Page 26 of The Reality of Us
Probably best to get this over with. Taking a deep breath and releasing it to a four-count like she’d been taught in yoga, Alice slipped her key into the lock and pushed open the door to her old home.
A putrid smell forced her backwards.
Twisting around, she tried to push her parents towards the lift, but it was too late. They might not be overly emotionally aware, but their sense of smell was just fine.
“Really? Alice?” Douglas stalked past her. He put his hands on his lean hips, the takeaway bag hanging limply at his side. “Explain yourself.”
“Oh my.” Marguerite’s blue eyes were wide behind her glasses, her expression mimicking Alice’s.
Alice clamped her jaws together and allowed herself a second to sink into the indignation racing up her spine. Of course, her parents would immediately think the worst of her. Then, as calmly as she could, she said, “I haven’t been here for weeks now. It was never like this when I lived here.”
Focusing on breathing through only her mouth, Alice catalogued the damage. A dining chair with three legs missing was upturned, and takeaway containers littered the concrete-topped table. Against a dazzling crisp blue-sky backdrop, bugs flew around the half-eaten burgers and nuggets mashed into the crystal centrepiece that had promised to bring calmness and peace to her home. Several blunts and joints were strewn across the soil of her giant snake plant, which explained the large scorch mark in the middle of the tan leather couch they’d been gifted in January.
“I don’t even know what to say.” Douglas shook his head.
Alice’s vision blurred as she blinked back tears, her initial anger replaced with the numbness that came from disappointing her parents. Again. “I’ll clean it up and I’ll speak to Phoenix. Tell him to find somewhere else to live.”
Douglas stalked past her, wrenching the balcony doors open. The cool, fresh air did nothing to temper the tension in the room. Saying anything now would be pointless. The rigidness of her father’s shoulders and the way his jaw clenched and unclenched made it clear he wasn’t done.
Alice followed slowly, bracing herself for the inevitable lecture.
“Let’s all take a breath,” Marguerite said once they were seated at the long metal table on the apartment’s biggest balcony. “The divorce is an unfortunate but necessary step. You’re being given a chance to start again. To finally do something meaningful. It’s a good thing. Do you have any idea what you’d like to do?”
“I’m still figuring it out,” Alice said.
“You’ve been figuring it out for the last twenty-four years. First, you defer uni on a whim, then you dropped out of that overpriced hair and make-up course you were desperate to do, and don’t get me started on that ridiculous TV show.” Douglas set bowls of pho in front of himself and Marguerite.
Her parents had never understood the appeal of Take a Chance on Love. But Alice had seen it as a chance to be validated, be chosen. If she could convince strangers that she wasn’t a total idiot, maybe her family would finally take her seriously. But it had blown up in her face, hadn’t it? Just like her mum and dad had always said it would. The shame that came from admitting her mistake was a huge part of why Alice had stayed with Phoenix.
Alice blinked and looked at her father.
“Hmm?” Douglas’s raised eyebrows shattered Alice’s resolve to stay calm.
“Look, I’m sorry I’m not a brainiac like you lot who can do whatever you want and be perfect at it, okay?” She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth.
“That’s not what your father meant.” Marguerite passed Alice a container of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. “You’ve got so much potential. You shouldn’t be wasting it taking silly photos and telling people which vitamins to buy.”
“Especially without the correct medical knowledge—” Douglas winced when Marguerite elbowed him.
In a perfect world, she’d tell them about her candle making business idea. For the last week, she’d been honing her skills, and while she still had a lot to learn, the process had been calming, almost meditative. It was easily the best part of her days and a very welcome respite from the roller coaster that was still her real life. But what did she know about running a business? They’d think this was a worse idea than being an influencer. At least she’d made money from that. The rest of her ring money had been deposited into her account, but that was everything she had. After giving Owen his retainer and the rent and bond she owed him, and paying her parents everything she owed their emergency credit card, her account had already taken a hit. She was determined to manage her money properly this time.
In the end, she went with: “I’ll make it work.”
“In this Wattle Junction?” Douglas arched an eyebrow at her. He said it like it was a dirty word.
“Wattle Junction’s great. I need a new start. Mum just said the same thing, like, two seconds ago, remember? You guys never think I can take care of myself.” Alice’s hands shook; she shoved them into the pockets of her pink overalls.
“Then you’ll have no problem giving back the emergency credit card you’ve been using to fund this new start.”
“What? Why? I paid everything back.” That card was her safety net. Couldn’t they see how hard she was trying?
“Douglas …”
“No. We’ve always made things too easy for her, Margie. She got herself into this mess and says she can get herself out of it. Tell Phoenix to get his stuff out of here by the end of the week. Then I’m having the locks changed. This ends now.”
Alice felt about as big as an ant. Not trusting her voice, she nodded.
“The card, please.”
