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And you know when I realised it? When he slipped a post-it note with a cute little puppy in the corner in my handbag yesterday that said, ‘Stay pawsitive, sweetheart.’ My first thought was, ‘Fuck, I love him.’ And when I saw him at his office later that day, my chest nearly exploded.
Jess arrives and thankfully we talk more about work. When the waiter pops by, we order food and more drinks too. This was meant to be a quick brunch, but I think we’ve all missed each other, so fuck it. We’re in no rush.
“How are the renovations going?” Jess and Liam are in the middle of renovating a new hotel in Kent together, so they’re splitting their time between here and the coast.
“Stressful, but they’re going. We’ve had to pause the extension for now and focus on getting the building modernised. The heating was using oil, so that’s been a massive pain to change to central heating. But it’ll be fine.”
“It’ll be so worth it. The location of that place alone is going to sell it for you.”
Our food arrives, and we eat in comfortable silence for a while.
“Did you get the asbestos fixed at the shelter?” Nora asks.
I nod, swallowing my mouthful. “The work is being done now. I went there this morning to give the guys the keys. Lloyd and Sam are splitting their time between the animals and the shelter, which helps. Electrics are being sorted next week, too.”
I hadn’t realised how much of a weight it had been on me lately. But knowing that things are finally getting on track, I feel like I can breathe again. Even if I do still have that niggly feeling that my father put there the last time I saw him. I try to tell myself that I got what I needed and I should stop worrying about him, but something won’t let me.
An hour later, we’re all saying our goodbyes. Nora is headed home, and Jess is going back to the coast for the night. Me? I’m going home to find my husband. But when I walk in the door of the flat, I quickly realise that he isn’t home. I slump and sulk for a second because I miss him, and I only saw him this morning.Am I pathetic? Eh, I don’t care if I am.
I put my keys in the pot by the door. Take off my shoes when I hear my phone ring in my bag. My hands frantically search for it, hoping it’ll be my husband, but when I see the caller ID, I frown.Why is one of my charity trustee board members calling me? They never call me.
“Hello?”
“Zoey, it’s Lance Milton.”
I blink, trying to work out when the last time I spoke to Lance was. Probably last year. “Hi Lance, how are you?”
“I’m good. Listen, I got the proposal and I love it. I think making the shelter into a profitable business is a great step forward. I just wanted to call you and say we’re on board with the idea.”
Adrenaline shoots through my veins as his words buzz in my head.Profitable business.What is he talking about?
Shaking my head, I say, “I’m sorry, Lance, I’m confused…”
“You sent an email today with a proposal to turn the charity into a business instead.”
My chest tightens.Shit, where’s all the air gone?“Lance—”
“—We think it’ll be great. Me and Maggie are on board with the idea.”
What. The. Fuck. Is. Happening?
Nausea rolls in the pit of my stomach as I try to think about who would’ve sent an email and I only have one answer:My dad.
“Lance, I’m going to call you back.”
I don’t give him a chance to answer before I hang up and immediately blink away the blurriness in my eyes and pull up my emails.
I see it immediately, my eyes drawn to it like a moth to a flame. An email from my father with a full business proposal stating he recently invested in the charity. Disdain coats my tastebuds as I scoff a noise to myself.
He even goes on to say that he is my father, and this will be a family business.
Family business.
Family fucking business.
I’m not sure at what point I sunk to the floor, but I’m here, slumped in a pile. The pounding in my ears is the only thing I hear as rage courses through my blood at warp speed.
“That fucking conniving, motherfucking arsehole!” I scream loudly and abrasively. Letting all the years of their fuckery out of my system. Well, at least that’s what I thought. It turns out my body and brain have their own ideas.
