AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her lower lip wobbled.
It wasn’t just about the money, was it?Now it felt like all the joy she’d had anticipating her date with Carts had been stolen from her.
Judith slammed her laptop shut and fought back tears, sinking down at the table and staring into space.She needed to talk this through with someone.Polly?
She’d collapsed on Polly the night Mark had left her and Polly had been wonderful, but, no, it didn’t feel right to do that again.Their friendship was quite a new thing and what if Polly just thought she was being super needy and hysterical?
Mum?Nope.Mum hadn’t got over her separation from Mark yet.After her brother Luke had married his long-term girlfriend Kirsty last year, Mum had turned her attention to Judith and Mark as the next wedding in the family.She knew Mum would get all uptight and anxious if she told her about the money.And Dad would just go straight to bluster and solutions, which would make everything worse.
The sudden jangle of the doorbell made Judith jump so hard her butt nearly lifted off the chair.Had Mark seen her calls and decided to come around instead of phone?
That would be ominous.He wasn’t the spontaneous type.Shakily she got to her feet and went to open the door.
“Pippa!”Her younger sister stood bouncing on the heels of her Adidas trainers on the doorstep.“What are you doing here?”
“We had a match round the corner, so I thought I’d drop by.Seeing you are all on your lonesome.”Pippa gave her a bear hug.“How are you?”
“I-I—” Pippa’s presence, all bright and breezy and full of the joys of a good hard game of netball made Judith’s own miserable plight whack her like a home goal.The wobble returned to her lower lip, but now it seemed to have spread to her chin as well.Her whole face felt like a half-set jelly.Pippa turned into a blurry blob in front of her as tears filled her eyes.
“Aw, honey, have I hit a raw nerve?You’re missing him, right?”
Judith gulped and shook her head.
“What is it then?”
“Oh, Pippa, Mark’s stolen my savings.”
“Jesus Christ!”Pippa’s hands landed firmly on Judith’s shoulders, pivoted her 180 degrees, and propelled her down the hallway.
Once seated on a stool at the breakfast bar, Judith told Pippa the full story, or at least what she knew of it while Pippa rushed around the kitchen, putting the kettle on, and managing to break a cup—Pippa was like that, her movements too large for anything other than the netball court or pummelling people in her job as a physio.
“Oops, sorry.”Pippa chucked the broken pieces in the bin.Hooking a foot round another stool, she plonked her butt on it, shoved a mug at Judith and cupped her own between her hands.
“Okay, start from the beginning.How did he get hold of your money?”
Judith hung her head miserably.“We haven’t separated our accounts yet.I’d saved money for our holiday, but we’d agreed to split it and Mark used his for the bond and first two months’ rent.But now he’s taken my share in three lots just under the daily withdrawal limit, so I wouldn’t get a notification.”
“Bastard!”Pippa snorted with the cup at her lips.A spray of tea arced across the benchtop.
“Have you had it out with him?”
“No, he’s not answering his phone.”
“Oh, Jude, babe!That’s terrible.”Pippa reached out and squeezed her arm.Pippa had always been the expressive one of their family, loud and extroverted.Unlike Judith, and Luke, who were very happy with their own company, Pip needed people around her, which accounted for her passion for team sports.Personally, Judith had always preferred a needle and thread and some relaxing music playing in the background.
Pip slammed her cup down on the table.“I’ll go round if you like, demand he gives it back.He’s always been scared of me.”
Judith pulled her hair up on top of her head, coiled it round, then let it drop.“It’s okay, I’ll sort it out.”She avoided confrontation, when possible, but there was no other option now.
Pippa patted her arm so firmly it almost hurt.“Have you got enough money to get by?”
“Yes, I’ll use my credit card.”She thought of the dresses; she hated going into debt almost as much as she hated confronting people.She could return them, but then… no, darn it, she was going to look good for her date with Carts, whatever the cost.
“Dad will lend you money.”
“I don’t want to bring Dad and Mum into this.”
“I didn’t say bringMuminto it.”Pippa’s lip curled.Pip and Mum had a strained relationship.“I bet she’s still pushing you to try and get him back.”
