Their Marriage Reunited

by Sheena Morrish

  “Are you alright?” he asked in concern knowing that there was no possible way that she could be.

  “I’m fine,” she said tightly and he frowned.

  “Lilly…” that was as far as he got before she interrupted him hate spearing from her eyes and making him feel unwelcome in her presence.

  “I’m fine Connor. I just want you to leave,”

  “Lilly, I know you’re hurting and you need time but…”

  “Then just go. Leave me to grieve my baby in peace,” she flung at him and Connor hesitated as he got to his feet. He didn’t want to leave his wife alone to deal with this but he didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was. There was something more going on her than he understood but he wanted to make things as easy as possible for her. So, with a sigh he stroked her hair lightly, hurt stabbing him when she turned deliberately away from him.

  “ I love you,” were his final words as he strode away leaving her to stare blankly in to space as she made plans to leave him and start a new life without him.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Everything okay?”

  Lilly tore her gaze away from the magazine she had been reading to give her friend and boss a faint smile.

  “I’m fine, just admiring the life of the rich and famous,” she told her with just the right tone of wistfulness in her voice and Angelica grinned.

  “If only we could be so lucky. I can tell you that I definitely would never kick him out of bed,” Angelica said with a wistful sigh as she turned away to check that her restaurant was running smoothly.

  Lilly’s smile faded completely the second Angelica’s back was turned and her green eyes darkened as pain pierced her heart. What would Angelica say if she knew that kicking him out of her bed was exactly what Lilly had done?

  She had once thought that she was the only woman Connor wanted in his bed but over the past five years it had become clear that one woman would never have been enough for him and he was frequently pictured with a different woman on his arm at various functions. Lilly knew that it was stupid to read these magazines when she knew it would only cause her more pain but she simply couldn’t help herself and more than once she had imagined herself being the woman gracing his arm as she undoubtedly would have been once.

  The past five years had been hard on her and more than once she had found herself imagining what her life would have been like if things had been different, if she had done things differently. What if she hadn’t gone to her father’s that day? Would she still have lost the baby? The doctors had told her that it was likely it would have happened no matter what she had done differently but Lilly wasn’t so sure. Maybe if she hadn’t been so distressed the baby would have been fine. Or at the very least she would have had Connor by her side. If she hadn’t known about him cheating on her then she would have stayed with him. They would have grieved their child together and by now she probably would have had more children and wouldn’t instead be feeling this constant emptiness. Other children wouldn’t have replaced the baby she lost but they might have eased the pain she felt even now. But then came the question of whether she would have wanted to continue living the lie rather than face up to the truth. Would she rather have remained oblivious to her husband’s affair?

  She hadn’t spoken to her father since that day and she hated him for what he had done to her though he probably didn’t even care. She probably would have forgiven her father if he had at least tried to explain why he had done it but she knew that it wasn’t to protect her from a sham of a marriage but rather to get back at Connor by taking away the one thing he hadn’t wanted him to have. He hadn’t even tried to contact her after destroying her life completely and that really hurt her. Even Connor had managed to contact her though she wished that he hadn’t.

  She had discharged herself from the hospital and moved in with her mother for a while after losing the baby. Something that Connor had not taken well although that could have been because she hadn’t told him. He had been stunned to find her gone from the hospital but it hadn’t taken him long to track her down. Nearly two hours after she had discharged herself he turned up on the doorstep and refused to leave until he had seen her. Lilly had finally agreed but only because it was clear he would never leave otherwise.

  Connor had been confused but understanding at first when she had told him that she didn’t want this marriage anymore and didn’t want him. He had been understanding and sympathetic to her feelings. Of course she felt like that, he’d told her. She’d just been through a horrifying ordeal and she needed time to come to terms with their loss.

  But as the days had turned in to weeks without her attitude towards him thawing in the slightest Connor’s patience had begun to wear thin. He had called her every day, sometimes more than once, and at first Lilly had taken his calls and repeatedly told him that things were over. Then she had left the calls to her mother and refused to talk to him at all. She had been certain that he would get the message and leave her alone but instead he had turned up at the house again.

  He had ignored her mother and stepfather’s demands that he leave and had instead stormed in and announced that she was coming home with him. She had refused and even though he was perfectly capable of taking her against her will he had listened to her instead. Listened and been horrified at the depth of emotion that had been in her voice when she told him that she would rather kill herself and join their baby than ever go back to him. It was a threat that he’d had no choice but to take seriously considering the fragile and emotional state she was in. He had left then but had warned that he would never give up or stop fighting for her.

  He had continued to call and occasionally show up for the next year but Lilly ignored every attempt to contact her no matter how hard it was for her to do. Eventually he must have gotten the message for the calls became less frequent until finally they stopped altogether and he finally stopped showing up. Lilly tried to make the split permanent so that she they could both move on but Connor refused to give her the divorce she requested though he didn’t try to force her to go back to their home again.

  Lilly should have been happy that it was all over but even now it hurt. She had thought at one time that her life was perfect, with her adoring husband and unborn baby. How could it all have been a lie? How could he have pretended to be that perfect husband for all that time?

