Chapter 15

Cassie Fenton, as she now resolved to be called, had a great deal of adjusting to do. A few days ago, she was a happy woman, married to a man she had always fancied. She was clear about Ged who she believed had let her down so badly and from whom Zak had saved her.

In two short days everything had been upended. Ged was innocent; Zak a criminal and a liar. She knew she had failed Ged and had hurt him very badly.

She felt guilty, hopeless and depressed. She could have been married to Ged by then if she had only kept her word and restrained her anger. Now her life was hollow. Now there was little chance of getting back to the man with whom she had the deepest relationship in which she had ever been: a real soul mate.

She realised that while Zak was a good lover and good companion, they had never been as close as she had been with Ged. Added to which he was a lying, cheating bastard.

She went over and over it with Cheryl, and while Cheryl was patient, she knew Cassie was going nowhere. By Wednesday night she could stand no more.

"Cassie," she said, interrupting another self-pitying monologue, "You can't go on like this. You have to go and see him. You have to apologise to him and bear his response. Even if he rejects you, at least you'll know where he stands, and you can start afresh."

Cassie went pale. "I ... I don't think I could face him, Cheryl. Annette said he was a hair's breadth away from a breakdown and it was all my fault. No, I just can't."

If she felt guilty about things that night, the following night her guilt got worse. She had only got in from work when her mobile rang. She saw it was her kid sister Marie, and she wondered if her breakup from Zak had reached her sister and who might have told her family.

Fear gripped her and she did not answer it. She would have to tell them that all the money they had spent on the wedding was wasted. Her father had obviously spent more than he could afford to give her the big wedding she wanted. Well, Zak wanted it, and she wanted to please Zak.

There it was again. Her relationship with Zak was one of wanting to please him, so unlike her love of Ged with whom she could just be herself.

How could she have done that to her Dad? She remembered how they had tried to change her mind, how unhappy they were that she was marrying Zak. How right they were! Her father had repeatedly begged her to contact Ged. He had always liked Ged, and she obstinately refused.

Eventually she accessed voicemail, to find out what Marie wanted. The message was brief.

"Cassie, ring me back. I have something important to tell you. It's about Dad."

Oh heavens, she thought, Dad's ill. She rang her sister.

"Marie, what's happened to Dad?" she babbled, "Is he all right? Shall I come home?"

"Dad doesn't know I'm phoning you," her sister told her. "He doesn't want to upset you, but as it happens, I do!"

"Sorry?" Cassie was perplexed.

"I bloody hope you will be," her younger sibling spat. "Listen dear sister. Dad took out an extra mortgage on the house to pay for your stupid flash wedding, and he maxed out all his credit cards. He was paying it off a bit at a time, but you know he's lost his job?"

"No?" Cassie gasped. "How long?"

"Two months." she answered. "And he couldn't pay the mortgage or the credit cards. The card owners were sending solicitors' letters, and the Building Society was getting ready to repossess the house. We had nowhere to go."

"But--"

"We nearly lost the house, Cassie. God knows where we'd have ended up."

"But--"

"How did we manage? I'll tell you. We were so desperate that I came to Manchester without Dad knowing and found Ged. I asked him for help."

"Marie!" Cassie was horrified. "How could you?"

"Look, we were desperate. I couldn't think of anyone else. I remembered Dad and Ged getting on so well. Dad forbad me to tell you we were in trouble. He hadn't told me not to talk to Ged though. You know what Ged did?"

"No, but I think I can guess."

"He took me to his house. Have you seen it? It's awesome! Massive!'

"Marie, what did he do?"

"He fed me, asked if I'd brought paperwork."

"And you had." Cassie knew Marie was supremely practical, more so than she was.

"Of course. You won't believe this!"

"What?"

"He's paid off the credit cards, and get this – he's paid off the whole mortgage as well. The house is free – he's given it to Dad."

Cassie thought for a moment. "How much?"

"The cards were twenty thousand, and house was seventy."

Cassie was lost for words. Ged had effectively paid for her wedding and more, he had supported the family he should have been a part of. She began to weep.

"Sis? Are you there?" Marie's voice was full of concern.

"Yes," she sobbed. "I'm here. How could he do that?"

"He loves you, you stupid twat!" her teenage sister replied with some exasperation. "Can't you see that?"

"No, not at the moment." she answered. She wondered at the courage of her sister, who would risk everything to save her parents, and Cassie herself had done nothing but be a worry to them.

"I know he loves our Dad," she continued, "but I don't think he will ever forgive me."

"Go and see him, you stupid cow," her adolescent sister abused her. "He's a good man. He's better than you think."

"Marie," Cassie said, "I know how good he is, but I've hurt him beyond forgiveness. You have more sense than I have."

"Sis," she answered, "if I were older, I'd be fighting you for him. I almost made a play for him at his house, and you know how alike we are, he could have pretended I was you! I could have taken your place!" and she laughed loud, and Cassie somehow found comfort in that laugh.

"My darling sister," Cassie told her, "I think you deserve him more than I do."

"I'm too young for him." Marie laughed, "and believe me, you do deserve him, and he deserves you."

Cassie was silent for a moment, then, quietly and seriously to be sure Marie understood, she said, "You've done more for me tonight than you'll ever know. I love you, Sis."

"And I love you, or I wouldn't have told you this. Go get him, Sis!"

However, early on Friday night there was a distraction. A visitor.

Cassie had resolved at that moment to do just that. Even if he rejected her, she would have tried.

There was a ring at the door, and into the living room came Zak. They had just finished the meal and were having some coffee. It was Brian who let him in, and Cheryl and Cassie had heard a muffled conversation at the door. When Zak entered the room, Cheryl and Brian made their exit but left the door open.

"What the fuck are you doing?" was Zak's opening remark, glowering at her.

"What does it look like?" she snapped viciously back at him. "I'm living here for the present. I've left you and I'm getting a divorce as soon as the marriage is a year old."

"Listen, you stupid cunt," he snarled, "you're my wife. You belong at home with me. You don't really think that pansy boy will have you after you've been fucking me for over a year, do you?"

"Zak," she replied with exaggerated patience, "You don't seem to have grasped the situation. It makes no difference whether Ged wants me or not. I've left you because you are a evil, cheating, lying bastard and you repulse me."

"You were willing enough to fuck me when you found out about him on the tour." He looked smug.

Then he changed tack and became gentle. "He cheated on you, Cassie – you saw the photos. You came to me because we had a good thing going before he came on the scene, I do things for you, you know that. I get you off like no one else. I bet he never got you off like I do. You need me Cassie, and he's not going to be around for you."