Page 1 of Payback's a B!tch

1

Julie

It wasthe momentous milestone nobody could dispute, and the keys in my hand suddenly made it feel real.

The papers were signed and I was about to embark on a different kind of journey. My career had stalled. I was taking a mandatory leave of absence to get my head straight.

The last straw was insignificant, but it was enough to push me over the edge.

The sabbatical was open to interpretation. Learning to cope with stress on Wall Street wasn’t easy when everybody was behind me with a sharp implement, metaphorically speaking. They wanted me to fail, but they disguised it with kind words to keep me from seeing their betrayal in my rearview mirror.

“I’ve been thinking about the first time we met. I would never imagine in a million years that you would have the courage to buy a house. This place has good bones but you need to know that it’s in desperate need of repair. I warned you to steer clear of a fixer-upper, but you didn’t listen to me,” Bethany said from behind my back.

She was my best friend, and it had always felt like we were separated at birth. But it wasn’t until after high school that I finally learned to be comfortable in my skin. There was no reason to be mean, even when I did have ample opportunity.

Nobody had the right to put somebody else down. My past wasn’t going to determine my future. One thing was painfully clear: I was the architect of my own destiny. This would be my life and I was going to live it the way I wanted to. Being a doormat had never gotten me anywhere.

It was time to turn over a new leaf and try something different.

I was standing there with my eyes closed, at the back of the house, listening to the waves crashing onto the shore. The place left a lot to be desired. I was expecting the inspection to come back with a scathing review. But the real estate agent had informed me that the place was in relatively good shape, with a few minor issues that were not up to code.

The house was pure white with clean colors throughout. That was a blank slate for my decorative eye. This wasn’t about resale value. It was time to nurture my special flair for the dramatic. Beach colors were swirling around in my mind with a variety of different pigments and shades.

This was my canvas.

Consulting with the experts confirmed it was going to need electrical work and plumbing, and a carpenter’s expert hand. They estimated another $20,000 would be needed to give the place the facelift it was looking for. Some whispered into my ears about those who worked under the table.

These tradesmen could be found in the want ads.

“This is my dream house. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get dirty for something I love. I have a few people stopping by to give me quotes throughout the day. I’m looking for a jack of all trades. I don’t want to have to hire separate people to do different jobs. This is going to be a struggle, but I’m determined to see it through to the end,” I said while rolling up my denim shirt.

It was open in the front with a tight-fitting white t-shirt underneath. My pair of faded blue jeans was molded to me like a second skin. It was nice to get back to my country roots with aspirations of turning this place into a polished diamond.

“Julie, I will get started with the landscaping. A few perennials will bring this place alive. I took the liberty of calling around. There was one name on everybody’s lips. He should be here shortly to take a look at the place. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into,” Bethany stated. She had her gardening gloves on, and was wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat to keep her from getting sunstroke.

“I trust your expertise,” I said emphatically with my hand on her shoulder to encourage her best work.

“I can see a couple of raised flower beds in the front yard. You should see if you can rebuild them from scratch with reclaimed wood when you hire a carpenter. I would suggest speaking to the owner of that dilapidated barn a few miles down the road. You’ll be surprised at what kind of price you can get for something they’re trying to get rid of.” The information went deep into the recesses of my mind, to revisit at a later date.

“I knew there was a reason why I love you. I hope you know that I appreciate everything you have done for me. I think people should say these things when they still have the chance,” I said with a catch in my throat.

“You deserve to find happiness. I’m more than happy to contribute a small part to see you smile. It’s been a tough couple of weeks for you. I do like this new light in your eyes. Don’t let anybody extinguish it. That man is not worth your time. You know who I’m talking about,” she hinted without saying his name.

Bryan was a bad idea from the very beginning. He promised that his relationship with his wife was over. The man could be very convincing when he wanted to be. The very idea that I had fallen into the bear trap of a married man’s lies had me spinning out of control.

That carried over into my work life, until I finally snapped--with my hand wrapped around my superior’s throat while people were trying to peel me away from her.

“You don’t have to remind me. He was the worst mistake of my life,” I said with one other name permanently tattooed in my mind.

“Say goodbye to him forever. We should have a ritual on the beach. I do this every time a boyfriend disappoints me and I show him the door. It’s cathartic to burn his photograph. We can say a few words and then cast him out of your life, never to darken your doorstep again. It’s usually done naked wearing war paint but we don’t have to resort to those extremes,” she teased in an effort to make me smile.

I could trace back to when my problems began. It all started with ‘him’.

Cameron Coleman.

I hated him with every fiber of my being. He caused me nothing but misery. I cursed his name every morning when I woke up and every night when I went to bed.

“I’m open to ideas. I’ve been longing for a change from the moment I found out that he wasn’t leaving her. Trying to fill that void wasn’t easy,” I stammered, with my heart breaking all over again.

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