Today’s writing prompt and my response.
Day five of this week’s challenge. The story starts here.
There was nothing left of the money except
Maree had a new lease of life. Before Peter returned from whatever business trip he was on (if it was a business trip), she removed herself and a suitcase of belongings into a short term apartment not too far away. It was convenient that Alan lived nearby. The house – a cosy terrace – belonged to his sister, and Alan was her lodger.
‘Thank God she doesn’t charge me full rent,’ he told Maree. ‘My day job barely covers my share of the bills.’
Maree was impressed. ‘A lovely sister.’
‘Yeah.’ A shadow passed across Alan’s eyes as he said this.
Maree was too polite and not sufficiently interested to ask why. He was an acquaintance to be used, nicely of course, and that was that. Men were off her agenda for the time being, one problem being enough to disentangle.
The upbeat confidence which the idea of revenge gave her, took a battering when she investigated the shared savings account Peter had persuaded her to set up soon after they got together. At first, it had been small amounts for the convenience of paying bills and rent.
‘We put in equal amounts, then there’s no question about fairness,’ he said, reasonably.
The amounts had increased when Maree agreed, with love in her heart, that the account could also be used to save for moving into a bigger, better flat, or – the excitement wooed her – buying a place of their own. Dutifully, Maree paid in each month, and dutifully Peter paid the bills and never asked for additional money.
Although Maree’s feelings towards Peter changed, for all kinds of reasons, the scheduled payments kept on going. Why shouldn’t they?
Now, she decided, she would take her share out, help her set up her new life. There would be no bigger or owned flat for her and Peter, and it was her money.
She opened the banking app, stared, horror clutching her gut.
No, no, no.
There was nothing left of the money except a nicely rounded £100.
Maree’s appetite for revenge grew to a size which dwarfed the amount which, by her quick calculation, should have been in that bloody account.
What a fool she was.
Read the end of the story here.
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