A Change for the Better? Read Online Free Page A

but it didn ’ t worry her. She saw people at work, she e-mailed and visited a few old college friends who lived outside of London and, of course, she had Mo too. The loneliness she felt sometimes she thought was a price worth paying for all she had around her, the flat, the designer clothes, the state of the art gadgets in every room and last but definitely not least Marcus.
     
    Then it had happened, it had all come tumbling down and exposed the fragile ‘ house of cards ’ her life actually was. Katie and Marcus had been away on another business trip, they generally kept business trips very businesslike until they had concluded work and then stayed on for a couple more nights for themselves. Apparently Sarah, Marcus ’ s wife had had her suspicions and had employed someone to watch him, not that Katie and Marcus knew that then. No, the photos of their liaison were presented by Sarah the following Wednesday in the middle of the partners meeting when Katie was taking minutes.
     
    Katie paused in her story, shuddering as she recalled the horror of that moment. Cliona just reached out and patted her hand to reassure her. Taking a deep breath Katie continued. Sarah had stormed into that meeting waving the photos and spreading them round for all the partners to see. She then told Marcus where to go and called Katie a few choice names in the well-worn tradition of wives to mistresses. Then she ’ d turned on her Jimmy Choos and left. Katie was dumbstruck, horrified and had lost the use of any of her limbs and looked to Marcus for support. That, of course, was not forthcoming. He had looked at her with disgust and then shot out of the room after his wife leaving Katie to face the other five partners who were now all looking to her for answers. It was Jed Dawson, the most senior partner who had come to her rescue. Realising she was in no fit state to answer any questions relating to her position at the moment and that she didn ’ t have to answer the more curious ones about their relationship, he had dismissed the meeting, fetched Katie a drink of water and then once she had regained her composure he had sent her home telling her to take the rest of the week off. She was instructed to ring personnel once she was feeling better and they would take things from there. Somehow it was Mr. Dawson ’ s kindness, despite the disapproval and disappointment that was clear in his eyes, which upset Katie the most. For the first time she really felt like the scarlet woman, the home wrecker, that no doubt, everyone in the office was branding her.
     
    At home, in her beautiful flat, Katie waited for Marcus to ring, and waited, and waited. She had thought he would at least ring to see if she was ok but by Thursday evening there had been no contact at all. So nervously Katie had dialled his mobile, it was switched off. Then she checked her e-mails to see if he had sent her a message under the guise of doing some work, but again there was nothing. By Saturday evening when there was still no word Katie realised she wasn ’ t going to hear from him, he was simply going to cut her out of his life as if she never existed. Katie had been asked to go in for an appointment at work on the following Tuesday where they had quietly dispensed with her services. She had gotten the call about Mo ’ s fall on the Sunday and found herself in Laxley Heath and Tolpuddle House by Wednesday.
     
    Katie paused at the end of her story, she looked briefly at Cliona, not wanting to see the dislike in this kind woman ’ s eyes but expecting it none the less. But instead Cliona just patted Katie ’ s clenched hands, smiled at her with genuine warmth and said
    “ You made a mistake, you ’ ve paid the price and you’ll never do it again. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and do something new - and remember security in life only ever comes from within - someone else can ’ t give it to you, because they can always take it away again.