Collateral Damage

chapter 5

My life had come to a new level of pitiful. I was sleeping on a couch in my best friend's house because I didn't want to go to the apartment that I shared with my ex-fiancé. I wouldn't be surprised if he had already called up Jill or some other girl - seriously, no idea how many there are, for all I knew he had a whole harem- to live with him. Fucking bastard.

He had tried contacting me a lot of times over the past few days. I never picked up his calls or replied to his texts. All of them contained the same old shit. He was so sorry and he wanted me to take him back. That he loved me. I even cried a couple of times after listening to his heart-felt voicemails and wanted to talk. But Elyse put some sense into me. She took away my phone after giving me a lecture that some people didn't deserve to be cried over.

My sadness had transformed into a rage over the last few days as I threatened to fall into a chest-crushing depression. I had to get my stuff back from the apartment and go on an apartment hunt because I couldn't live under Elyse's roof forever. And to be honest, I would like a bed to sleep at night.

I got out of my sofa-bed even if it was the last thing I wanted to do. I made coffee and watched Elyse get Mark ready for pre-school and get ready for school herself. She taught at a high school and hated every minute of it. Every day she whined about how immature and petty high school kids were and that she would do anything instead of having to make them learn.

'You should think about a different career option,' I said, leaning against the kitchen counter with a coffee mug in my hands and watching as she chased after Mark to make him eat.

She stood with her hands on her hips and turned to me. 'You need a change of career, Hun, not me,' she said and then sighed. 'At least, the kids keep the job interesting.'

'True,' I said and kept the mug on the counter to pick up Mark as he ran past me. He squealed again.

I had the most boring desk job ever. Perhaps, it was time to change. I had already done the most daring thing I could think of. What's quitting the most unforgivable job in front of that? Though, as I said it, the fear of being unemployed showed its ugly head.

One thing at a time.

I looked at Mark and smiled. How nice it must be to be a kid with no worry. I scoffed. I didn't even remember what my childhood was like, much less if it was a happy one. I highly doubted it.

I kissed Mark on the cheek.

'Ready to go to school?' I asked, excitement coating my voice for his sake.

He grimaced adorably. 'No,' he said and started wriggling in my arms. I put him down, ruffling his buzz-cut haired head. Just like his dad's.

'We're leaving,' Elyse announced when she finally got hold of Mark and all his belongings.

'Bye! Have fun,' I called as they left the apartment.

I looked at my unmade sofa. It called to me. To sleep and forget about everything else. I shook my head to dismiss the temptation. I had work to do.

****

My stuff was surprisingly all over the apartment. It seemed like he didn't bother to put it away. I sighed helplessly. All the more work for me.

Within a few hours, I was done. I had chosen the time deliberately so that I had zero chance of running into him. All of my belongings were packed and loaded in the car. I didn't have much furniture which turned out to be a blessing. The minimal furniture I owned, I left for picking up later when I found my own place to live. It took me two rounds to get all the stuff back. Elyse's apartment was too small to accommodate my stuff so I just left it in the living room. Unpacked.