already betrayed her. She did what she
thought every girl had to do to keep her man happy, and
a bit more besides. As she gave little pieces of herself
away, his confidence grew. She became the needy one,
looking for reassurance that he loved her at every
opportunity, but his replies were never enough. One
day, looking for a stronger reaction, she went as far as
accusing him of having the hots for another girl, a
friend of his family. A month later she sees them kissing.
He denies it. She won't let it rest. Two weeks down
the line she discovers them in bed together. Brendan
says, 'You drove me away. Before you mentioned her, I
didn't even know who she was.' Michelle is adamant.
She had always known that one day he would cheat on
her.
She goes out with another fellow to make Brendan
jealous. Let's call him Rob. Outwardly, she lavishes Rob
with affection. He adores her but knows there is
nothing behind her kisses. He wonders if he is supposed
to buy her love. This time she trades little pieces of herself
for an engagement ring. She parades it in front of
her friends. Rob comes to realize that she cares more for
the diamond than she does for him. One night after
drowning his sorrows, he finds himself entangled in the
arms of an uncomplicated girl who cares nothing for
jewellery. He feels something close to happiness.
Michelle feels completely justified when she tells everyone
that men are all the same.
She interrupted her flow to ask me, 'Are you getting
all this?'
It was only then that I realized I had stopped taking
notes and was sitting back in my chair staring at her. I
may even have had my mouth open.
'Oh, yes,' I replied, 'I'm definitely getting the picture.
Do go on.'
Michelle decides to take revenge on the cheating men
of this world by playing them at their own game. She
finds a man in a bar with a wedding ring on his finger
and asks him to buy her a drink. Several drinks later and
she agrees to go 'home' with him and he finds a hotel.
She wakes in the morning to find a twenty-pound note
on the bedside table. She decides not to share this little
story with her friends.
She has had enough. Never again will she be taken
advantage of. The next time, she assures herself, she
won't give any more of herself away until she walks
down the aisle. Unfortunately Michelle is too willing to
swap a bit of respectability for love. Once the wedding
and the honeymoon are over, she finds that she is
expected to give little pieces of herself away every night.
And not only in the bedroom, but when she has to play
the role of a dutiful wife with her in-laws and his work
colleagues. In those moments, she feels lonelier than
she ever has before. But she can't admit it, so she retreats
to a small place inside herself. Occasionally she looks in
the mirror and she can't even recognize the face in front
of her. She needs to escape so that she can remember
who it is that she used to be.
Unfortunately, her chosen escape route did not take
her far enough away from the prying eyes of a well-meaning
neighbour. Now her husband is divorcing her.
The bastard. She's going to take him to the cleaner's.
For a while, I had been sitting and nodding, waiting
for Michelle to give me something – anything – to work
with.
'For a man, you're a very good listener,' she told me
and I take it from this that she has run out of steam.
'It's my job,' I said, smiling, meaning that I listen by
the hour and that her story has cost her the best part of
£250. A counsellor might have been cheaper.
'I mean business.' She uncrossed her legs and leaned
forward slowly. 'I want him to pay.'
'Just so I'm completely clear, what do you want him
to pay for?' I asked, thinking of her insecurities and the
other men in her life.
'I want the house, all of the furniture and the car,' she
said without hesitating.
'Well, at least we have our starting point. Now, we
need to focus on your husband a little more. What sort
of a man is he?'
Family law is a depressing line of
thought every girl had to do to keep her man happy, and
a bit more besides. As she gave little pieces of herself
away, his confidence grew. She became the needy one,
looking for reassurance that he loved her at every
opportunity, but his replies were never enough. One
day, looking for a stronger reaction, she went as far as
accusing him of having the hots for another girl, a
friend of his family. A month later she sees them kissing.
He denies it. She won't let it rest. Two weeks down
the line she discovers them in bed together. Brendan
says, 'You drove me away. Before you mentioned her, I
didn't even know who she was.' Michelle is adamant.
She had always known that one day he would cheat on
her.
She goes out with another fellow to make Brendan
jealous. Let's call him Rob. Outwardly, she lavishes Rob
with affection. He adores her but knows there is
nothing behind her kisses. He wonders if he is supposed
to buy her love. This time she trades little pieces of herself
for an engagement ring. She parades it in front of
her friends. Rob comes to realize that she cares more for
the diamond than she does for him. One night after
drowning his sorrows, he finds himself entangled in the
arms of an uncomplicated girl who cares nothing for
jewellery. He feels something close to happiness.
Michelle feels completely justified when she tells everyone
that men are all the same.
She interrupted her flow to ask me, 'Are you getting
all this?'
It was only then that I realized I had stopped taking
notes and was sitting back in my chair staring at her. I
may even have had my mouth open.
'Oh, yes,' I replied, 'I'm definitely getting the picture.
Do go on.'
Michelle decides to take revenge on the cheating men
of this world by playing them at their own game. She
finds a man in a bar with a wedding ring on his finger
and asks him to buy her a drink. Several drinks later and
she agrees to go 'home' with him and he finds a hotel.
She wakes in the morning to find a twenty-pound note
on the bedside table. She decides not to share this little
story with her friends.
She has had enough. Never again will she be taken
advantage of. The next time, she assures herself, she
won't give any more of herself away until she walks
down the aisle. Unfortunately Michelle is too willing to
swap a bit of respectability for love. Once the wedding
and the honeymoon are over, she finds that she is
expected to give little pieces of herself away every night.
And not only in the bedroom, but when she has to play
the role of a dutiful wife with her in-laws and his work
colleagues. In those moments, she feels lonelier than
she ever has before. But she can't admit it, so she retreats
to a small place inside herself. Occasionally she looks in
the mirror and she can't even recognize the face in front
of her. She needs to escape so that she can remember
who it is that she used to be.
Unfortunately, her chosen escape route did not take
her far enough away from the prying eyes of a well-meaning
neighbour. Now her husband is divorcing her.
The bastard. She's going to take him to the cleaner's.
For a while, I had been sitting and nodding, waiting
for Michelle to give me something – anything – to work
with.
'For a man, you're a very good listener,' she told me
and I take it from this that she has run out of steam.
'It's my job,' I said, smiling, meaning that I listen by
the hour and that her story has cost her the best part of
£250. A counsellor might have been cheaper.
'I mean business.' She uncrossed her legs and leaned
forward slowly. 'I want him to pay.'
'Just so I'm completely clear, what do you want him
to pay for?' I asked, thinking of her insecurities and the
other men in her life.
'I want the house, all of the furniture and the car,' she
said without hesitating.
'Well, at least we have our starting point. Now, we
need to focus on your husband a little more. What sort
of a man is he?'
Family law is a depressing line of
Similar Books
