Thank you for reading my story, I hope that you enjoy it. Love Mica xx Yorkshire, England.
My mobile rang, and I was surprised to see who the caller was. I pressed answer.
"Hello Penny darling, how are you?"
Penny is my stepdaughter, I hadn't seen her since her father's funeral and apart from Birthday texts, we hadn't really been in touch. No specific reason, we just hadn't. She was two years older than our son Mik. And had lived with me and Paul after we got together, I had always been mum to her.
"Not good mum, can I come up and see you?"
"Oh dear, yes of course you can, when ever you like. What's the problem love?"
"I'll explain when I get there, I'll be with you around lunch time."
"Okay sweetheart, see you later."
What could it be, illness perhaps, I couldn't think of any other scenario. Well, if she were going to be here in a couple of hours, I better get showered and dressed and make some sandwiches.
I buttered some bread and opened a tin of red salmon, letting it drain, and sliced some cucumber. Salmon and cucumber sandwiches would suffice I thought. I even cut the crusts of and made them into triangles. Perfect. I put some soda water in a jug and added some ice. The perfect lunch just became better.
The door opened and Penny called out "Hi mum."
I went through to the hall, we hugged and then sat at the kitchen table.
"Lunch. Now, tell me what is wrong, are you ill?"
"No mum. Dean is having an affair."
Oh, Dean is her husband, they have no children fortunately, but still this would mean a huge upheaval in her life.
"Oh sweetheart. You know for sure?"
"Yes, I have evidence and photographs and stuff. I used a detective. He got me the evidence."
"Okay, what are you going to do?"
"He is being served the divorce papers today, and I am going for everything, he can fight but it will cost him, he will lose, and he will pay my costs."
"No chance of reconciliation?"
"Mum, he is fucking another woman, so, no, there is no chance."
"Okay. Can I help, what can I do?"
"Can I stay with you for a few days? I had all the locks at home changed this morning, and it is going to get unpleasant and I don't want to be there until he calms down."
"No worries, you can bunk with me, I presume you don't want to bunk with Mik."
"No, probably best not," she laughed, "are you sure it won't be too much trouble?"
"No, of course not. Don't be silly. What about work?"
"They are understanding, they say I can work from my laptop for a while and just take the time I need."
"Okay. Did you bring a bag of clothes and stuff?"
"Yes, and a small case with my documents in, you know, house deeds, passport, insurances, that sort of thing. I have cancelled all the joint account cards and frozen the accounts, so he won't be able to get any of my money."
Penny was relatively rich. She had won a few million on the lottery before she met Dean. The house was in her name, there had been a prenup agreement, although I don't know what the details are, but I vaguely remember that if he cheated, he got nothing. I didn't want to ask her to go into the details, I assumed that was something she wasn't worried about.
"Let's put your car in the garage out of sight. I'll tell Mik not to answer the landline, that should give you some peace of mind."
Just then, my mobile rang, caller Id said it was Dean. I held my hand up to Penny as if to quiet her.
"Hello Dean, what a surprise, is Penny okay?" I tried to sound innocent and unknowing.
"I thought she might be at yours."
"Goodness I haven't seen her since the funeral."
"If you do, can you ring me. Bye."
"Well as you can imagine that was Dean." I said to Penny, "he was curt and clipped, he did give the impression of an angry man."
"Yes mum, he will be. He was a fool and got caught out."
"What about you, how do you feel?"
"A bit foolish mum. I trusted him and have been let down."
"Well, we can all get fooled sweetheart. Any idea why he strayed, I mean you are beautiful, I presume that you were still being intimate?"
"Oh God yes, I'm no nun, I like it as much as anyone, so no idea, his head was turned, she is younger, I don't know. Sod him."
"Okay. Look do you want to go and have a shower, freshen up, get changed that sort of thing? May just make you feel a little bit better."
"Okay mum, yes I will if you don't mind."
Well that was a turn up for the books. I had only met Dean a few times and had made no opinion on him, after all, what does it matter what I think. Paul, her dad, wasn't that keen, but was happy enough that Penny had taken sensible precautions. I didn't ask what they were, Paul's judgement was sound in my view. So silly boy had played away with a plain goose when he had the golden goose at home, silly, silly boy. Knowing Penny, she would make him pay big time.
I was sat in the conservatory supping a cup of tea, I had cleared away the lunch things wondering what the next few weeks would bring. The two of us bunking in my bed was doable for a night or two, but longer term? I could take her to the cottage I supposed, but the truth is that I liked to keep that as my refuge. I didn't like to keep taking people there, I was perhaps becoming possessive of Elvina and Fay.
For dinner I cooked us some mince and fries. It would do, was simple, uncomplicated and tasty. Mik disappeared to his room and I guessed played his video games, Penny and I sat in the living room drinking Pinot Grigio and nibbling at unsalted nuts. It seems that even without the prenup he would get little. He hadn't contributed any to the running costs, the prenup said it was all hers anyway, and there were some riders about if she ended things he got something, but if it was because of his unacceptable behaviour, such as cheating, then he got nothing.