Turn a blind eye to betrayal and youll regret it, I muttered, watching Susan’s eyes sting with hurt.
You were with her again, she said, her voice tight.
I choked on my words and the spoon clattered to the floor.
Your watch, she nodded toward my wrist.
Yes, thats right, I waved a hand, trying to hide the timepiece with the cuff of my shirt.
I saw the box in the rubbish, Susan said, and there was even a receipt inside!
I lowered my gaze, studying the empty plate.
We agreed you wouldnt see her any more, she said, the edge of anger in her tone. You promised, David! You swore!
Well, Susan, I began, she begged me! I understand I promised, but shes still my boss. How could I refuse?
Polite, thats all youre being, Susan replied, holding back a flare. Im a married man, I love my wife!
I had no choice. With all due respect she sighed. She isnt the only employer in town.
Lets think logically, I said, gathering my thoughts. Shes offering me the best terms in recognition of my past work, Susan gritted her teeth but stayed silent. Will any other firm do the same? Probably not.
Living off you is something Id never want either, I added. Shes reached out in an exceptional case, out of old loyalty. And the watch isnt the only thing Ive taken.
Theres also a set of gold chains with zodiac pendants for you and little Emily, I continued.
What a celestial generosity, Susan snapped. Youll sell them and give me the money! Neither I nor Emily will ever wear those trinkets!
Ill just return them to the shop, I shrugged. Valentinashe left the receipts.
And the watch! Susan pointed again at my wrist.
Right, right, I winced. Ah, no, theres no box or receipt!
She placed the items on the table in front of me.
Fine, I said dryly, Ill return them. Happy?
Dont go back to her! Figure something out, but make sure it never happens again!
I clicked my tongue and turned away, breathing out.
Susan, she promised it was the last time, but you must understand our livelihood depends on the salary she pays. If she asks
Youll have to refuse! Susan snapped. Fine then! It was a forced measure, but we dont need that now!
***
People never know how far theyll go when need strangles them. In those moments folk say theyd do anything, but thats often bravado. Theres always a line you wont cross, even in desperation.
David and Susans lives were never easy. Their childhoods offered little joy. Though they werent from orphanages, they often dreamed of one. Both came from large families.
Whether luck or not, they were stuck in the middle. Not all the burden fell on their small shoulders, but work was never scarce.
Prosperity for them meant simply not being hungry, having clothes on, shoes on their feet, and a warm roof over their headsenough to call it happiness. A minor slip could mean no dinner or a night in the garden shed.
From an early age they had to scrounge, survive, lie, grab and defend themselves. Psychological scars were a foreign concept then; nobody talked about them.
They were strung together like beads on a thread, and with those strings they left their parental home, hoping never to return.
Each had a choice. They could have moved to the nearest sizable cityManchester, for instanceto start fresh, but both chose to travel a thousand miles and settle elsewhere, not in the biggest town.
Their guiding thought was to be untouchablecut ties with family once and for all, leaving no warm hearth behind.
At the end of their separate journeys they met. It could be called coincidence, or the universe pulling similar threads together.
When they swapped stories, they were surprised at how alike their paths were.
Perhaps its human nature, David said philosophically. Or maybe its just how things are. Our hometowns are about a thousand miles apart, we speak different accents, yet weve been broken the same way.
Shared pain binds tighter than a common goal. Their wedding soon became inevitable.
Its always harder alone, especially at the start. Together, they felt they could move mountains. And so David and Susan began their joint march toward happiness.
They studied, took odd jobs, then held steady workthough not at the same place. They craved everything theyd missed as children: good food, new clothes, sturdy shoes, and their own little luxuries, not to mention a home of their own.
Saving for a deposit proved a nightmare. Every time they thought they were close, something else caught their eyesomething they felt they absolutely needed.
It wasnt healthy, but it became a shared quirk, never sparking a fight because both were the same.
When Susan discovered she was pregnant, they had to curb their desires.
My love, well soon have more mouths to feed, and renting with a baby Susan said.
I know, David replied. Well save for the deposit.
They were overoptimistic. Still, they scraped together enough to find a secondhand flat, albeit in a state of disrepair.
Well renovate, David shrugged. London wasnt built in a day. At least its ours.