  She sometimes thought that the worst of it wasn’t even that he had cheated on her but that she had known and trusted the woman he had cheated with. She would even go so far as to say that she had been her best friend during their brief marriage.

  Alexis Wentworth was Connor’s sister-in-law, or so she had been told. Though, Lilly had never actually seen any evidence that this was really true other than the word of Connor and his family. She had never actually met this mysterious brother of Connor’s who had supposedly married Alexis at eighteen before disappearing off the face of the earth. He hadn’t even attended their wedding and there weren’t even any pictures to suggest that he really existed. Nobody every spoke about this brother that Connor supposedly had and the few times that Lilly had mentioned him everyone had gone silent as though there was an unspoken rule that nobody was to talk about him.

  Lilly had never understood how any man could just walk away from someone like Alexis. She wasn’t just beautiful but was supermodel gorgeous and had often made Lilly feel slightly insecure about her own looks. She was tall and slender with long legs that seemed to stretch for miles. She had a tiny waist and a generous cleavage that Lilly had always secretly envied. Her hair had been the darkest black and had tumbled down her back in a waterfall of curls. Her skin had been lightly tanned and always remained clear of the blemishes that affected normal women like Lilly. That, paired with her small almond coloured eyes, slender nose and high cheekbones had only served to emphasise her Greek heritage. There wasn’t a man alive who had been immune to her looks and Alexis had often gained many appreciative looks when they had been out together.


  But it hadn’t been just her looks that appealed. Alexis was smart and funny with a sense of humour that had matched Lilly’s own. She was never self-conscious and could be outspoken when necessary. It had always amused Lilly that Alexis could be so sophisticated and carry herself with an effortless grace yet would confront anyone if they even attempted to hurt someone she cared about. Lilly had thought that she fell in to that category at one time.

  Never once had Lilly been insecure about her relationship and she had trusted Connor completely. Never once has she thought that Alexis would be the type to steal someone else’s husband and she especially hadn’t expected Connor to reciprocate. And yet that was exactly what had happened. They had both betrayed her in the worst possible way and she hated them for what they had done.

  The only good thing to come from any of it was that she now had a better relationship with her mother. Through the entire mess her mother and stepdad had been so supportive. The stepsisters she used to hate and resent had turned out to be great sources of support and they had helped her to get back on her feet and even helped her find an apartment to live in when she felt ready to be on her own again. And when she had found out that her mother was pregnant Lilly had been excited rather than resentful. It had been hard though watching her mother’s pregnancy progress and when she had finally given birth it had nearly killed Lilly to see her baby sister and think that her own baby had never had this moment. Lilly loved Melissa dearly but it often made her sad to think that her own child would have been not much older than her. All the new things she achieved made Lilly’s heart ache for her child who would never have the chance to experience any of them. But still she loved Melissa and often had her stay over.

  Lilly had thought her life was over five years ago when she had lost everything and everyone she cared about. But now here she was with her own apartment, a job she enjoyed and a family she loved. It may not be what she had expected her life to be like but it was a good life and she was making the most of it.

  Putting the magazine and its offending picture away from her she turned to block out the memories and instead concentrated on finishing her job so she could gain extra tips and afford the luxury of a rented movie and some Chinese for her relaxing night in.

  Lilly was in a fairly good mood that night. She had gotten some really good tips at the restaurant and had splurged on a tub of her favourite ice cream. Luxuries these days were few and far between but she made sure to appreciate them when she had them.

  Her father had barely waited until she was out of the hospital before removing all financial support from her leaving all her bank accounts bare. Connor had tried to be the gentleman that his mother had raised him to be. Each month he had sent her a cheque and each month she had torn it up and posted it back to him until he had finally stopped sending them. She knew that he had felt a sense of duty towards her and that part of that duty meant providing for her financially but Lilly wanted nothing from him and she had never wanted his money. It made things tough sometimes as she tried to make her money stretch but she was glad that she had her independence and wasn’t relying on someone else for every little thing she wanted.

  She was just about to tuck in to some heavenly chocolaty goodness when she was interrupted by the ring of her phone. It was nearly midnight so she assumed that it would be one of her stepsisters who were currently abroad and seemed to have no concept of the time difference. She was more than stunned when instead of her sister’s voices it was her mother and she was sobbing in to the phone.

  “Mum? What’s wrong?” Lilly demanded as terror seized her and all sorts of awful scenarios flashed across her brain for she had never heard her mother this upset before.

  “It’s David,” her mother sobbed and Lilly’s heart seemed to stop. Surely nothing could have happened to her stepdad who was the kindest person she had met in a long time and who loved her mother unconditionally.

  “What happened? Is he okay?” Lilly asked as all sorts of awful visions danced around her head making her feel sick with worry.

  “He’s in the hospital. I said I’d meet him there but I need someone to watch Melissa,” her mother choked out between sobs and Lilly assured her mother she would be right there and that it was no problem.

