Billie Jo by Kimberley Chambers Read Free Book Online Page B

personal stuff about
her love life and questioning her morals with boys.
    The quotes she kept repeating, over and over, were
alien to Billie.
    'Always remember, Billie. The five is the trump card,
you should always hang on to the five.'
    'Why would a man buy a cow, when the milk is delivered
on the doorstep?'
    'Billie, never trust a man until he's seven days dead.
Even then, if you open the coffin, his thingy would still
be standing upright.'
    Driven mad, Billie had spoken to her dad, packed her
bags and headed for some sanity around her friend's house.
    * * *
    'Get me another cup of tea, Michelle, I'm thirsty. There's
a good girl.'
    Chelle looked at her mother-in-law with pure hatred.
The greedy old cow had about thirty cups a day and
expected her to keep jumping up and making them. 'No
problem, Pearl,' she said through gritted teeth.
    It was two weeks now since Terry had first brought
Pearl home and Michelle's patience was wearing thin. She
loved having Terry home again every night, but it was
the daytime bit that was getting on her tits. The old bag
expected to be waited on hand and foot and Chelle wasn't
sure she could take much more. If only she hadn't mugged
herself off at the wedding, she wouldn't have had to suffer
any of this.
    Having to lick arse and act like the perfect daughter-in-law
just wasn't Chelle's scene and she knew it would
take just one little thing to push her over the edge. The
final nail in the coffin came when the phone rang.
    'All right, Chelle, it's me. Is everything OK? How's
Mum?'
    Chelle swallowed a mouthful of vodka, took a deep
breath and went into cheerful mode. 'I'm coping, Tel, I've
just taken a cup of tea and a piece of cake up to the
bedroom for her. What about you, are you all right? Will
you be home early again?'
    Terry had been home by eight o'clock every single
night for the last two weeks and Chelle was thriving on
it. Deep down, she knew that it wasn't her he was rushing
home to, but she could live with that. He was back where
he belonged and that's all that mattered. She was sure
whatever old floozie had been on the scene had now been
well and truly discarded.
    'Actually, Chelle, that's what I rang to tell you. I'm
gonna be home late tonight. I've got to pick up a couple
of cars from an auction in Cambridgeshire. I might be
really late so don't bother waiting up for me.'
    Cutting him off, Chelle poured herself another drink,
a large one. She knew the bastard was lying. Auction my
arse, he was meeting up with his old slapper and she'd
just about taken all she could take. If he thought she was
sitting here looking after his old cunt of a mother while
he was out whoring, he had another thing coming. After
ringing Hazel and organising a night out, Chelle had a
bath, sorted through her glad-rags and spruced herself up.
No-good bastard, she'd had a gutful of him and his fucking
mother. Bollocks to the pair of them. For all she cared
they could both rot in hell!
    Hazel had advised her weeks ago to hire a private
detective to catch Terry out. At least that way she could
put herself out of her misery once and for all, but Chelle
was too frightened to follow it through. She'd thought
about it, she really had, but the thought of being handed
photos or a videotape with some ravishing beauty on the
other end of it filled her with dread. She'd probably end
up topping herself if that were to happen.
    Chelle had met Jade on numerous occasions over the
years when stomping into her husband's car lot for this,
that or the other. Describing her to her friends as the
blonde gofer with the Pam Ayres voice, Chelle would
have had a cardiac on the spot if she'd realised that the
girl she'd always mocked and spoke to like shit, was not
only shagging her husband, but had also won his heart.
This was perhaps Chelle's downfall. She was never able
to see further than the end of her nose. Because Jade had
a country accent, wore long skirts and didn't walk around
with her tits hanging out, Chelle judged her as a