Page 41 of The Reality of Us
When he swore, something inside Alice lit up.
“Figuratively. Promise me you won’t burn anything.”
She rubbed her face, a quiet laugh escaping as she reached for her water glass.
Owen cleared his throat, and she looked up warily.
“The best way I can defend you is with the truth. What Phoenix said about the drugs …”
“God! No. I’m stupid, but I’m not that stupid,” she blurted, wanting—no, needing—to dispel any misconceptions he had about her. Would he still feel the same way if he knew about the photos? How quickly would the inevitable disappointment on his face send her spiralling again?
“Mum made us volunteer at drug rehabilitation programs when we were teenagers so we’d understand how dangerous they are. I’ve never touched the stuff. That’s his thing, not mine.”
“Then why would Phoenix say you might’ve been high? His threat made it sound like he had evidence of some sort?”
Alice paused. Here was the moment. Telling Owen about the photos would be beyond mortifying, but it wasn’t like she was the first woman to pose in her lingerie for their partner.
She bit her lip and looked up. The concern in Owen’s gaze made her push away any thought of confessing. Hopefully, this would just go away. And she knew Phoenix. If she pushed back about the pictures now, this whole thing would drag on even more. Phoenix would get even nastier. Alice’s chest squeezed again, a wave of fatigue sweeping through her body. When she spoke, she was quiet, defeated. “What do you think about their offer?”
Owen spun his chair towards her. She’d bet she looked as messy as she felt.
“Honestly, Phoenix wants to win. At any cost. He will destroy your reputation whether or not you pay him. And if he’s using drugs, he’ll be unpredictable and dangerous in a different way. The best thing we can do, in my opinion, is fight back. Legally, of course. Show him you won’t let him get away with this. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.”
She stared down at her chipped fingernail polish.
“I know it’s a lot and there’d be more media interest, but …” It was like he could read her mind.
Alice’s head shook involuntarily. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her eyes.
Her face and name would be splashed across the papers again, social media filling with clickbait stories and God, if cancel culture caught up with her before her business was established, she’d be sunk. But a settlement would mean she was left with nothing again. All her ring money would evaporate, and she wouldn’t have the capital to get The Emancipation of Alice off the ground.
“I need to think about this.”
Owen leant away from her and zipped his folio shut. “Take a few days. Let me know if you have any questions.”
Even though his voice was calm and even, Alice knew she’d disappointed him. She’d just add him to the long list.
15
A woman Alice hadn’t seen in years stared back at her in the mirror. Her hair was now a short, textured bob with a sweeping side fringe. The coppery hue was so close to her natural colour; the hair stylist must’ve been part magician. Said magician was currently washing out Lulu’s hair, the hum of their conversation mixing with the Taylor Swift song playing.
Alice twisted her head from side to side; the familiarity of this new-but-old look was exactly what she needed after yesterday’s disastrous mediation meeting. She straightened her shoulders at the memory, refusing to let Phoenix and his threats destroy this tiny moment of joy that she’d carved out for herself. Instead, she remembered how earnest and sweet Owen had been helping her calm down and encouraging her to fight back. What would he think of her new look?
Things had changed between them since what she was now calling ‘The Mr Darcy Incident’ at the dam at Kathleen’s Place. They were friendly … not friends, but something more than lawyer and client or landlord and tenant. Whatever they were wasn’t important now, though; she had to focus on figuring out what to do about Phoenix. The idea of giving him any money made her nauseous.
“I like it,” Joan Mandrill, a friend of Lulu’s and Eloise’s grandmother, said from the station next to hers. Her pink hair was still processing, and she looked like a snow cone.
Lulu sat on the other side of Alice, a lavender towel around her shoulders, her short hair all spiky and wet. “Me too. And it’s perfect timing, what with needing to reshoot your calendar pictures.”
What had Owen called these women again? The Old Girls Gossip Brigade? They definitely knew everything that happened in this town. Eloise had only called to ask if they could redo the photos that morning.
“I love the idea of this being your public rebirth. Showing the world the new Alice,” Joan said.
Alice’s stomach twisted. Was there any point, though? Really?
Lulu snapped her fingers and pointed at Alice in her mirror. “This new Alice looks like she means business, too. I’m here for it.”
Realisation hit her as Lulu and Joan argued over whether or not Lulu had used that phrase correctly—side note, she had. But this was what Owen had been trying to say yesterday.
