by M J Hardy
Kim is openly crying beside me and even I have a tear in my eye as everyone’s attention is riveted on the man purging his soul to a man who obviously couldn’t care less.
Ben stands strong and unwavering as he says softly, “The name of this resort is not by chance. My new parents taught me many things, but the thing I identified with the most was Buddhism. You see, it resonated with me when it taught me that ultimately, I was in control of my fate. You learn from the past to shape your future, and the symbol of the lotus flower was the most powerful image of all. It grows from the mud, the dirt, and emerges resplendent in its breath-taking beauty. It’s a symbol of purity, self-regeneration, and spiritual enlightenment. I chose the lotus flower because I identify with it. I grew from the mud and the dirt, and I have created something beautiful. So, you see, Ray, you created something beautiful, but you weren’t interested in that, so what can I say, Karmas a bitch because now you can see what could have been yours to share. So, I hope you take this image home with you, back to your seedy life spent preying on defenceless women, and remember that the child you never wanted, never wants to see you again. You’re dead to me.”
He stares at him in disgust and snarls, “Now get the hell out of my fucking resort.”
Ray makes to speak but Ben turns away and I watch as two burly security guards haul him backwards and almost drag him from the room, shouting, “I’m sorry, son, let me explain.”
Chloe shivers beside me and Kim is wiping her eyes furiously as Ben turns and says evenly.
“Please forgive me, that was a long time coming.”
He appears to compose himself and then says roughly, “If you’d like to refresh your drinks, we will take a short break.”
As he makes his way out of the room, the silence follows him.
Chapter 39
Chloe
I am destroyed. That was intense, and I feel so emotional as I look after the man who just bared his soul in public. Emma appears lost for words and looks at us in shock. “What just happened?”
Kim sniffs. “That was devastating, I feel so sorry for him.”
“Who, Ray?”
Emma looks astonished as Kim snaps, “No, Ben, of course. I can’t believe he put himself through that, the poor man.”
“He’s hardly poor.” Emma shakes her head and at this moment in time, I really despise Emma.
Evelyn shivers. “I knew there was something shady about that man, he had an evil aura.”
Kim nods. “I felt it too. Well, at least he’s gone now.”
Emma grabs a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and drinks it quickly. “Well, that was unexpected.”
We look up as Evelyn’s husband Charles heads our way and says angrily, “That man is so slippery. I tried to get a moment, but he pushed me aside. I deserve more respect than that. We have business to discuss.”
“For goodness’s sake, Charles, the man just poured his heart out, give him a break for a minute.”
Evelyn looks angry and Charles snarls, “This affects you too you stupid woman, I don’t think you realise how serious this is.”
“How dare you?”
Evelyn is quivering with rage and it feels uncomfortable to watch and so we all make our excuses. “Um, I think I should catch up with John.”
Emma says loudly, “I should really go and see if Ben needs me.”
Kim nods “I should just, um… well… yes…”
One by one, we all drift away and I hear raised voices as we go.
As soon as I reach John, I raise my eyes. “My goodness, that was so intense.”
He nods. “Poor guy, it sounds like he had a miserable childhood.”
“Hm, he did well though, those new parents are obviously worth more than gold. He was lucky.”
John slips his arm around my shoulders and to my surprise, he leans down and kisses me long and hard in full view of everyone. Feeling a little embarrassed, I pull back and whisper, “What was that for?”
“For taking you for granted. For not making an honest woman of you and for not being the man you deserve.”
“But you are.”
His eyes soften and he strokes my face lightly. “I want to be. I want to make an honest woman of you, Chloe. I want us to share the same name and commit to one another. I don’t want any regrets in our lives, and it’s taken me coming here to realise that. We only get one shot at life and now we’re away from our kind of normal, I want to return and turn a new page and write a different future.”
“But how, we can’t afford it?”
“We will make it work even if we head down to the registry office one day and have takeaway fish and chips on the seafront afterwards. I don’t care how we do it, how much money we spend, I just want you.”
I am reeling as John offers me something I have wanted for so long I never actually thought it would happen and as I fall into his outstretched arms and they wrap around me, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy.
However, it’s that moment I think back on because happiness, as it turns out, can be just a fleeting moment and then we hear a loud, “May I have your attention?”
We look up to see Ben has returned and appears to have composed himself and a hush falls over the room.
“Forgive me, I just needed a moment. I never realised how emotional that delivery would be. It felt good though.”
There’s a small cheer that goes up from his staff and he laughs. “Anyway, where were we?”
He looks around the room and I see his gaze fall on me and my heart rate quickens as I sense something is not quite right. He smiles, and it seems so sad, it brings tears to my eyes and as he looks away, I watch him stare at Jack and notice a hard-edge creep into his expression.
“As it turns out, there’s another person here who I wanted to share in my success. A man I knew from school, someone who was popular, a bit of a bully and a guy everyone wanted to be on the right side of.”
He looks quite angry as he points at Jack. “I’m surprised you don’t remember me, Jack. Admittedly I’ve grown up a lot since Greendale but we were in the same class at school. I suppose the beard and glasses change a person, also the clothes are a lot more expensive than I used to wear.”
