Page 56 of Happy Days Ahead in the Cornish Village

‘Don’t worry about tidying up, it’ll only be there in the morning. You get off now.’

‘Okay, thanks.’ After closing the laptop down, Megan waited until Flora had left before stacking up the biscuits left over on the plate in the middle of the table and wrapping them in a sheet of kitchen roll. She then took her water bottle from her tote bag and refilled it, looking out of the window as she did so. If those dark clouds were anything to go by, then Flora was right, a storm was brewing.

The cheerful ringtone of her mobile filled the room, and she picked it up to see who it was. Lyle. Nope, she would just ignore him. She didn’t need to speak to him. She waited until the call had rung out and put it down again.

Almost instantly, the landline rang in the reception area, but the rings stopped quickly. Megan breathed a sigh of relief and slipped the small parcel of biscuits into her bag. Biting her thumbnail, she stared at the little tissue-covered parcel and tried to squash the feeling that she was doing something wrong, that she was stealing. It was stealing, wasn’t it? Taking those biscuits, and from a charity too. And washing her clothes here. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to block out the thoughts.

‘Megan! Phone for you,’ Susan’s voice called from the reception area.

‘Coming.’

Taking the parcel out of her bag again, Megan began to empty the biscuits back onto the plate. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t take from Wagging Tails, from Flora, who had been nothing but kind and accepting. She had a bag of crisps left in the car and she’d eaten enough biscuits for lunch. She’d be fine.

Walking into the reception area, she took the phone from Susan and, covering the mouthpiece, said, ‘Thanks.’

‘No worries. I’m off now, so I’ll see you tomorrow.’ Susan waved as she walked out of the door.

Megan knew who it was before she lifted the receiver to her ear. Lyle, and she knew there was no point in just putting the phone down, ending the call before speaking to him. He’d only ring again. And again. And again. He’d keep calling until she spoke to him.

‘Lyle.’

‘Ah, you were expecting me. I hope you weren’t just ignoring my call to your mobile. We have options to discuss. Options which may just prevent you from camping out in your car again tonight.’

Huh, yep, she believed him. Not. He was having far too much fun knowing what her life had become to change anything. And if she knew one thing about him, it was his inability – no, his downright refusal – to change his opinion about things, especially when it came to money, which this did.

‘What do you want?’

‘I want to give you a chance, say a Get Out of Jail Free card if you please?’

She sighed. She didn’t have any option but to go along with his games. ‘What would that be, then?’

‘Come home and we can forget all of this. You’ve had time to mull things over, think about your decisions, now it’s time to come home.’

‘Come home?’ Was he being serious? He wanted her back?

‘Yes, you’ll have a roof over your head again. I’ll reinstate your cards.’

Megan closed her eyes before opening them again and looking out of the window she could see Jay and Flora talking in the courtyard, Rex circling their legs. How did he even have the gall to ring the Wagging Tails’ landline? He was lucky Susan didn’t recognise his voice; Flora would have.

‘We can tell all our friends that you’ve been on an extended holiday. They know we’ve not been away for years due to my work; we can spin it. No one will ever have to know.’

Megan laughed, a loud snort coming from her nose. This was what it was about then. He didn’t want her back. He wanted to save face with their friends. But she’d left him months ago. She’d told him she wanted a divorce soon after she’d helped Andy scupper his plan to knock down this place.

‘You haven’t told them we’ve separated, have you?’

She could hear noises down the line before his voice boomed back at her. ‘Of course not, why would I bother our friends about a little tiff? You don’t hear any of them discussing the difficulties in their marriages.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Lyle, this is not a little tiff. I’ve left you. I’ve applied for a divorce, and you’ve retaliated by cutting me off from our money. I’ve left you.’

‘On this occasion, just this once, I’m prepared to forgive you. Mind you, this is it, there won’t be a third chance.’

Megan turned and leaned her back against the counter, staring at the noticeboard on the wall.

‘I’m not the one who needs to be forgiven. I’m sorry, Lyle, but we’re over. I’m not coming back to you.’

Was that clear enough? How had he even thought there was a chance she’d go back? Even a slight chance that she’d get in her car, drive home and walk through the door pretending as though nothing had happened? She’d seen who he really was. When he had threatened Flora and the team right up to blocking her from accessing their money. How could she live with him, knowing what he was capable of? How could she even pretend to love him again?

‘I’m glad.’ Lyle’s tone had changed, his voice clipped and cold once more. ‘I’ll see you in court.’

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