Her father spotted the bruise beneath his daughters eye and made a callhis son-in-laws life was about to unravel.
Margaret stood in the doorway, greeting her parents with her usual warm smile. Only the shadow of a black eye betrayed the truth she refused to speak of.
“Mum, its nothing, dont worry about it,” she said quickly, catching her mothers sharp gaze.
Eleanor sighed deeply. “Its your life, love. You must live it as you see fit…”
Her father didnt even acknowledge his son-in-law. He moved slowly to the window and stared blankly, as though deaf to Margarets muttered excuses about tripping in the dark.
“I just… stumbled last night, thats all. Come on, Mum, Im fine, and so is Edward!”
Fine? Margaret remembered perfectly well what had happened. Edward, ever quick to anger, hadnt just shouted at her. When she dared say shed had enough, he seized her by the collar of her dressing gown so violently it tore at the seam.
“What, you stupid cow, dont you remember who kept you alive when you were nothing?” he roared, shaking her. “Forgotten how I dragged you back from the pubs when you ran off with that Daniel? Forgotten who loved you, you ungrateful brat? I carried you in my arms!”
Then came the punchhard, deliberate. Stars flashed before her eyes before the pain swallowed her whole. Edward kept yelling obscenities.
“Yes, love. A stumble… in the dark,” her mother murmured, though she knew the truth.
Guilt weighed on her. She had been the one to push Margaret into marrying Edward. She had been the one to drive Daniel away, convinced he was a bad influence.
“That wardrobe of yours, dear, seems to have fists,” Eleanor remarked dryly, casting a glance at her son-in-law.
William never turned from the window. He stepped onto the balcony to smoke. Unlike his wife, hed never approved of Edward. The man was hollowselfish, charmless. Yes, he came from moneyflat in Kensington, a Mercedes, connectionsbut he was rotten inside.
And now the rot had surfaced: a bruise on his daughters face.
William could have grabbed Edward by the lapels and given him a thrashing. But that would only cause a scene. So he stayed on the balcony.
He knew another way to fix this. And he already had a plan.
Hed spent a long time on the phone out there.
Meanwhile, Margaret bought her mother tea, and they chatted about nothing. Half an hour later, her parents left.
Edward, expecting a shouting match, finally relaxed. He flopped onto the sofa, cracked open a lager, and even smirked. To him, their silence meant approval. Family sticks together, bruises or not. No one kicks up a fuss.
“See, Maggie? Told you itd blow over,” he drawled, smug. “Your folks are decent. Not like you… yesterday, nagging at me! So I went out, had a fewso what?”
He took a swig and reached for crisps.
His relief didnt last.
Not half an hour later, someone knockedfirm, decisive. Edward set his can down and froze.
He peered through the peepholeand paled.
Daniel stood there. His rival. Margarets former love. The one whod nearly married her before stepping aside. Tall, handsome, confident in an expensive coat, with that infuriating smirk that made women sigh and men want to punch him.
“What dyou want?” Edward snarled, barely opening the door.
“Just dropping by,” Daniel said calmlythen shoved Edward aside with his shoulder.
The man staggered like a ragdoll.
Margaret stood, wide-eyed. “Daniel…?”
“Pack a bag,” he said briskly. “Well go to mine, or your parents. But you dont need this bankrupt waste of space.”
“Who you calling bankrupt, you prat?” Edward spat, but he stayed glued to the corner.
He had reason to fear Daniel.
“I called you, Eddy boy. You,” Daniel smiled. “Didnt want to interfere, but when your father-in-lawa proper bloke, by the wayrang and said youd hit her? Well, I took over.”
“Whatwhat are you on about?” Edward croaked.
“Didnt take it literally, of course,” Daniel chuckled. “But that club you rent? Belongs to a mate of mine. A very good mate. Youll get noticelease wont be renewed. Understand? Its already on your desk.”
Edward sank into a chair like a deflated balloon.
“Plus, I tallied six months of unpaid rent. Remember when they said itd go up if the club turned profit? Well, it did. Six months ago. You just never read the notice. Me and Mike kept quiet, let the debt pile up. Penalties, interest… Get it? Now you owe. A lot. Should I say the number?”
Daniel leaned in.
“And I know youre skint. Shouldve spent less on booze and birds.”
Edward slumped like a wrung-out dishrag.
“Thisthis is a setup!” he wheezed.
“Think what you like,” Daniel shrugged. “Sue me. But your solicitor quit. Or did you sack him? Wholl defend you now? Your barman with the nose ring?”
Edward gaped like a fish.
“Margaret, lets go. Dont bother with your things. Ill buy you whatever you need. Whats here? Market rags.”
“Daniel, wait,” she said, bewildered. “This is all so… sudden.”
“Sudden is taking a punch and making excuses for it. The rest is just slow justice.”
Daniel held out his hand. She took it.
“Youre all mad!” Edward screeched. “This is my house! My wife!”
“Wife?” Daniel scoffed. “Youre the husband who hits her, then hides behind a six-pack and telly? Youre not a man. Youre a loser. Loud, bitter… nothing. Cant even swing at me properly.”
Edward sputtered.
“Going to court? Tell them about the bruise from the wardrobe? Or how your club failed because you drank instead of worked, riding your dads coattails?”
Margaret followed Daniel without a backward glance. At the door, she paused.
“Sorry, Edward. Goodbye.”
“Bugger off, then!” he hissed.
And they left.
Two days later, Edward sat in an empty flat. The club was shut. Papers littered the tableeviction notice, debt demands.
Daniel wasnt just an ex. He was an ex with a plan. Hed waited, then struckswift, brutal, perfect.
Meanwhile, Margarets parents home was quiet. Her mother cooked; her father read the paper.
Then Margaret walked in.
“Hello,” she said.
“Whereve you been, love? Edward looking for you?” her father asked sternly.
“I was… with Daniel.”
“So you left Edward?”
“Yes.”
Her mother clasped her hands. Her father just nodded.
“Good. Thats my girl,” he said, smiling. “And if that wanker comes near you again, Ill rearrange his bloody face.”
“Dad… did you call Daniel?” she asked.
“Course I did. Who else?” he winked. “Good lad. Proper businessmanunlike the other one.”
“Thank God you left that fool!” her mother burst out. “Forgive me, loveI nearly ruined your life.”
“Oh, Mum, listen to you!” her father laughed. “But the main thing is she saw sense.”
Outside, Daniel leaned against his black Range Rover, grinning. He knew. No one would ever lay a hand on Margaret again.
Well, except in love. But thats another story.