Right, Susan sighed, already in her last trimester, and then well be paying for twenty years.
Well manage, David said, trying to sound confident.
After Emily was born they sat down with a notebook and ran the numbers. If they cut needless expenses and saved a bit, they could keep up with the mortgage and live decently.
There were many unknowns, even inflation, that they tried to factor in. They were sure they could cope.
But fate had other plans. Susan worked as a cashier in a supermarket, while David was a middlemanager in an office. She aimed to become senior cashier, and David hoped to head a department.
A raise would lift their standard of living. Yet Susans promotion was halted when Emily fell ill. Doctors struggled to diagnose the twelveyearold; it turned out shed caught a rare tropical illness from a travelling wildlife park that had stopped nearby.
Treating it took years and the medication was outrageously expensive.
Weve got mortgage holidays for a year, David said, but thats all theyll give us.
What now? Susan asked, tears welling.
I dont know, David admitted, our company changed hands. The new boss froze all raises.
So Ill go to her, on my knees, and beg for a promotion. I need to rescue Emily, he promised.
Go ahead, Susan urged. Shes just a woman; shell understand. Ill even go myself if I have to.
Three days later David returned home at midnight, exhausted and emptyhanded. Fortunately the next day was Saturday.
In the morning Susan asked what had happened.
Evelyn, David said, wobbling his head, our new boss, Valentina Grey, turned out to be a lonely woman. She claims she needs services for her health, and shes willing to pay handsomelynot just a raise, but extra cash.
Has she gone mad? Susan shouted. Youre married!
And not once! David chuckled. She told me she prefers a clean man, no diseases, and shell pay for the favour. Pure business.
Susan sat, stunned. On one side was Emilys health, on the other a business conversation.
What do you think about this? she asked quietly.
Whatever you decide, itll be done, David replied.
Susan realised that if David left the decision to her, he was already mentally prepared. He had spent a night drinking and debating his own ethics.
He chose. For Emilys sake. He would never have confessed this to Susan for his own pleasure.
He dug up Valentinas profile online:
Fifteen years older than me, no children, never married. A classic businesswomanheart replaced by a wallet. She buys whatever she wants.
David, tell her, Susan started, but the final answer seemed impossible.
I told her its only for Emily. When she gets better, it ends, David blushed, admitting, Ill be a man of the house, but I have to save Emily.
Four years passed before Emily recovered. Susan endured endless months of Davids calls, each time saying Valentina had summoned him. Calls were rareonce or twice a month.
When the promotion finally came, David became department head, then deputy branch manager. His climb didnt stop there.
Valentinas gifts were generouscash, receipts, even shop addresses so the presents could be returned. Her generosity covered Emilys treatment and left surplus cash for the family.
When Emilys last tests came back clear, Susan breathed a sigh of relief.
Now we dont have to deal with your boss any more. We can just work and live normally, she said.
Thank God, David replied, Ill tell her tomorrow.
A month later Susan noticed a new shirt in Davids wardrobe, not from a high street store but from a pricey boutique, a goldtipped tie clip, a leather wallet, and more cash slipping out.
Promotion for excellent branch performance, David told her. Im now the branch manager. And these watches
Susan had found the box and receipt in a bin.
What a gift!
David, still offering Valentina his services, shrugged. I need to sort this out.
***
What are you talking about? David shouted. We have no need for this! We live on a shoestring, always hunting for bargains. I want a proper car, a holiday, a nice houseclothes, shoes, jewellery for you, a decent future for Emily. I want her to get a good education and not be stuck crawling around rented rooms. If I have to arrange something with someone, Im doing it for the whole family, not just for me!
His outburst left Susan stunned, frozen, watching his flushed face. Then the reality hit her like a cold splash of water.
Blimey! Susan whispered, breaking down his justification. Youve wrapped it all up nicely, saying its for the family. But youre not hurting yourself, are you?
Exactly, what now? David challenged.
No more, Susan said, nodding at his watch. Thanks for saving our daughter, but I wont stand for this any longer. Leave.
David never understood why Susan drove him out.
What does it matter? It was for the child! he protested. Now it isnt allowed? Its still for her future! Ive earned this!
The story ends with a man who, blinded by desperation, turned his back on his own morals, thinking he was doing everything for love.
