The Better Woman by Ber Carroll Page A

mum called from the kitchen.
    Jodi was being deliberately slow. Bob hadn’t backed out hisHolden Commodore yet. She’d developed some core survival techniques over the past four years of living under the same roof as her stepfather: on weekdays she didn’t leave her bedroom until he had left for work; after dinner, a meal her mother insisted they have as a family, Jodi would retire to her room to study; Saturdays and Sundays were spent training and competing at the beach. Avoiding Bob had some ancillary benefits: as a result of all the training and studying, Jodi was excelling in both sport and school.
    She heard the front door slam, and a few seconds later the engine of the Commodore revved up. She stood by the window and peered through the small gap between the mesh curtain and the wall. Bob was looking over his shoulder as he reversed out of the drive. Once out on the road, he changed gear and drove off. She breathed a sigh of relief.
    For breakfast, Jodi ate a large bowl of cereal. She kept a daily diet sheet to ensure she ate enough calories. Sportspeople needed to eat lots to keep up their energy levels and maintain their body weight. It had to be healthy food, though. No junk.
    â€˜What’s on at school today?’ her mother asked as she wiped down the counter.
    â€˜We’re getting the results of last week’s maths exam,’ Jodi replied with a grimace.
    Her mother glanced over her shoulder with a smile. ‘I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.’
    â€˜It was really tough this time,’ said Jodi. ‘I’m not sure I got it all right – question ten was a killer.’
    Her mother laughed. ‘Darl, I wish I’d had half your brains when I was at school. There you are, aiming for full marks, when I would barely scratch a pass …’
    This was the best part of the day. The kitchen was datedbut homely. Jodi had her mum all to herself. They chatted and laughed together. Bob was blocked out, in another compartment, not to be worried about for another ten hours.
    Shirley took a compact from her handbag and, using the mirror, applied a dash of lipstick. She liked to look her best when she was working at the deli. Lots of the customers commented on her lovely smile. Jodi thought her mum was pretty too. She couldn’t comprehend why she’d settled for Bob.
    â€˜Nearly ready to go?’
    â€˜Yes.’ Jodi scraped back her chair.
    I’ll never settle for less than I deserve when I get married
, she thought, picking up her satchel from the tiled floor.
Even if it is for the second time
.
    Miss Butler, the maths teacher, stood at the front of the class, a pile of exam papers hugged to her ample breast.
    â€˜Quiet!’ she ordered her pupils, who were settling into their seats. ‘We have a lot to get through today. First, your results from last week …’
    The class groaned and Jodi felt a twinge of worry.
    â€˜Katrina, you passed – only just …’
    Katrina Stuart, looking rather pleased that she hadn’t wasted any effort, sashayed up the aisle to collect her paper. Her skirt was rolled up at the waist so that the boys could admire her shapely thighs. Everybody knew, including Miss Butler, that she was much more interested in smoking cigarettes in the toilets than in mathematics.
    â€˜Jodi, an outstanding result, well done.’
    Jodi stood up to take the outstretched test paper. She glanced at the mark on the top right hand corner: one hundred per cent.
    â€˜Samantha, you stumbled on question ten …’
    Miss Butler finished distributing the papers and then, in brisk tones, began to explain methods of integration. She hadn’t quite finished by the time the bell rang for morning break. Much to the disgruntlement of her pupils, she continued on for a few extra minutes.
    â€˜What have you got?’ Samantha asked Jodi when Miss Butler finally gave them permission to leave.
    â€˜Cheese, crackers