Jack looks confused, and then the penny drops along with his mouth. “I remember you.”
Ben nods. “That’s right, you bullied the hell out of me for my entire school life at Greendale. You beat me, stole my lunch, belittled and taunted me and made my life miserable in every way. I actually hated you back then and thought of a thousand ways I could get my revenge, but how could I? I was a boy with nothing and you had everything. Good looks, popularity, and the life I always wished was mine. I could never compete with you, so I didn’t even try. To be honest, I forgot about you until one night you came back to haunt me with a vengeance.”
Jack looks confused. “What are you talking about?”
I catch Kim’s eye and she looks absolutely horrified and my heart goes out to her. It can’t be nice discovering your husband was a bully, and she appears shaken. However, my attention is dragged back to the conversation as Ben looks across at me and shakes his head, looking so worried I wonder what on earth he’s going to say.
“I was heading home late one night after finishing work at a bar in Brighton and something captured my attention. I heard a noise coming from an alley and as I peered in, the light from the door opening caused me to look and I recognised you immediately. I saw you with a girl, she appeared drunk and you were holding her up. I made to go and help, but the door shut and everything went dark. I heard you laughing though. As I moved closer, I saw you pressed up against her and the sounds you were making told me I shouldn’t interfere. Obviously, you were doing something you wouldn’t thank me for interrupting and so I moved away. But something about it didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t right, and I suppose a warning siren went off in my head. It was all a little one-sided. The sounds were coming from you alone and so I went back and then I saw her, slum
ped on the ground. You had left, and she was lying there, out cold and cast aside like a used piece of trash.”
I think my life flashes before me at this moment and I can’t do anything but stare as if I’m a spectator watching my own life crash and burn.
Jack shouts, “You’re a fucking lunatic, you’re making this up.”
He looks at Kim and says angrily, “The guy’s a madman. That never happened. Why would I rape someone? You heard him, I was popular for Christ’s sake, women were all over me. Why would I take an unwilling one?”
Suddenly, the screen behind Ben flickers and Ben sneers, “I thought you might say that, well, why don’t you watch a little video we put together for promotional purposes.”
As we stare at the screen, I hear a gasp from across the room as Evelyn cries out, “Oh my god.”
Chapter 40
Evelyn
I’m not sure what’s happening here, but my life is unravelling fast. Charles has been moody, irritable and downright rude ever since he returned from the morning spent on the boat and I can tell he’s been drinking. Now this speech is changing everything as Emma’s boyfriend delivers blow upon blow to the surrounding guests, and as I stare at the screen, I can actually hear my heart thumping.
The image is of me, walking past the gym and I know immediately when this was - the night I am trying so hard to forget. I’m on my own and looking around as if I’m waiting for someone and I look across at Jack who is standing like a statue.
I see a man walking up behind me in the video and from the back it looks like Jack. But he wasn’t there; he told me it wasn’t him.
My breath hitches as I watch him wrap his hand around my face and cover my mouth and drag me into the cupboard. As the door slams, the tears fall fast down my face as I remember exactly what was going on in there. I can feel a few concerned looks thrown my way as the crowd starts to shift awkwardly on their feet and Charles hisses, “What the hell is going on, Evelyn, is that…”
The tape must fast forward because the door opens and the camera pans in on Jack heading out of the cupboard, zipping up his pants and smirking cockily, and there’s a hushed gasp of horror as just about everyone looks at him and then me.
I hear a shocked, “Oh my god, Jack.” and recognise Kim’s voice as she starts to sob and then as the door opens, I cringe when I see myself head outside, looking up and down the hallway before I straighten my clothing and walk away. However, it’s obvious I’m more than happy about what happened and Charles hisses, “I think you have some explaining to do.”
The screen changes and I close my eyes as the images from the lift play out of when I first met Jack. The gasp of horror reveals that the audience is watching every moment of a sordid encounter showing us at our worst. I remember it all so vividly because I was like an animal myself and I feel the shame wash over me as Jack shouts, “Turn it off, this is an invasion of privacy. So what if we had fun? I never forced her; you can see how much she loves it.”
I stand shaking as the tears run down my face and take a step back as Charles grips my arm hard and anchors me beside him, hissing angrily, “You will stay and face up to what you’ve done, you fucking whore.”
It feels as if I am now the most hated person on the planet as I feel the hostile looks thrown my way and then Ben says loudly, “You can see what sort of man Jack Parker is and he obviously never grew out of his desire to take women by force. So, Jack, how does it feel to be named and shamed? Mentally beaten and hated by everyone. Standing there exposed while a bigger bully brings you down and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it and you will have to live with the shameful memory forever. Welcome to my world, Jack because you are about to discover what it’s like to feel real fear because I’m guessing there are two men in this room who have quite the grudge against you, so I would start running if I were you.”
Charles drops my arm and moves away, and he doesn’t move alone. Suddenly, I hear Chloe shout with real fear in her voice, “JOHN, NO!”
