“And it is over, lady and gentlemen, please shake hands and part,” their lawyer requested.
“Why did ye do that?” Ade demanded. “You know ye deserved better.”
“So I never have to see either of them again. I need closure. We need closure for our relationship to work. I want to move on without always having to look over my shoulder for them. I want to be free!” I snapped.
“Free to gold dig from someone else like the little whore you are,” the blonde snapped. “Come lover, time we were away from this toxic trash.” He spat at her feet.
I stared at my ex. “You literally just signed to stop the trash insults and he is at it again a split second later. Have you nothing to say about it?”
The monster stood slowly, staring back at me. “Yeah I do have something to say. Go fuck someone else for money and leave us alone. You dirty, disgusting, filthy, money grabbing piece of shit. I hope you die slowly and painfully from STDs.” He swayed a little as he swigged from a hip flask.
Their lawyer sighed. “Please shut up, this meeting is recorded. You are giving them all the evidence they need to have you locked up for harassment!”
“I don’t care, I want the whole world to know what trash she really is. I should tell the whole media. Book me some interviews today!”
“Oh God,” their lawyer muttered to himself.
Our lawyer smiled broadly. “On camera, in front of witnesses, your client is in breach of an agreement signed just moments ago. I can assure you that we will be looking for an extremely large fee.”
“No, I do not want his money,” I answered calmly.
“Ye don’t?” Ade asked confused.
“No,” I said more firmly. “This is not about money and never has been. The money I have been gifted will go to help kids in the arts. What I demand is that he goes to rehab and stays there until he is better with no contact from his boyfriend at all. He was a good man until he was fucked up by this person and the addictions he brought into his life. I got my friend clean for a long time before he started up again, taking drugs around him, tempting him into them constantly. It is that or jail. Those are my terms.”
“We agree to those terms,” their lawyer answered.
“I do not,” the monster stated, “and I am the only one who matters.”
“Your management says otherwise, sir.”
The monster turned on me. “All this because you couldn’t handle that I didn’t want to be with a woman anymore.”
I stared at him. “No dear. All this because you didn’t have room for one in your life as a friend in between your fame, addictions and bed warmers. I always knew you were ‘open minded’ what gender shared your bed. I only objected when you started demanding I allow you a man on the side while we dated. You know I do not share.”
The monster had one last trick to play, a little revenge for our win here today. He smiled evilly over at Adrian. “You love that man? You trust him? Do you think he is better than me? He is just as fucked up and evil as you think I am.”
“He is nothing like you!”
“Oh really? Then I am sure he told you all about why he was at the Liffey that day? The reason he found you. He was there at the meetings during your little drama lama fights. He heard every dirty little trick you used against me for attention. He only came after you out of pity. I told him not to bother, you weren’t worth saving. Pity is the only reason he dates you. He just doesn’t want to live with your suicide on his mind.” The monster laughed at me. “None of what you are seeing is love. It is just him not wanting to feel guilty after you die.”
I squared up to him. “I know, I always have. He told me straight away, we talked and moved passed it all. To a love that is pure and sweet, and actually real unlike anything you ever gave me. Unlike everything you are still giving out to others.”
He was finally left, speechless, as I turned on my heel and left. I didn’t want to be anywhere near any of them anymore.
Adrian caught up with me before I got outside. “Lil, we need to talk.”
I shrugged off his touch. “Is it true? What he said?”
Ade sighed. “I was at the meetings, I did see how he treated youse for all those months. I did come to find you because I was worried and concerned about your wellbeing after it all. What he did to you was wrong. Youse didn’t deserve any of it. He just lashed out at ye because the collab we were working on wasn’t going well and his manager was riding him over it. Yes, what he said is how we started and met. But then I got to know ye, fell in love with ye and, hell, I want to marry you one day if you will have me.” He pulled the ring box out of his pocket.
I pushed him away. “I can’t even look at you. You disgust me. You used me and played me just like him. Don’t come after me, don’t come near me. Just leave me alone, freak!”
Chapter 23
Adrian’s POV
I sat in my hotel room, the contents of the empty mini bar all over the floor. Drunk dialling her computer for the millionth time. The call disconnected instantly. Lily, darling, please let me make this right. I love you, I text. No
