‘It was weird seeing her after all this time. She looks terrible. She has moved back into our old house and she’s found a job. She tried to tell me that she had ended things with Luca, that she had realised it had all been a big mistake and that she wanted to try and work things out between us.’
‘Oh my god, she is such a liar!’
‘Thankfully I already knew that it had been Luca’s decision, so knowing that she was lying to me yet again just made it easier to ignore her fake tears and ask for a divorce.’
‘You asked her?’
‘I certainly did.’
‘And what did she say?’
‘She tried her very best to talk her way out of it. There were lots of tears, apologies, and undoubtedly more lies, but I stuck to my guns and remained unmoved. I think she was quite shocked at how insistent I was.’
‘Did you tell her about the B & B?’
‘Yes. I actually thanked her for leaving me for Luca, for making it possible for me to have a new life without her.’
‘How did she react?’
‘You should have seen the look on her face: it was priceless!’
‘I bet! What did she say?’
‘That was when I stood up and said goodbye. I told her that I wished her the best of luck, that there were no hard feelings, and then I walked out. I left her speechless sitting at the table, mouth open.’ Libby couldn’t help but giggle at the thought.
