The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) T. Belshaw (management books to read .txt) 📖

Sam nodded and returned to the car leaving the front door open.

Jess was lost in her own thoughts for a while, then made a decision. She looked back down the stairway to make sure Sam hadn’t returned, then she sat on the sofa, opened the drawer under the coffee table, took out a notepad, a small white envelope and a pen.

Dear Calvin,

I cannot express how sad and utterly dejected I feel as I write this. I thought we would go on for ever. I really believed you loved me. I am devastated. My life has been turned on its head. I lost the two people I cared about most in the world in the space of an hour. I can’t see any way back for us, Calvin, not after what happened. I could have forgiven the infidelity, I could have put up with the fact that you were short of money and couldn’t pay your share of the bills again, I was used to that, but I can never forgive, or forget the way you acted towards Sam and me that awful afternoon. People who really love someone, as much you professed to, don’t do things like that, Calvin, no matter how tough a time they are going through. You think you have had it hard? just imagine, if you can, what my life is like now, bereft of my darling Nana, pretty much estranged from my entire family, an empty heart and feeling very much alone. It’s a good job I had Sam to care for me or I don’t know what I might have done.

I can’t move back into the flat, Calvin. It holds one bad memory too many. I could never be happy here again. I’m staying at Sam’s for now, but I’ll get myself a new place soon. Don’t go thinking I’ve suddenly become rich, either. I’m not. Surprisingly, Nana mentioned her daughters in her will. I think they’ll get the farm and most of the money that she left. I’m hoping for a few personal items to remember her by, but that’s about it. No fortune, no rent-free flat, nothing. I’m going to have to rebuild my life from scratch.

The rent is paid on the flat until the New Year, that’s when the lease runs out. I’m cancelling all the direct debits for Council Tax, water, electricity, gas, etc so if you want to stay here until then you’ll have to pay them yourself.

I won’t come back here again, Calvin. You can keep all the kitchen equipment; I’ll get new when I’m settled in my new place. I hope you manage to find happiness. What we had was so special that I can’t find it in my heart to hate you. Part of me still loves you, but I have to steel myself to the fact that there is no future for us. Please don’t try to get in touch by phone or in person. I’m going to try to remember you as you were when we first met, not the controlling, selfish man you became. Did you change, or was that Calvin inside you all the time? I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt on that one.

Take care, Calvin. I wish you a happy life and I hope you find someone you can love and respect. I’m sorry that I couldn’t live up to your expectations of me.

Love Jess. xxx

Jess read the letter through, cursed herself for adding the kisses and thought about rewriting the whole thing in a more un-personal manner, but when she heard Sam call up the stairs, she whispered, ‘sod it’ to herself, folded the letter in half and slipped it into the envelope.

She scrawled Calvin, across the front and just stopped herself adding more kisses. She had been so used to putting them on the bottom of every text message she sent him that it was an almost automatic thing to do.

‘Coming.’ Jess went to drop the envelope on the coffee table but remembering how Calvin had left her letter on the toilet seat of all places, she decided to do likewise.

Back in the car, she looked at her watch.

‘Goodness, look at the time. I’m due at the solicitors in forty minutes and I need to get something ironed first. Everything will be creased after being in those bags.’

As Sam’s Volkswagen pulled out onto the main street, a black BMW slipped out of the parking lot belonging to the next block of flats and parked up in the space that Sam’s Golf had just vacated. Calvin slid out of the driver’s seat, looked over his shoulder to make sure that Jess wasn’t about to return, and pulling a single key from his pocket, let himself into the flat.

Chapter 6

By the time Nicola’s battered old Ford pulled up outside, Martha’s earlier good mood had gradually worsened and she had been pacing the strip of patterned matting in front of the window for a good fifteen minutes. Her vexation wasn’t lessened when she spotted Nicola take a swig from a bottle before opening the door of the car to wave in her direction.

‘Not only unforgivably late, but under the influence of alcohol as usual.’ Martha sucked in through her teeth and scowled.

‘Should I ring for a taxi then?’ Marjorie asked, already knowing the answer.

‘Do you think I’m made of money?’ Martha turned her anger on the only target within earshot. ‘We’ll have to risk it with Nicola. I want to look around what’s left of the farm and I’m not going to pay a taxi driver to sit twiddling his thumbs while I explore. Nicola can do that. It’s the one thing she’s good at, apart from drinking herself into oblivion. I don’t know where she gets the money to afford the habit. That part time job at the supermarket must only just cover the rent.’

Martha stormed out of the house leaving Marjorie to close the door and scurry along behind as she marched across the