Page 92 of Christmas off Script
He snorted as if he didn’t believe her. ‘I’ve been calling because there seems to be an administrative error on your end.’
Here we go.‘In what way?’
‘Your rent payment is yet to arrive.’
Ella took a deep breath. She would not be bullied. Leo had been right for her to cancel the payment, as she didn’t trust them to return her deposit.
‘I moved out over two weeks ago, ensuring the property was left immaculate for the estate agent. I—’
‘That has no relevance to your rental obligation. We expect the money by the end of the day.’
‘No.’
‘Excuse me?’
Ella squeezed her free hand into a fist, trying to find the confidence she didn’t feel. ‘No. You can keep my deposit, which is for the same amount. Then we’re quits.’
‘We are most certainlynot, young lady! That money is earmarked for vital repairs.’
‘What repairs? I left the place in better condition than when Oliver and I moved in!’
‘The… the back fence needs replacing.’
‘Which has nothing to do with the fabric of the houseorme.’
‘We knew you’d pull a stunt like this.’
Angry tears stung her eyes. ‘I’ve been paying through the nose to live with your son and you never chargedhimrent. If we’d had a contract, which wedidn’t, I would have had at least three months to vacate the property, not one.’
‘Scum. That’s what you are,’ Fabian spat down the phone. ‘Just like your parents. Thank god Oliver finally saw sense. You know—’
Ella cut the call, then blocked their number, her fingers shaking.
Her phone rang again.Leo. Thank god.
‘Hi.’ Her voice was already wavering.
‘Ella? What’s wrong? What’s happened?’
She took a shuddering breath, trying not to cry. ‘Oliver’s dad just rang, wanting to know why the rent money for December hadn’t come through.’
‘Thank fuck you stopped the payment.’
‘He was furious.’
‘Course he was. Wanker. I’m so sorry, Ella, but you did the right thing. They would never have given you your deposit back.’
‘You’re right. He said they were going to use it for “vital repairs”.’
‘Repairing what? It’s a bloody show home.’
‘I said as much. He said the back fence needed replacing.’
‘Arsehole.’
‘He said I was scum,’ she whispered.
‘He saidwhat?’ Leo shouted.
