Page 108 of Christmas off Script
Ella did, discovering a polyester banner, bigger than a beach towel, decorated with the words, ‘Welcome home! We missed you so much!’ and pictures of balloons. Her heart beat faster. ‘Do you have a date for his release?’
‘Yeah. Next Friday. So you’ll need to be back here in the morning to clean instead of Saturday.’
‘I can’t. I’m at work.’
‘Then throw a sickie! Fuck’s sake, Ella, put your family first for once.’
Angry tears rose in the back of her throat. ‘What do you think I’m doing right now?’ she asked, her voice tight with frustration. ‘It’s the last day of term next Friday. With prizegiving and parties for each class. I can’t miss it.’
Michelle threw her hands in the air. ‘Well, you can’t come in the afternoon as he’ll be back by then and wants a bit of quiet time with his family.’
Which clearly doesn’t include me.Ella bit the inside of her cheek. Her mother had never wanted her, and her father and stepmother even less. Why on earth was she here? Why did she keep slaving for no appreciation or kindness when Michelle’s daughters could have stepped up at any time?
‘Look.’ Michelle’s tone softened, as if realising she’d gone too far. ‘You’re welcome to join us next Saturday night for pizza. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’
‘I can’t,’ Ella replied dully. ‘It’s the Christmas quiz.’
‘So?’
‘We’ve been preparing for months. It’s—’
‘And? Your dad’s been locked up for fucking years!’
‘Can I come in the afternoon instead?’
‘No. We’re going out.’
Ella briefly closed her eyes, all the euphoria from the last few days draining away faster than water through a sieve.
‘Well?’
Calmness settled on Ella like falling snow. It didn’t matter if Leo and his family asked her to leave the manor the moment she returned there later, she would never seek refuge here. It was better to be totally alone in the world than treated like this.
She opened her eyes. ‘Why am I here, Michelle?’
Her stepmother’s mouth opened, her lower lip wobbling as if unsure what words to form. ‘What are you on about?’ she eventually replied.
‘Every week I clean and tidy your house, parcel up your packages and take them to the post office, do other odd jobs and spend what little money I have buying you things you could easily afford to pay for yourself. And in return, you treat me like scum. So, I’m asking again. Why am I here?’
Michelle’s face was scarlet with rage as she pushed to stand. ‘You owe me,’ she snarled, spittle flying from her mouth. ‘I wouldn’t be like this if it wasn’t for you!’
‘That’s not true.’ Ella’s voice was calm despite the storm that raged inside. ‘You and Dad decided to stage the car crash, not me. You were the one behind the wheel and driving too fast. I was a child, begging you not to do it. The accident wasyourfault, not mine.’
‘You ungrateful little bitch,’ Michelle replied, her voice low and ominous. ‘After everything I’ve done for you. Taking you in after your slag of a mum left. No wonder she fucked off if this is how you behave.’
‘Dad’s going to be back soon, and you have two adult daughters to help you. You don’t need me.’
Michelle’s stick whipped through the air. Deflecting the blow with her forearms before it hit her head, Ella staggered backwards, adrenaline rushing through her blood, screaming at her to flee.
‘You think you’re better than us,’ Michelle spat. ‘Like all the Foxbrookes. But you’re not. You’re not one of them and will never be. You weren’t good enough for Oliver, and you’ll never be good enough for them. You’re pathetic. Running after that posh twat, Leo, hoping one day he’ll shag you out of pity?’
Ice cold fear stabbed Ella’s heart.
Michelle’s eyes gleamed at her response, a scornful smile on her lips. ‘So, he has? After fucking his way through the whole of Foxbrooke, he’s finally reached the bottom of the barrel.’
Ella was shaking so hard she could hardly speak. ‘I—I’m going to go now.’
‘It won’t last, even if he’s stupid enough to think it might.’ She laughed, the noise cutting like a knife into Ella’s skin. ‘Can you imagine the wedding? Foxy on one side with his whore wives and bastard kids, and us on the other?’
