Chapter 40

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Katherine sank down into the sofa at Danielle's apartment relieved to have some company on Saturday night. She strongly suspected Danielle had cancelled other plans, knowing she neither wanted to go out or be alone. For all she was happy to be back home, the house felt strange without Joe, too big for her to be rattling about on her own.

'So how have you been coping?' Danielle asked as she thrust a glass of wine into her hand. 'The first week is always the worst, letting everyone know and stuff.'

Katherine sighed taking a sip of wine. 'Yeah, it sucks. I am so sick of sympathetic words and mindless platitudes.' Her jaw positively ached from smiling through her misery.

'People mean well Kat,' Eva piped up as she joined them. 'It's like when someone dies, there are no right words.'

'I guess,' Kat said while Danielle looked more sceptical. 'Actually, my manager called me in for a meeting, she made out that it was just a routine performance review but it was a bit of a coincidence.'

'What did she have to say?' Eva asked as she poured herself a drink from the bottle Danielle had left on the coffee table.

'She asked me to consider putting myself forward for a training position. They're upgrading all the IT equipment and they need people to roll it out to the staff.' On the face of it, she felt quite flattered, but she couldn't help thinking she was being pushed forward as an act of pity.

'Go for it, it'll do you good to get your teeth into something new.'

Katherine nodded. 'That's kind of how she sold it to me. Career-wise it would probably be a good move to take on more responsibility.'

'Okay, so that's sorted,' Danielle said grabbing the bottle and topping up Katherine's barely touched glass. 'Now what about on the man front, what are we going to do there?'

Katherine rolled her eyes. 'No way am I going to put myself through this shit again.'

'Oh come on, one bad experience. You can't let it put you off.'

'One bad experience,' Katherine huffed. 'I don't think I'd call a broken engagement that.'

Eva nodded. 'Yeah, Kat needs time to get over this. Stop pushing her.'

'I'm not,' Danielle said testily. 'But Joe's moved onto that skinny rat. Kat needs to give him a taste of his own medicine.'

'He wouldn't care,' Katherine said forcefully. 'If anything it'd let him off the hook. If I got together with someone else then he wouldn't have to feel guilty.'

If he ever did?

'I bet he'd get jealous though,' Danielle insisted. 'You need to get with someone he knows, that'll show him.'

Katherine shook her head. 'I hate his friends and they hate me. It's not gonna happen.' She took a large swig of her drink, willing the alcohol to take effect.

'What about that guy who left the club with the skanky slut?' Danielle mused. 'He seemed alright. Well apart from the skanky slut part.'

'Donnie? I guess he's okay.' Katherine paused. 'But he doesn't like me like that.'

'Do you like him?'

'Not really,' Katherine said. 'He used to get on my nerves. And it doesn't change the fact that he's friends with Joe. I'd never get together with one of his friends.'

Danielle sighed. 'I suppose you know best.'

'And she did only split up with Joe a few days ago,' Eva said. 'Give the girl a break.'

'I just can't believe Joe chose Shannon over Kat,' Danielle said her brows furrowing. 'I found her Instagram page and it's a bit of an eyeopener.'

'Oh?' Katherine's interest was piqued in spite of herself. 'Let me see.'

Danielle pressed a few buttons on her cellphone before passing it to Kat. 'There, do you think Joe would like this?'

Katherine flicked through Shannon's profile, her lips pursed as she looked at pictures of her posing in various states of undress. Dispassionately she'd say she had self-esteem issues, however, she wasn't in the mood to be charitable. 'Joe would hate his girlfriend getting her ass out like that.' She winced as she said girlfriend but Danielle and Eva didn't notice.

'I think you can see who's looked you up on Instagram,' Eva said giving Danielle a disapproving look. 'And Kat doesn't need to see this shit.'

'What is your problem,' Danielle snapped. 'Since you've got together with Kieran you're so uptight.'

'Hardly,' Eva said scowling. 'I just think it'll make Kat feel worse if she ends up seeing a picture of Joe with someone else.'

Danielle bit her lip, her eyes narrowing. 'I guess. Actually, I saw on Facebook that he's now friends with Shannon.'

Katherine inhaled sharply. 'Are they Facebook officially in a relationship?' she asked trying to keep her tone jovial.

'No, I don't think so.'

'You should unfriend him,' Eva said. 'It's going to hurt you seeing this stuff.'

'I don't go on there much,' Kat said taking a sip of her drink. 'And neither does he.'

Eva shrugged her shoulders. 'Well he'll probably delete you and then you'll feel worse.'

Katherine nodded, that was what she expected would eventually happen. Despite Joe's words of friendship they had no common ties, it would only be a matter of time before he made a clean break.

'You know, none of his friends or family has been in touch with me,' she said letting her some of her bitterness out. 'I thought his mom might have at least.'

'They probably feel awkward,' Eva suggested.

'They could still say sorry,' Danielle said. 'Kat's the innocent victim here.'

'I know.' Eva finished her glass and then stood up, brushing herself down. 'I'll leave you guys to it, Keiran's picking me up soon and I've gotta get changed.'

She left the room and Danielle poked her tongue out at her retreating form. 'God she's got a poker up her ass these days.'

