Briar's Champion by Mahalia Levey Page B

making her way through the parking lot. She tearfully found her car, and locked herself inside, before taking a steady breath. Home was the last place she wanted to go. The thought of sleeping in the bed she once shared with Westly turned her stomach. So did the thought of having his scent around her, or looking at the pictures of them on the walls.
    Good thing r ush hour in D owntown Kansas City kept her from venturing on side streets that would get her there faster . She caught her reflection in the rearview mirror and saw blood-red puffy eyes staring back at her . T his can’t be happening to me .
    Her confusion mounted when she finally arrived home to discover a moving truck taking possessions down a temporary ramp. Briar watched for a few minutes, until clarity dawned on her. The possessions the movers were carting from the condo were hers . “Hey ! ” She fumbled with the car door but managed to get out to rush over to the workers. Her tears now dried, left a burning rage in their wake. Her stomach pitched and rolled, when another item of hers was put into the large moving truck.
    “Just moving the items on our list, Ma’am . ” T he mover clicked his clipboard with his pen .
    “I don’t understand. When could Westly have made plans to do this?”
    “Mr . Jonston contacted us weeks ago to arrange for his personal belongings to be moved today , ” h e patiently explained .
    “ You’re not taking out his things . T hese are all of my belongings. ”
    “I have a list of items right here M a’am. ” He waved the clipboard at her. “ Again , I’m sorry but we’re on limited time to get the job done.”
    Briar saw pity in his face. Did everyone know but her? Exasperation built to high levels within her , threatening to consume her. “ Why is he doing this? God , he must hate me. ” I don’t deserve this . She snatched the list and pen from the man. “ What’s crossed out you can take. The items that are circled need to take a trip back to the condo please.” She handed the amended form back to the stunned mover. “ Please don’t scratch anything.” Turning on her heel, she was glad s he mustered up enough strength to speak without bursting into tears in front of strangers.
    “I am sorry M a’am , truly , but I have a job to do. We’ll , uh , be out of your hair in a bit. Is there anywhere you can go till we’re done?”
    Briar didn’t want his pity. “My name is Briar, and no I don’t have somewhere else to go — not yet anyway .” She watched as he moved forwar d and wait ed while he instructed the men of the changes . Depression threatened to drown her. S he slowly walked around them, try ing not to be a hindrance. The sooner they left the better. She made her way into her condo, and sat on the couch. Boxes littered the floor. Damn bastard didn’t waste any time.
    On the table next to her lay the monthly bills. One by one , she opened them to find he’d only paid half the balance on each one. She wasn’t surprised. F or someone rich with financial security , Westly was a cheap man. Sh oulders slumped, she sighed in despair , wondering if he’d left her a dime. Taking out her cell phone, s he hit speed dial four for a direct connection to her bank and typed in the account number she shared with him on her keypad. Zero balance rang in her ears. He left her with nothing. The blood drained from her face . How did he expect her to live? What gave him the right to be entitled to everything? She keyed in the numbers for her personal account. The automation verified the amount left in her account matched the amount she’d deposited earlier . A breath of relief seized her . At least I’m not destitute. There lay the silver lining.
    A wave of exhaustion washed over her, numbness settling in her mind. Hopelessness was n ’ t far behind. The day ’ s events replayed continuous ly through her head as she tr ied to make sense of how her life had gone from great to total shit. Get it together ,