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?”
so furious I think I might actually break the phone with my tight grip, “And what, you think that’s some sort of victory?”
ask sharply, “because a man who’s so afraid of responsibility that he’d
he would never –” She
said he did. It’s amazing how charming he can be, considering what a bas ta rd he truly is. How do you think he’s going to support you and
he does!” She objects, “He just didn’t tell you about it because he didn’t want you to bleed him dry.
Kate,” I sigh, “Poor, gullible, stu pid Kate. He’s as much a stock broker as
He’s got money, he lavishes it
credit cards he took out in my name!” I shout, losing my
“What?” She squeaks.
and if I were you, I’d check your own credit rating
weakly, “you’re wrong,
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 better than to be raised in a homeless shelter, and that’s exactly where Mike will land
her a chance to respond. Why did I buy his lies about looking for work for so long? He crushed me little by
I won’t ever let myself
and salvage what’s left of my life. I have to go to the police and see if I can resolve these financial issues…
________________________
much we can do about this.” The police officer breaks this news to me about as gently as he might smash an ant beneath his boot. “I’ll give you the police report to send to the credit card company, but
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!