by S M Mala
‘It’s because I love you and want you to be happy. I’m being selfish too, you know. I’d hate to be with you knowing what you’d lost out on. Your child. And god Finlay, you know I’d never let Daisy go for anyone or anything.’
‘I know,’ he said and she glanced up at his pained expression. ‘What you’re doing is amazing but very stupid.’
‘I agree,’ Piers said.
‘Well that’s her all over!’ Freya shouted as she marched into the room and Sylvie stood there, rooted to the spot. ‘A very stupid woman!’
‘What the hell are you doing here!’ shouted Piers, standing up. ‘This is company business and who the hell let you in? Alice, did you do this?’
‘What are you doing here?’ Alice asked, putting her hand to her forehead.
‘You told me, my dear friend,’ the woman said, her voice loaded with sarcasm. ‘You said you were going to sort it all out and I realised you’d have to see her. It just took a few phone calls to find out when she was coming in! Your employees aren’t that bright!’
‘Don’t you dare speak to my wife like that!’ barked Piers as Sylvie noticed Finlay was shaking his head from side to side.
Her mother in law had aged and seemed really angry. She wondered if she always looked like that but never noticed. Rupert didn’t resemble his mother and to this fact she was truly grateful. She could see Finlay in Alice but all she saw in Freya was a poisonous bitter woman intent on hurting her.
‘Freya, can you leave?’ Alice asked, getting up and walking towards her friend. ‘I told you I was going to sort this out.’
‘How? Sylvie asked, dreading there was another twist to the agreement she’d not been made aware of. ‘There’s nothing to sort out.’
‘You’ve betrayed our friendship,’ Freya said angrily to Alice. ‘How could you have employed her knowing what she did to me? And never telling me where she was, knowing fully well I was trying to track her down!’
‘Why?’ Sylvie asked, starting to physically shake as she noticed Finlay walk around them and stand beside her. ‘You made it perfectly clear you didn’t want to have anything to do with me or my child. Have you forgotten about the DNA test Daisy did when she was five to prove Rupert was her father? Did it slip your mind that you forced us out of the house knowing we were waiting for the insurance payment to pay the debt we owed to you? So why did you want to find us? Something else you forgot about?’
There was silence in the room as Sylvie felt her cheeks burn in anger and tried to stabilise the fury surging through her body.
‘I suppose you forgot to tell everyone you got a substantial payment based on my son’s death? Are you still spouting I hurt you?’ Freya angrily replied. ‘That’s you all over.’
‘Every penny I got for Rupert has gone into a trust fund for my child so she never has to worry about the next penny and bills as I had to do after he died. And I suppose you forgot to tell your dear friend you charged me fucking interest on the money you leant your son! You made a tidy profit out of Rupert’s death.’
‘How dare you speak to me like that,’ Freya hissed. ‘I want to see my granddaughter.’
‘Your granddaughter?’ Sylvie shouted so loudly, it immediately hurt her throat. ‘You and your family have not made contact with my child since the day Rupert died and you want to call her your ‘granddaughter’? How dare you even say that!’
‘Sylvie don’t get upset,’ Finlay gently said and she felt him touch her shoulder. ‘Just go Freya. Can’t you see you’re upsetting her?’
‘What about me!’ the woman shouted back as Sylvie walked towards her and heard Piers groan in the background. ‘You took everything I had!’
‘I fell in love with your son and he fell in love with me. We were happy, we were really happy even though you gave him a cruel ultimatum, he still stuck with me. He defied you and you made him suffer, god you made his life hell. He didn’t want to do that fucking bike ride! You forced him, all for that bloody school and he was tired, really tired but he did it and it killed him! And why? Because he didn’t want to let you down! In all the shit you threw at him, at me, he didn’t want to upset you. Don’t you dare think you can come here and make me feel shittier than I have done after all this time. I wished I had forced him not to go but because it was for you, I didn’t. I knew you’d give him a hard time so just fuck off with your ‘granddaughter’ shit! It means nothing to me!’
Sylvie started to cry, both from being upset and angry, as she glared at the woman who seemed incensed by her words.
