The father noticed a bruise beneath his daughter’s eye and made a callhis son-in-laws life was about to unravel.
Margaret stood in the doorway, greeting her parents with her usual cheerful smile. Only the dark, shining bruise betrayed the subject she refused to discuss.
“Mum, its nothing, dont fuss,” she said quickly, catching her mothers sharp gaze.
Eleanor sighed deeply. “Its your life, love. You must live it…”
Her father didnt even acknowledge his son-in-law. He walked slowly to the window and stared blankly, as if deaf to his daughters muttered excuse about a wardrobe and the dark.
“I just… tripped last night, thats all. Come on, Mum, Im fineEdward and I are fine!”
Fine? Margaret remembered perfectly what had happened. Edward, always quick to anger, hadnt just shouted at her. When shed dared to say shed had enough, hed grabbed her dressing gown so hard the fabric tore at her chest.
“What, you stupid cow, dont you remember who kept you alive? Who dragged you back from the pubs when you ran off with that Daniel?” hed roared, shaking her. “Who loved you, eh? Carried you in his arms!”
Thena hard, deliberate blow. Stars burst behind her eyes before the pain swallowed her whole. Edward kept shouting filth as she crumpled.
“Yes, love. A wardrobe… the dark,” her mother murmured, though she knew the truth.
And she felt guilty. She was the one whod pushed Margaret to marry Edward! She was the one whod driven Daniel away, convinced he was a bad influence.
“That wardrobe of yours, dear, seems to have fists,” Eleanor said pointedly, casting a glance at her son-in-law.
Thomas never turned from the window. He stepped onto the balcony to smoke. Unlike his wife, hed never liked Edward. The man was hollowselfish, charmless. Yes, he came from moneya flat in London, a car, connections. But inside, he was rotten.
And now the rot had surfaceda bruise on his daughters face.
Thomas couldve seized Edward by the collar and struck him. But that would only cause a scene. So he stayed on the balcony.
He knew how to handle this. And hed already made the call.
Meanwhile, Margaret bought her mother tea, and they chatted about nothing. Half an hour later, her parents left.
Edward, expecting shouts and scandal, finally relaxed. He slumped on the sofa, cracked open a lager, and even smirked. To him, their silence meant approval. Family sticks together, bruises are just life. No one crosses him.
“See, Maggie? Told you itd blow over,” he drawled, smug. “Your parents are decent folk. Not like you… Yesterday, you provoked me! So what if I went out drinking?”
He took a swig and reached for crisps.
His relief didnt last.
Not half an hour later, someone knockedfirm, deliberate. No doorbell, just knuckles on wood. Edward set his can down, stiffened.
He peered through the peepholeand paled.
Daniel stood there. His rival. Margarets first love. The one whod nearly married her. Tall, confident, in a tailored coatthe kind of man who made women shiver and other men want to hit him.
“What dyou want?” Edward growled, barely opening the door.
“Step aside,” Daniel said calmly, shouldering past him.
Edward staggered like a ragdoll.
Margaret stood, eyes wide.
“Daniel”
“Pack a bag,” he said briskly. “Well go to mine or your parents. But youre not staying with this washed-up waste of space.”
“Who you calling washed-up, you prick?” Edward spat, but he stayed rooted in the corner.
He had reason to fear Daniel.
“I called you, Eddie. Personally,” Daniel smiled. “I stayed out of your lifeuntil Margarets father rang me. Said youd hit her. So I took over.”
“Whatwhatre you on about?” Edward croaked.
“Didnt take it by force, of course,” Daniel chuckled. “But the lease for that club of yours? Owned by a friend of mine. A very good friend. Youll find your renewals been denied. The notice is already on your desk.”
Edward sank into a chair as if gut-punched.
“Plus, I tallied six months of unpaid rent. Remember when they said rates might rise if you turned a profit? They did. Six months ago. You just never read the notice. My mate and I let the debt grow. Penalties, interest… You get it? You owe. A lot. Should I name the figure?”
Daniel leaned in.
“And I know youre skint. Shouldve spent less on booze and birds.”
Edward wilted like a squeezed lemon.
“Thisthis is a setup!” he wheezed. “You planted those papers!”
“Think what you like,” Daniel shrugged. “Sue me. But your solicitors quit. Or did you sack him? Wholl defend you now? Your bartender with the nose ring?”
Edward gaped, wordless.
“Margaret, lets go. Dont bother with your things. Ill replace them. Whats here isnt worth keepingjust market rags.”
“Daniel, wait,” Margaret said, bewildered. “This is all so… sudden. I dont understand”
“Sudden is taking a fist to the face and making excuses for it. Everything else is too slow.”
Daniel held out his hand. She took it.
“Youre all mad!” Edward roared. “This is my house! My wife!”
“Wife?” Daniel scoffed. “Youre the man who hits her, then hides behind a lager and telly? Youre not a man. Youre a joke. Loud, bitter… nothing. You wouldnt even swing at me.”
Edward sputtered.
“Go on, then. Take me to court. Tell them about the wardrobe bruise. Or how your club failed because you drank instead of worked, riding your daddys coattails?”
Margaret followed Daniel without a backward glance. Only at the door did she pause.
“Sorry, Edward. Goodbye.”
“Piss off, then!” he snarled. “Go on”
And they left.
Two days later, Edward sat in an empty flat. His club was shuttered. The table was littered with eviction notices and debt demands.
Daniel wasnt just an exhe was an ex with a plan. Hed waited, then struckswift, brutal, flawless.
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 youve left Edward?”
“Yes. Ive left.”
Her mother clasped her hands. Her father nodded approvingly.
“Good. Thats what you do, love. And know this,” he smiled, “if that wanker comes near you again, Ill knock his teeth in.”
“Dad… did you call Daniel?”
“Course I did. Who else?” he winked. “Good lad. Proper businessmanunlike the other one.”
“Thank God youre rid of that fool!” her mother finished. “Forgive me, loveI nearly ruined your life. Thank heavens youve no children with him…”
“Oh, Mum, listen to you!” her father laughed. “But the main thing is she sees nowshe was wrong.”
Outside, Daniel leaned against his black Range Rover, smiling. He knew. No one would ever hurt Margaret again.
Well, perhaps with loveand pleasant surprises. But thats another story.
