Chapter 11

I stretched, languorously, only to be brought up short as the bruised muscles of my belly screamed their memory of the previous evening. Doubled up to relieve the pain, I revisited the events of the preceding night. The sun filtering through the curtains filled the bedroom with a warmth that I did not share. A mixture of cold determination and seething anger focused my thoughts.

"There is no way I'm taking any more of her shit," I addressed the house. Gently uncurling, I lifted the phone. My first call was to my parents to check how Harry and Georgie were. Once reassured that they had been packed off to school to keep their routine as normal as possible, I phoned Milla.

"My name is Jack Winters, may I speak to Ms Fielding, please." The receptionist put me through immediately. Evidently Milla was expecting my call.

"Jack, when can you come in? David is on stand-by."

"What time is it? Geez, I really slept in, didn't I." The clock showed a quarter to ten. "I'll phone into work and see you at twelve. We can continue after lunch if needs be."

"Noon is fine, I'll phone David, Bye."

"Bye"

I phoned my P.A. and explained I would be out of the office for the rest of the day, breakfasted lightly, and having performed the usual morning chores, copied the security tapes for Friday and Sunday nights...

On arrival, I was shown immediately into Milla's office. David was already there.

"Oh good, you brought the tapes. David has told me everything, but if you run through your version, Jack, to see if there is anything significant he missed."

I recounted his version of events. "Good," said Milla, "No real differences there. And what there are, simply reflect who could see what from where they were standing. Let's go to lunch and we'll chat about what to do next."

We repaired to a local pub. Good food, good beer, and set out with booths that would allow us a degree of privacy.

"I'm not letting the bitch get away with this Milla. I don't give a flying fiddlers fuck about keeping up appearances or anything else. I am going to fuck her life big style." I opened.

"Whilst I sympathise with the general thrust of your sentiment, old son, I rather think it might be somewhat counterproductive vis-à-vis the old freedom stakes." opined David, in his best Colonel Blimp impersonation.

I had to laugh, then swore. "Bugger, my stomach still aches. Okay, okay, I get it."

"David is right. You've done everything right so far. We are not about to let you blow it," said Milla.

"Maybe so, but right now Plod reckons I'm a wifebeater. That is not going to do me any favours in a custody hearing."

"I have already been on to the police, they are in a real dilemma over the whole thing. And I intend to keep them off balance." Milla was not the sort of lawyer who saw the police as the enemy, but if they stepped out of line she treated them like any other opponent of her client.

"That's all well and good Milla, but I've done everything you advise and she is still dictating my life to me. She wanted out, but I can't move on because of her. I've a new life to build and it's going to be on my terms, not someone else's."

"Jack, Milla and I both understand that but the only way you are going to be able to do that is if we keep you clean and clear with the legal side of things. The arbitration is binding but you hit the nail when you mentioned custody hearings. That might just be what she is up to, and if you go off, half cock, you will definitely land in the poo."

"David is right, Jack. We need to get this assault charge dealt with properly. David's input is the clincher. Dealt with properly you'll be free and clear and it will turn round and bite her in the arse. She made a false accusation and wasted police time. If we can get the police to charge her then anything she tries to bring up in court would be looked at very carefully. But she has totally blown it by making the false allegation. You have got to keep calm, and let us deal with that."

The waitress arrived with the meals, lasagne and salad for Milla, beef and Guinness pies with chips and mushy peas for David and me. "Could we have another two pints and a glass of white wine please?" I asked.

"Alright, alright, alright. I'll leave that side of things to the pair of you. But I want her out of my life."

"Do you know what you want your life to be?" asked David.

"Ehh. Well..."

"Exactly. At the moment you are still getting used to the whole idea of not being part of a couple anymore. You have no idea what you want. Only that you don't want what you have. You need to talk to someone. Either us, or a counsellor," David continued.