Page 51 of Happy Days Ahead in the Cornish Village

Holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she made her way into the kitchen towards the washing machine, she answered the call. ‘Hello?’

‘How are you coping with your current situation, Megan?’

Her shoulders slumped as she shoved her clothes into the machine. That’d teach her for not looking at the screen properly before accepting the call.

‘Lyle.’

‘Did you hear my question?’

‘I heard. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.’ She pushed a pile of dog blankets into the drum, covering her clothes.

‘Is it, though? Really?’ The smarm was back, the overly soothing tone mocking her. ‘That’s funny, because it doesn’t look as though you’ve tried to charge anything to the card again.’

‘It is.’

What did he want from her? Wasn’t it enough to know that he’d cut her off from all their money, or his money according to him? Why did he feel the need to contact her and gloat?

‘I suppose that could only mean one of two things. You’re either shacking up with your fancy man or you’re… what? Sleeping in your car?’ Lyle scoffed. ‘Of course, I should have known you would go running to him. After all, it’s anyone’s guess how long you’ve been seeing him behind my back.’

Megan closed her eyes, trying to keep her voice steady, to qualm her anger. ‘You know I didn’t have an affair and, no, I have not moved in with him.’

The line was silent.

Pulling the phone away from her ear, Megan looked at the screen. He was still there, on the other end.

Just as she was about to end the call, a low rumbling of a laugh echoed down the line.

‘You’re sleeping in your car then.’ He spluttered the words through his laughter. ‘I do apologise, just give me a moment to compose myself…’

After stabbing her finger on the End Call button, Megan threw her phone onto the kitchen table, listening to it skid across the tabletop before she slammed the washing machine door shut. How dare he? How dare he laugh at her situation? She should have told him she’d moved in with Jay, anything would have been better than him realising where she was actually sleeping. How could he possibly think it was funny? He knew she hadn’t cheated. He knew she was the one who hadn’t done anything wrong. She wasn’t the reason they were on the path to divorce. He was. And yet now it was her suffering, not him.

A cough sounded from behind her, and she spun around, her lips pursed. She felt herself instantly relax as she spotted Jay standing in the doorway.

‘Sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything. I’ve only just arrived.’ He picked up her phone and held it out towards her. ‘Are you okay?’

Megan sighed as she took her phone. ‘Thanks. Not really, no. It was my ex and he, well, I’m quickly learning that he has even fewer morals than I thought he did.’

‘Lyle?’

‘That’s right.’ She slumped into a chair at the table. ‘And I know everyone else knew how awful he was, but I didn’t see it. Not until everything that happened with this place, so when he pulls a stunt like this.’ She held up her phone. ‘It still comes as a bit of a shock.’

‘Can I ask what he’s done?’ Sitting in the chair opposite, Jay leaned his elbows on the table, clasping his hands together.

Megan looked down at the tabletop and moved a biscuit crumb in a circle beneath the pad of her middle finger. She couldn’t tell him. Not the truth. Not why Lyle was so ecstatic with his actions. Instead, she shrugged. ‘Just being his true self, that’s all.’

Jay pulled a face. ‘Sorry to hear that. I hope it all works out.’

She nodded.

‘Not that you get back with him. That’s not what I meant. Just that the divorce runs smoothly for you.’ Jay frowned. ‘Or as smoothly as a divorce can run.’

‘I knew what you meant. Thanks.’ Megan smiled.

‘How’s your ankle holding up today?’ Jay nodded towards her foot. ‘Did you manage to put it up last night?’

‘It’s okay, thanks. A lot better than yesterday.’

It wasn’t. If anything, it felt worse than yesterday, but she wasn’t about to admit that.

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