‘What sort of mother are you? Working in a set up like that! How does that set a good example to my son’s child? You’re not fit to look after her!’ Freya said loudly.
‘Don’t say that!’ snapped Alice. ‘That’s not fair and you know it! Just go, you’re not helping anything or anyone.’
‘She doesn’t deserve to have my son’s child.’
‘And I miss him. I miss my husband as a part of me died when he did,’ Sylvie said quietly, before feeling the tears fall down her cheeks. ‘I died too that day, not only him. I hold onto Daisy as that’s what he left me, something so precious to him to look after and that’s what I have to do. To look after and protect her.’
Silence fell in the room as she gulped back her tears.
‘Piers gave me a lifeline,’ Sylvie continued. ‘… even if it was mostly made out of silicone and plastic, it was something to focus on. I’m not ashamed of that but it’s embarrassing, I admit.’
Piers started to chuckle.
‘Alice, she’ll ruin your life as she did to me, you wait and see,’ Freya said angrily. ‘She’ll destroy everything you love including your son. And Finlay? What the hell are you doing with her? You could do so much better than that!’
‘How dare you call her ‘that’!’ barked Toby storming in, giving Sylvie a shock.
She noticed Samina followed by Stephen.
‘A party?’ Piers said and she saw him from the corner of her eye. ‘How delightful!’
‘We come to stop you!’ said Samina before looking at Freya. ‘Who she?’
‘Rupert’s mother,’ Finlay replied, then she felt him touch her back, gently rubbing it before kissing her head. ‘Sylvie sold her shares to secure me seeing my son and because she wants me to be happy.’
‘You Rupert mother?’ said Samina as she glared at her for a moment. ‘You make my Sylvie life hell? You hurt my Sylvie!’
‘Who the hell are you?’ Freya said angrily
Sylvie looked up at Finlay.
He was smiling and she just wanted to run away from the whole situation. Slowly he touched her face, wiping away her stray tears.
‘You do love me, don’t you Ms Mather?’ he said quietly. ‘You didn’t have to do this, you know that.’
‘I’m not a bad person,’ she whispered back and touched his hand. ‘And it doesn’t matter.’
‘You wrong! It matter big time! You know this woman an Anglophile!’ announced Samina as Sylvie had no idea what she was talking about. ‘I hear.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Piers asked as Sylvie felt a little giddy.
Finlay tightly wrapped his arms around her before she was led to the sofa.
Her nights of not sleeping through worry were starting to show as she felt emotionally and physically exhausted.
‘Are you upsetting Sylvie?’ asked Toby as she rested her head on Finlay’s chest.
‘I never got the chance to properly grieve for him,’ she whispered into his skin, feeling his face press against her head. ‘I had to do something so the pain would go.’
‘I know,’ he gently replied.
She didn’t want to move.
All she wanted to do was go home and start her life again.
With Daisy.
And Finlay.
As he sat there, with her in his arms, he realised never in his life had he experienced someone who was truly willing to put everything on the line for him.
An unselfish act of love
.
Sylvie had just done it.
For a moment he wished they were alone and he could speak to her but they had an audience. He needed to sort this out once and for all.
‘Sly,’ he gently said, before grabbing her face gently. ‘What you did was wonderful but you should have told me what Juliette said. I knew deep down she never really loved me so I wouldn’t have been truly hurt. She did that nearly a year ago and I would never have agreed to you selling your shares.’
‘The giant force you!’ said Samina, walking closer to them as he noticed the woman looked devastated when she looked at Sylvie. ‘It the ugly cry face. Upset my digestive. She look like that when you went back to the French giant.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Sylvie asked, sitting up straight as Finlay noticed how tired and upset she was. ‘It’s all done.’
‘You silly woman!’ Samina scolded. ‘It all sorted so you not have to sell.’
‘Can’t you see what sort of person she is? She’ll rip you all apart like she did to me!’ shouted Freya as Finlay sat there, shocked by the outburst, forgetting she was in the room.
‘You think you can scream and shout? You an Anglophile and so you quiet now! Disgusting how you behave!’ huffed Samina. ‘You see Finlay mother, you let these woman do that to both your children little winky! I know. I hear.’