'Yeah, what's that all about?' Katherine asked frowning. 'She almost sounds like she's on Joe's side.'

Danielle downed her glass and then topped both their glasses. 'Well, I'm most definitely on your side.' She let out a giggle. 'Don't get mad but I reviewed Kelly's salon and I might not have been complimentary.'

Katherine laughed. 'How did that go down?'

Danielle smirked. 'She deleted my comment and blocked me, silly bitch.'

'To be fair, it wouldn't get at Joe anyway.' Katherine raised her glass swirling the wine in it for a moment. 'I told you about how his mother demanded her money back? The money she willingly offered.'

'Yeah you did but I thought Joe had dealt with it?'

'He did.' Katherine tipped her glass to her lips downing the contents. 'But I'm still pissed. I don't like how she's making out I'm a gold digger. She was the one who escalated the cost of the wedding.'

Danielle nodded. 'You can't do anything about it now though.'

'I'm gonna call her out on it,' Kat said her words beginning to slur. 'No time like the present.' Danielle giggled as she began to type into her cellphone.

'Hi Margaret, I assume you know that Joe's ended our relationship. I heard you wanted reimbursement? For expenses, you insisted on paying for? I'm a little confused.'

She showed Danielle the message before hitting send, and barely seconds later Joe's mom replied.

'I'm sorry about what has happened but this doesn't concern you, it's between myself and Joeseph.'

Kat scoffed as she read the message out to Danielle.

'It was my wedding so it does concern me. You offered to pay, we never asked you to.'

'I simply responded to the not very subtle hints you dropped.'

Katherine read the text her hand shaking with rage. She hadn't dropped any hints. She'd tried to involve Margaret in the wedding preparations having sensed that she felt sidelined. She'd been trying to do the right thing.

Her fingers flew over her screen as she angrily typed.

'If I'd been pregnant and you'd bought the crib, would you have wanted your money back if the baby died?'

She hit the send button hard, then showed Danielle her message as Eva came back into the room.

'What going on?' Eva asked sitting back down. Katherine recounted the conversation whilst she kept her eyes on her phone.

'You've gone too far.' Katherine could not miss the disapproval in Eva's voice. 'You'll regret this.'

Katherine shook her head. 'No I'm tired of being the good guy. Where has it got me?'

'Exactly,' Danielle said cutting her eyes at Eva. 'You're entitled to call them out on their bullshit.'

Katherine's phone pinged and they all looked at it expectantly. Katherine read out the message, anger coursing through her.

'Katherine this is between myself and Joseph. I haven't involved you and I expect you to extend the same courtesy to me. I understand you are hurting so I will disregard your messages. I refuse to engage in these recriminations. I wish you all the best in the future.'

'Patronising bitch,' Dani hissed.

'Yeah, if it wasn't for her shitty parenting none of this would have happened,' Kat said glaring at her phone. 'If she'd taught Joe some values.'

'You should tell her about Shannon.'

'I doubt she'd care,' Katherine said shaking her head. 'It's obvious whose side she is on. Can you guys go and get your bridesmaid dresses?' They looked at her blankly.

'What for?' Eva asked.

'I'm going to send them back to her,' Kat said her mouth forming a determined line. 'I don't want to feel in any way obligated to her.'

'Okay,' Eva said standing up. 'If that's what you want.' Katherine nodded and Danielle got to her feet following Eva towards their bedrooms. Moments later they appeared, Eva carrying some tissue paper and packaging.

'Thanks,' Kat said taking Eva's dress and beginning to fold it.

'For god's sake Kat, stop being such a soft touch,' Danielle said sitting down next to her. 'Why have you always got to do the right thing. You've been screwed over big style.'

'I'm not going to have Joe's mom thinking she has something over me,' Kat hissed putting Eva's dress down. 'I tried to include her, I never asked for her money.'

'I know,' Danielle said holding her own dress up. 'But if you're gonna make a point then make a point.'

Kat frowned as she watched Danielle. 'What do you mean?'

Danielle's hands reached for the neckline of her dress and shooting Katherine a sly smile she ripped through the flimsy material. 'There you go, I think this tells Mommy dearest what you think quite effectively.'

Eva gasped while Katherine tried to hold in a giggle. 'Dani, I'll look like a total psycho if I return the dress like that.'

'Exactly,' Danielle said as she held the dress up to admire her own handiwork. 'But show her up for what she is. You're worth ten of her.'

'I guess,' Katherine said uncertainly. She took the dress from Danielle and wrapped it up before her nerve deserted her.

To hell with being the bigger person.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' Eva asked ignoring the dirty look Danielle gave her.

'Yeah,' Katherine said letting out a snicker. 'I'd love to see Margaret's face when she sees Dani's dress.'

'Okay,' Eva said her voice still doubtful. 'But you've gotta move on with your own life.'

Katherine nodded. 'Yeah, I will.' She paused as her phone rang, Joe's name on the screen. She held it up to show Danielle and Eva.

'Don't answer,' Eva said.

Katherine hesitated, her finger trembling before she terminated the call. 'He can call back if it's important,' she said lightly. He hadn't so much as sent her a text message all week, and now he was calling? Well, she wasn't going to let him think she was available on a Saturday night, she did have some pride.

~~~


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