Chapter 4 – Desperation
Ella
My hands are shaking as I dial Kate’s number. Have I ever been this angry? If I have I certainly can’t remember it now.
“Hello?” Kate answers almost immediately, using a sickly sweet tone that screams of fakeness.
“Kate?” I state bluntly. “Are you with Mike right now?”
There’s a pregnant pause on the other end of the line, before she weakly responds, “What? Of course not.”
“Come off it Kate, do you really think I don’t know about your sh it?” I demand. “I’m not a complete idiot.”
“Ella listen–” She begins, obviously gearing up to give me some sort of excuse.
“No, I don’t even care about your little affair anymore – but I need to talk to him right now.” I declare fiercely.
There’s another pause, and then Kate’s voice drops its innocent tone. “You don’t care?” She repeats, sounding truly shocked. “ You know I’m already pregnant?”
hands into fists, feeling so furious I think I might actually break the phone with my tight grip, “And
a man who’s so afraid of responsibility that he’d poison
but he loves me, he would never
loved me too once.” I cut her off. “At least he said he did. It’s amazing how charming he can be, considering what a bas ta rd he truly is. How
he does!” She objects, “He just didn’t tell you about it because he didn’t want you to bleed him dry. He’s a stock
I sigh, “Poor, gullible, stu pid Kate. He’s as
me like that! He’s got money, he lavishes it on me all the time!”
took out in my
“What?” She squeaks.
just found out – he’s completely bankrupted me. I’m calling the police and if I were you, I’d check your own
she repeats weakly, “you’re wrong, it’s different with
voice is getting thick with emotion now, but I can’t help it. “And frankly I don’t really care what happens to you Kate, but if you’re really pregnant then your baby deserves
I buy his lies about looking for work for so long? He crushed me little by little, all the while pretending to be so nice, and I
decide. I won’t ever let myself be fooled that way
to try and salvage what’s left of my life. I have to go to the police and see if
________________________
this.” The police officer breaks this news to me about as gently as he might smash an ant beneath his boot.
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!