‘What did you hear?’ Finlay asked as everyone looked blankly at each other then he noticed Stephen was the only person in the room who didn’t look upset.
He was smiling brightly.
‘Toby tell Sylvie you slept with Daisy grandmother then he said he attack by giant French wife and she suck his little winky,’ she replied as if he was stupid. At that moment Finlay felt physically sick as he glanced as his brother’s very red face. ‘I hear all when shouting in edit suit. I think Toby tried to push his winky in Sylvie ear.’
The silence was heavy in the room as Finlay tried to digest the second part of the information.
Before he could open his mouth he heard his mother scream,
‘What did you say about my children!’
‘Finlay attack in his room by this woman. Toby attack in his room by giant French wife. You not have good security in your home though you have big shiny building. Bugger to clean!’
Then he felt Sylvie laughing on his chest and realised he was torn between screaming at Samina, his brother and everyone in the room but his biggest thing was to kiss Sylvie.
‘Oh Finlay, you have to forgive me. Juliette came into my room and literally gobbled me up when I was asleep. I told her no but she just kept sucking away and I couldn’t-.’
‘Tobius! Enough!’ shouted Piers as Finlay shook his head in dismay. ‘What the hell has been going on?’
‘What the fuck has happened!’ his mother shouted and everyone in the room stood still. ‘You slept with my son? My child? My baby? Finlay! You and Finlay! When did you do this? How did you do this?’
‘I… I…’ Freya couldn’t speak for a moment and he noticed the panic on her face while feeling the reverberation of laughter on his chest from Sylvie.
‘You’re not helping,’ he whispered as she just buried her head.
‘I think I’m having a breakdown,’ she quietly replied.
‘And I’m not?’
‘I tell you! Anglophile!’ announced Samina.
‘Paedophile,’ said Stephen, nodding as if he understood what she meant.
‘What you do here?’ barked Samina. ‘You work for bad people.’
‘I need to speak to Finlay urgently,’ he said, pissed off with Samina. ‘Can I have a word?’
He didn’t want to let her go but felt Sylvie pulling away to sit up, her head bowed down, not wanting to make eye contact.
‘You Anglophile, get out of here! Scrum! I protect your son Finlay mother, as you no good at it!’ said Samina loudly as Finlay stood up and realised the full rage of his mother as she stared at Freya.
Then he looked around the room noticing Toby, Samina, Stephen, his mother, Freya and caught Piers trying to hide his laughter by putting his hand over his mouth.
‘Finlay, I’m so sorry. It happened years ago and I was scared she’d tell you that I came on to her when I didn’t. I told Sylvie. How was I to know the mad woman was snooping around,’ said his little brother, looking close to tears before glaring at Samina who grinned. ‘I don’t even like your wife!’
Finlay immediately looked down at Sylvie, noticing she hadn’t moved.
‘It seems Sylvie needs to tell me a lot of things,’ he said, before gently touching her head and smiling.
‘I think all of you should go,’ Piers said, stepping forward. ‘Freya, you have no right coming in and shouting the odds. You made Sylvie’s life hell when all she needed was love and support. Threatening to see her child will not help so what good would that do? Just leave them alone.’
‘I have a right to see my grandchild,’ the woman bitterly snapped back. ‘She’s my son’s child.’
‘Pity you not think that when you nasty to Sylvie and she cry all the time when she work for Piers. Ugly face as she has now. You wicked woman! You not have right to demand. You lucky, Sylvie, daughter not boy, this woman will take winky and bite it off!’
‘I am not a paedophile! How dare you! Finlay was only too-.’ Freya stopped as Finlay raised his eyebrows knowing his mother was walking closer.
‘When did this happen?’ his mother asked in an even tone which Finlay knew meant trouble. ‘When did you sleep with my son?’
‘It was a one-off,’ he said quickly. ‘And it was about thirteen years ago. It wasn’t assault. It happened when they came to stay overnight. She didn’t hold me down and force herself on me.’
