The Marriage Act(99)
83
Corrine
Days had passed since Corrine had last seen her husband. The last she had heard from Mitchell was the morning he and key members of his finance team were to meet with lawyers to discuss the next step after his Government contracts were cancelled, leaving him insolvent. It was to be followed by a series of appointments across the country to discuss various incomplete projects and the appointment of liquidators.
Corrine was torn over how she should feel. Eleanor Harrison had double-crossed her, leaving the family penniless. But Corrine was savvy enough to realize that, by erasing from the Cloud the incriminating video of the altercation that left Harrison injured, it had brought to an end the hold Mitchell had over her. Corrine was no longer forced to remain in a loveless marriage. The timing left a lot to be desired but she had nevertheless filed for divorce again, this time citing irreconcilable differences and not domestic abuse. She had heard through her lawyer that Mitchell had agreed not to contest it, allowing a faster expedition. Harrison had inadvertently given Corrine her freedom.
There was much Corrine and Mitchell hadn’t discussed with their children in recent weeks – the sudden halt to their first separation, why Corrine had returned to him and now a second attempt at divorce. And now they had another secret to hide. They were not going to tell the children what had happened to the family finances until alternative accommodations had been decided upon and Mitchell had been informed of the personal items the insolvency practitioner would allow them to keep.
There were seven weeks and four days left inside the house she had just pulled up outside of. In all likelihood, she would soon be swapping New Northampton for the Old part of town. But it was a change she was going to embrace, not shy away from.
Corrine’s only regret was that Harrison was going to escape punishment for her sexual assaults. Even if Corrine persuaded the two victims she knew of to make police statements, along with her and Nathan, with no video footage or DNA evidence, a criminal case was unlikely, especially once Harrison’s legal team became involved. Now the MP knew she was being watched, she was likely taking extra precautions. Corrine could only hope that, one day, Harrison would make an error in judgement and assault the wrong person who had the means to expose her.
Corrine left her car – another possession likely to be handed over to creditors soon – and began to make her way inside to start the online hunt for rental properties and jobs. Before the front door opened, she heard a vehicle’s tyres on the road behind her, followed by a familiar voice calling her name.
‘Yan!’ Corrine exclaimed as she turned.
‘I’m sorry to turn up unannounced,’ her friend began as she exited her vehicle. ‘I know your text said that you couldn’t be a part of FFA any more but . . .’
Corrine wrapped her arms around her and drew her in tightly. ‘It’s so good to see you,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry I left you all so abruptly but I had no choice. Please come in and let me explain.’
Yan smiled. ‘I’ve brought someone to see you.’
She waved at her car and, as the window unwound and the passenger came into view, Corrine clamped her hands over her mouth.
84
Jeffrey
Without warning, everything and everyone in Noah and Luca’s bedroom fell away into nothing. There was only Jeffrey and the email that had told him he’d been DNA Matched.
He re-read the subject title again to ensure he wasn’t imagining it. Someone out there had been Matched to him. Just him. Only him. And, all at once, the possibilities became endless. He might find a love he had never felt before, a genuine one, not an unrequited obsession. There would be no need for any more lies, manipulation or misdirecting to get what he wanted. He would no longer have to grasp for affection as and when it appeared. No more being rebuffed, rejected, refused, shunned, scorned or pitied.
Only loved.
A thousand small explosions ignited throughout his body at just the notion of it. His eyes darted towards Luca, only now with fresh perspective. Perhaps Luca was right. He might never love Jeffrey because Noah was his Match. Could Jeffrey really live the rest of his life being second best? Just moments ago he’d assumed he could, but this email had the power to change his perception of everything he thought he knew.
Luca appeared to sense a shift in the room. Again, he pushed his back against the wardrobe, although this time with more urgency, and tried to lever himself up. Jeffrey watched him, only this time, he didn’t try to stop him or talk him around.
‘Luca, I’m sorry,’ Jeffrey whispered instead, before inching towards him. His eyes brimmed as, for the second time that night, he wrapped his hands around Luca’s neck. But now it wouldn’t be enough to only render Luca unconscious. Now, he must go further.
Luca, still operating at half speed, tried in vain to fight back, grabbing at Jeffrey’s arms and hands and trying to prise them off him. Like Noah, Luca was no match for Jeffrey’s strength.
‘I really mean it,’ Jeffrey wept, and pushed himself up close to Luca’s head, burying his face in his hair and inhaling him one last time. He barely registered Luca thumping his fists against Jeffrey’s head. ‘You were right. We wouldn’t have worked. I see that now. Thank you. I hope you can forgive me.’
Jeffrey stared into Luca’s eyes as small blood vessels in the whites burst, leaving fine red ribbons. And as Luca’s punches and slaps weakened, Jeffrey began to imagine how his life would truly begin the moment he walked out of that house, each room behind him burning in white hot flames. He could already feel a slipstream of excitement in starting a new chapter.