Page 14 of The Final Straw

Me: We can do it over lunch or dinner. You can pick the spot.

Not even thirty seconds pass before I see the dots dancing on the screen.

Barbi: I’m busy this week, how’s next weekend? We can go to Galantina’s.

Me: Can we do it before then

Barbi: Nope

Me: Not even for your father

Barbi: I said I was busy Dad. Do you want to meet then or not?

Me: We need to talk so yes. See you then. How is 6pm?

Barbi: 7 is better for me.

Me: Fine but I need you there and don’t think about canceling.

She doesn’t respond. She’s just like her mother. It’s all about her and fuck everyone else. It still astonishes me how blind I truly was to my daughter's behavior.

Chapter 8

Van

What the hell am I going to do?

She blocked me on her phone. When I tried to message her on Instachat and Mypage, she blocked me there as well. Olivia even changed her status from being in a relationship to single. Not an it’s complicated. She went straight to us not being together at all.

I just need five minutes to explain to her what happened. For her to hear my side of the story and not the misguided one that bitch gave her. It’s killing me, knowing she thinks I would ever willingly cheat on her.

Olivia has been a light in my life since I met her at that club, and one night ruined everything we built.

Every fiber of my body tells me to go straight to her house and pour my heart out, but I don’t. All I can see is the hurt on her face at what she thinks is my betrayal. I couldn’t bear to hurt her more. But I know giving her this space isn’t helping my cause, either.

I step up to the door of the dry cleaners, open it, and step inside. It’s not busy yet and I’m thankful I made it before the rush.

Hei Ran steps up the counter, a smile on his wrinkled face. I bet each one of those lines etched on his skin has a story to tell.

“Hello, Mr. Michaels. How are you today?” He places both hands on the counter as I step up to it, placing my suit on it.

“Could you dry clean this for me, please?”

“Of course. I can have it ready for pick up tomorrow?” Hei Ran writes out the ticket, handing me the stub to pick it up.

“Perfect. Have a nice day!” I toss my hand up as I head out the door, bumping right into someone on the sidewalk.

My hands automatically reach out, taking hold of the woman in front of me, grabbing her around her waist to keep her from falling.

“I’m sorry. Thank you for saving me.”

“No problem. It was my fault for not looking where I was going,” I tell her, just as she looks up and our eyes lock.

“You fucking asshole!” she screams in a high-pitched voice, just before she punches my chest, knocking the breath out of me.

“Bre, how’s Liv? Is she okay? You’ve got to get her to talk to me so I can explain everything.” The words rush from my mouth at seeing the one person who can give me the answers I need.

“Like fucking hell I do. You’re a bitch ass mother cunter. How could you do that to her, and with that skank no less? If you were going to cheat, it should’ve been at least with someone who was a step up. But seeing how you already had the best woman there ever was, I guess that wasn’t possible.” Her face is beet red as she stands toe to toe with me.

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