It appears as if all hell breaks loose as we hear a roar, “You fucking bastard, I’m going to kill you.”
I gasp when I see John launch himself at Jack and Charles soon joins in and the sound of screaming ricochets around the room as the place erupts into violence.
The next thing I know, I see Kim standing before me looking utterly heartbroken and then she shocks the hell out of me by saying sadly, “Are you ok, Evelyn?”
I blink in surprise as I stare at a woman who is mentally ruined, shaking with emotion with the tears running down her face.
“But…”
I am fully waiting for her to strike me, punch me, cause me physical pain to replace the mental one she is obviously going through, but she just looks so destroyed, it’s as if she has no strength left for the fight. Then she shakes her head sadly and slips her hand in mine, and as chaos breaks out all around us, she pulls me from the room.
The night air feels like antiseptic on a burn as she walks purposefully towards the beach, pulling me along behind her. I am so shocked I can’t even protest as she steers us away from the madness Ben’s words have created.
The noise soon fades into the background and an eerie silence descends on us as she says in a dull voice, “I’m so sorry, Evelyn.”
From somewhere, I find my voice and say in a whisper, “Why, you’ve done nothing to apologise for, it’s me who should apologise to you?”
“For what, being taken in by my husband? I kind of understand how that can happen, so how can I blame you for his actions?”
“But I was to blame just as much as him. I’m so sorry, Kim, I never meant to hurt you, but I was blinded by my attraction to him.”
“I know what that feels like.”
She pulls me down to sit on the sand next to her and wraps her arms around her knees, drawing them close as if to protect her from the harsh reality.
“You see, finding out my husband is a sex predator is not the worst moment of my life.”
“It’s not.”
She shakes her head sadly. “To be honest, nothing surprises me anymore about that man. The worst thing I heard tonight was before it all kicked off.”
“What did you hear?”
I can’t believe that anything could be worse than what we just went through and she sobs, “Jack knew I always wanted children. He knew it was a huge part of me and yet he never told me that he couldn’t have them, not until we came here. I always thought he had a problem because I got myself checked out when we failed to get pregnant. At first, I was compassionate and felt sorry for him but he was so angry and dismissive and that’s why we argued. I’m not surprised he came after you, that’s typical Jack. He likes to be in control and he was losing it with me. He pushed me away because he didn’t like the conversation I wanted to have. It’s obvious he never wanted children at all because Chloe told me he discussed his vasectomy operation with John.”
Reaching out, I place my arm around her shoulders and it strikes me how messed up this is. She should hate me, be shouting at me, yet she is opening up a part of her soul that makes me feel even worse about what I’ve done.
Her soft cries are the only sound as she lets the tears fall for a future she wanted above everything. Then she takes a deep breath and whispers, “What will happen now, I’m guessing your husband will be angry.”
Thinking of Charles leaves me cold inside. Empty, as if he no longer has any meaning in my life, and I sigh. “His pride will be wounded, but knowing him he’ll brush it aside and use it to keep me in line.”
“That’s horrible.”
“He’s a horrible man. It appears we have that in common at least. We married extremely nasty men.”
“What do you think is happening right now?”
“With any luck, John will kill them both and do us the favour of not having to face them again.”
Kim laughs softly. “Here’s hoping.”
“You know Kim…” I have to voice the words that can’t stay unspoken muc
h longer and I sigh heavily.
“I am so sorry. I’ve done something I’m not proud of and I was blind to your feelings and thought it wouldn’t hurt just this once. I was so wrapped up in what I wanted, I never once stopped to think about the damage it would do to you, and I will never forgive myself for that.”
“Thank you.”
I stare out at the black sea that ripples in the moonlight and say sadly, “What will you do now?”
“Divorce him, move out, start again somewhere new. I still have my job so I’ll maybe rent somewhere, lick my wounds and hope that my future isn’t as brutal as my past. How about you?”
“The same, I guess, although I’ll have to find a job and fast. It just shows how stupid I’ve been because even though it looks as if I have everything, in reality I have nothing. No personal wealth, no possessions, even the house is in Charles’s name. It’s likely I’ll end up having to move in with my parents. That will be a difficult conversation.”
Kim sounds concerned. “You will be entitled to half of his money, surely.”
“Maybe, but knowing Charles, he will fight me every step of the way. It’s fine though, I can’t be unhappy anymore. You know, as bad as this sounds, I’m glad that happened. I’m ashamed of what I did and always will be, but it has forced change that was long overdue. Maybe Ben has done us both a favour, although I’m not so sure about Chloe.”
“Do you think that woman was her, I couldn’t tell?”
Thinking of the look on Chloe’s face and John’s reaction, I nod. “I think it must have been. I saw her face when she saw the images on the screen. She looked horrified, destroyed even, and John looked so angry I knew it could only be personal.”
“Yes, I saw Ben watching her carefully. Do you think he knew it was her and brought her here to confront the man who…”
She breaks off and I reach for her hand and squeeze it gently. “I’m guessing we were all brought here for a reason and this was no coincidence. Maybe there’s more to come; I don’t know if I can cope if there is.”
