The Marriage by K.L. Slater

Author:K.L. Slater [Slater, K.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Thirty-One

Bridget

When I woke up, it took me a while to come around. I lay in bed longer than I should’ve done trying to drum up some energy and positive thoughts. An uneasy feeling radiated deep into my bones.

Tom had joined a swish new gym nearby. He was meeting one of his old boxing gym pals for a light brunch and then had booked his initial induction session with a personal trainer late morning. Before leaving the house, he’d dressed in the new Gymshark gear he’d ordered online. Slim-fit shorts and a sleeveless tee cut to show off his superb physique. His muscled calves looked like they’d been sculpted from steel, his shoulders wide and sturdy.

I felt uncomfortable about him getting back in touch with someone from his ‘old life’, as we’d started calling it. We were supposed to be making a fresh start together, the last thing he needed were hangers-on from the past dragging him down. But it was impossible to say something to him without sounding like Jill.

I’d felt my stomach catch as I watched him moving around the bedroom, humming to himself, packing his towel and water bottle into his gym bag. I wondered who else might be at the trendy gym. It was probably full of hot young women in their twenties and early thirties with firm, tanned bodies and glossy hair …

‘Can’t wait for this.’ He’d grinned, bending down and kissing my cheek before he left. ‘There’s a juice bar too, want me to bring you one back? The strawberry spirulina looks amazing on their website.’

‘I’m good, thanks,’ I said, forcing some brightness into my voice. ‘Have fun.’

And then he was gone, taking his whirling youthful energy and sparkling enthusiasm with him. I felt tired and flat left lying there in our bedroom. I needed to redirect my thoughts.

I picked up my phone and opened Sunday’s article in the Daily Mail again. I’d been really pleased with how the newspaper had portrayed us and they’d made a generous donation to Young Men Matter for the interview. We both looked great in the photograph, and I thought they’d written sensitively and intelligently about our relationship.

I scrolled down past the article and the sensationalist story adverts to the comments section.

Good luck to them both. They look good together.

They deserve happiness. Best of luck to them.

A warm glow started in my chest, allaying my silly fears and insecurities about Tom going to the gym. We did look good together and we were going to be very happy.

I scanned the next few comments and the glow quickly faded.

Sick. How can you love someone who killed your kid?

Man, she’s old enough 2b his mother!

He’s so hot … why on earth is he with a wrinkly woman nearly twice his age??

People were so judgemental. They probably had such sad little lives they detested seeing others happy. There were plenty of folk out there like that, Jill Billinghurst being a prime example. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if one or more of the anonymous derogatory comments was from her.

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