  Having a car was an expense that Lilly couldn’t afford so normally she used buses and trains. Even the occasional taxi was a luxury she didn’t afford herself but thankfully she had those extra tips so a taxi wouldn’t bankrupt her. She packed an overnight bag and rushed out as soon as the taxi arrived. By the time she reached her mother’s she was in pieces and she hurried in to the house as quickly as she could. Her mother was sat at the kitchen table weeping in to her hands when Lilly entered and it broke her heart to see her like this.

  “Mum? What happened?” Lilly asked as she took a seat next to her. It must be something serious for her to look so completely devastated.

  “David was attacked,” her mother said as she lifted her head to reveal swollen eyes that were red from crying and a face that seemed to have aged ten years overnight.

  “Is he alright? Did you call the police?” Lilly asked in horror. How could someone have attacked him? This had seemed like a relatively safe neighbourhood so how could something like this have happened?

  “It was our own fault. We should never have taken that risk. What if they had killed him? Melissa would have grown up without a father. Oh god! Melissa. What if they come for her next?” her mother said and Lilly frowned in confusion. Just what the hell was going on?

  “I don’t understand. How is it your fault that this happened? Who might come after Melissa? Why?” she demanded and her mother gave a shaky sigh.

  “It was a while back. We were struggling for money. David had just lost his job and we were struggling,” her mother said and Lilly sat back, stunned at this revelation.

  “I knew David was out of work but I thought you were fine, you said you were fine,” Lilly accused.

  “And we were for a while. But then the savings dried up and the mortgage was due and Melissa needed clothes and suddenly we had no money,” her mother cried while Lilly wondered how she hadn’t noticed any of it.

  “You should have told me,” she said and her mother winced.

  “You’d been through enough without us adding our troubles to the mix. We didn’t want to bother you,” her mother explained and Lilly sighed.

  “I could have helped out. Maybe lent you some money,” Lilly suggested and her mother shook her head.

  “Even if you’d wanted to you couldn’t afford it and I didn’t want you to feel obligated to give us money that you didn’t have,” her mother said.

  Guilt assailed Lilly at this for if she had still been with Connor then her mother wouldn’t have hesitated to ask for help. Money was the one thing she wasn’t short of in her marriage and she would willingly have parted with it.

  “I still don’t understand what this has to do with now though,” Lilly said and her mother swiped away tears.

  “You have to understand that we were desperate or we would never have done it,” her mother said and Lilly wanted to shake the answers she needed free until she understood what was going on.

  “Done what?”

  “We borrowed some money from a loan shark. It was only a little at first but then we needed more and they added all this interest on. We were keeping up with the payments but then they increased them. We were barely managing to pay them when my hours got cut back. Now we just keep owing more each month and we have no hope of being able to pay it back. David tried to talk to them, to explain. But they attacked him and left him at our door. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so scared Lilly. I can’t lose my family,” her mother confided and Lilly couldn’t believe her ears. How could all of this have been going on without her having the faintest idea?

  “Don’t worry mum. Everything will be fine. You go to the hospital and stay with David. I’ll stay with Melissa,” she said and her mother gave a strained smile as s
he got to her feet.

  “You’re sure this is okay?” her mother asked and Lilly gave a weak smile back.

  “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take Melissa back to mine tomorrow and you can just concentrate on making sure David’s okay,” she reassured her and finally calmer her mother left.

  As soon as the car engine faded Lilly slumped in the chair with her hands covering her face and she wondered what the hell they were going to do about this awful mess. First thing was first though. No point in rushing in to any hasty decisions until they knew for sure how David was and what they’d said to him.

  It was a tense night for Lilly. She couldn’t have slept even if she’d wanted to as she waited for news on David’s condition. But she couldn’t just twiddle her thumbs either. Instead she cleaned the entire downstairs of the house and scrubbed every surface twice. She even organised everything alphabetically from the cd's and books to the tinned goods. And when all that was done and she was left with nothing else to take her mind off it she paced the floor and chewed her thumbnail instead.

  It was six in the morning before the phone finally rang and she pounced on it immediately as she prayed that it was good news. It wasn’t. David was alive and would make it through but one of his legs was broken as well as his arm. He had a severe concussion and a body full of bruises and cuts. Not to mention the broken ribs and internal bleeding that they had finally managed to stop. It would take months for his injuries to heal and in the meantime he wouldn’t be able to work which left them in an even worse position that before. It didn’t help that the guys who had beaten him up had also threatened his family.

  Lilly felt even worse by the time she hung up the phone. Although David would recover from his injuries it was obvious that they couldn’t afford to pay off these guys and the alternative was unthinkable.

  Standing in the bedroom doorway Lilly silently watched Melissa sleep as thoughts raced through her head. Each thought was quickly dismissed until she could no longer ignore the only option she had ever really had though she didn’t want to face it. Instead she continued to watch Melissa sleep. She looked so peaceful and Lilly found tears springing to her eyes at the thought that anyone could hurt such an innocent child. It also made up her mind about what she was going to do. She had known all along that this was what it would come to but had hoped that there would be another way. There wasn’t.