“I’m sorry, what's a bit trashy? She was invited with a plus one. Francesca calling her trashy is hilarious, she’s marrying the man she stole from Jamie, for fuck's sake.” Anger flares in Billie’s eyes as she protests on my behalf. Jonty winks at me; he’ll calm her before it gets out of hand. Those two have always had my back.
“We contemplated that this man was an escort, but I’m sure I’ve seen you about before.” My father has upped his jovial levels, trying to disguise his undertone of judgement.
“Yes, we’ve met before. Owen Matthews. I work with Jamie, and now we are together.” Owen kisses my hand and heat bubbles in my tummy. “We are moving to New York next week, too, aren’t we, babe?”
Marceline’s eyes widen, “You’re moving to New York? Oh, I get it, is this meant to be your ‘look at me, I’m doing great’ act? This is not the time nor the place to be making a scene, Jamie.” Before I can reply to my stepmother, Billie does.
“Why don’t you do us all a favour, Marceline, and fuck off. This has got fuck all to do with you.” I love my sister; I love that she says exactly what she is thinking and has always completely had my back. Jonty simply touches her arm and Billie almost hisses at my dad and stepmother.
“This isn’t an act. I’m in love with Owen. He got a promotion and is moving to New York, and we want to be together, so I am going, too. If you had bothered to contact me at all over the past five months you would know all this and a whole lot more. Why didn’t you return my calls, Dad?”
My father has the good grace to look shamefaced, but I’m not falling for it. Not this time. He stayed away when I needed the people that loved me to support me. He actually sided with the man who cheated on me and humiliated me to save face with his business partner. There is no time like the present to clear things up. I am moving to New York next week and so God knows when I will see or hear from my father again.
“It made things a bit… awkward, you know, when you left Carl? It looks really bad on me, and I’ve been in business with Gerry for decades. So I thought it best to give you some time and space to sort your head and life out.”
“I left Carl because I found him in bed screwing Francesca behind my back. My life fell apart because he cheated on me, and you treated me like I’d done something wrong.” With anger firing up inside me, I continue to give my father a piece of my mind. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself… You call yourself my dad? You’re no dad. That’s my dad right there.”
I stand up and point to Jonty.
“That’s the man who has raised me and looked out for me. The two of them right there are my parents; they have done everything you failed to do, and I am proud to consider them my parents and as the people who raised me.”
My sister beams at me with pride. I mean every single word I say.
“I am your daughter, and you let a man humiliate me and let me down.” I slowly clap my dad as I stand up. “Well done. But don’t worry, Dad, I want to thank you. Thank you for showing me exactly how to not be a parent. It was a hard lesson, but a valuable one all the same. I know if I do the absolute opposite of you when I have children then I’ll be halfway decent. Thank you for showing me how not to do it. Come on, Owen.”
“Jamie, wait…” My sister and Jonty join us. “Don’t leave us here with this shower of shite. Let’s go and have our family Christmas.”
As I walk away, I am happy and content to draw that chapter of my life to a close.