‘That why you like Sylvie now? You like bit of old fanny?’ asked Samina then he heard Sylvie laugh before burying her head in her hands. ‘I have old fanny but it tight as I use vibrating eggs and push against to keep muscles firm!’
‘I’m going to be sick,’ Toby said, holding his hand against his mouth. ‘You’re gross Samina!’
‘Stop touching tit if you not like!’ she barked back. ‘And at least I not let giant French woman wife of Finlay gobble me!’
‘Enough!’ said Piers who was trying hard not to laugh. ‘Can you all just go? Toby and Samina please go back to work and I’ll come and see everyone shortly. Freya, just leave and-.’
‘I’ll do the honours!’ said Alice, grabbing Freya’s arm and marching her out of the office and down the corridor. ‘Weren’t you married at the time you pounced on my son? Does your husband know?’
‘Do you think mumsy will be up on a charge for murder?’ Toby innocently asked.
‘I hope so,’ mumbled Sylvie as Finlay tried not to smile.
‘Go on go,’ said Piers, walking towards them, pushing the pair of them out, just leaving Sylvie, Stephen and Finlay in the office.
‘Did you really just sell your shares?’ asked Stephen, walking towards Sylvie and sitting down next to her.
‘I did,’ she replied and forced a smile. ‘It’s really for the best.’
Finlay watched Stephen’s genuine look of concern while examining Sylvie, who was oblivious. Then he realised the man was seriously fond of Sylvie and now seemed upset.
‘You didn’t have to,’ he said gently, before turning up to look at Finlay. ‘I knew there was a commotion going on but I thought it was about the money.’
‘What money?’ asked Sylvie, looking confused.
‘Well all those years ago when we lost the forty thousand pounds, I felt really bad. So I privately tried to sort it out and retrieve it. Today, amazingly, we got the money given back to us. I don’t want to delve into too much detail but it is now sitting in our company’s bank account,’ he said, smiling brightly as Sylvie sat back and looked at Stephen. ‘You helped us by putting in the injection of cash at the time, Sly, when we would have closed, so after the police situation and I found out what you did, I knew I had to do something.’
�
�That’s wonderful,’ she replied and touched his hand. ‘Piers and Samina will be so happy. You have to tell them what you did if only to stop that mad woman picking on you.’
‘I don’t mind. She’s quite funny,’ he genuinely said. ‘And Finlay far better news for you.’
‘I need some,’ he replied and sat on the other side of Sylvie, touching her tear stained face and feeling an overwhelming surge of love for her. ‘Seems nothing is going to plan.’
‘I don’t know what you did and how you did it but I got a call from Henry, who should be around here,’ Stephen said, peering out of the office. ‘Yes, well whatever you said worked and money has been returned to the ‘Le Font’ via the account where the money was withdrawn. Obviously we have immediately transferred it back into ‘Chambers Caplin’. It’s quite substantial.’
‘That’s amazing,’ he said, not feeling so happy, knowing it was all too late as he sat back in the chair and frowned. ‘I don’t think we’ll get all of it back but I’m sure the person who received the money will go to a bank for a loan and not try to fuck my ex-wife to get some cash.’
‘Finlay?’ Sylvie said, turning to look at him. ‘Did you go to France to track down the chef?’
‘It all seems a little late now as the last thing I expected was for you to sell your shares to my mother.’
He stared at her as she smiled half-heartedly and touched his face. It sent tingles down his spine as Stephen suddenly stood up.
‘Got to go and sort the money out! Well done Finlay and Sylvie… you have to try and retract selling your shares. This will help everything,’ Stephen said brightly but as Finlay turned to look at Sylvie he realised from her current expression, it wouldn’t help her at all.
‘Don’t be mad with me. I was doing it for you. I didn’t tell you as I didn’t want to cause problems and Juliette, she wasn’t horrible, she just put forward a good argument and I listened,’ she said, turning to look at him. ‘She wants to keep her business and it’s her lifeline and if she loses it, she says she has nothing.’
‘And what do you have now, considering you’ve just lost yours?’ he gently asked as she closed her eyes for a moment. ‘This was your life line.’
