The Torn Up Marriage by Caroline Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

marriage apart. But here he was. It had happened and he had to deal with it. It was his actions that had got them all to this point.
    Michael took a deep breath as he pulled on the handbrake of his Audi saloon. The leather of the steering wheel was damp under his sweaty palms. He sat for a moment trying to compose himself. He wasn’t sure what he’d say. How to face Kate… and the girls? That would be the hardest. How did you do that? How did you walk away?
    He’d make sure he’d see them often, be there for them, always. He hoped Kate would be fair. But he’d betrayed her, after all. He was the bad guy in all of this. And here he was about to change all their futures.
    Could he really go through with this? But what was the alternative? Stay and pretend his marriage to Kate was fine. It would be harder than ever. He could imagine the constant digs about his affair, the distance that would create, the hurt in her eyes, nagging guilt in his soul and always the underlying thought of “what if?” What if he’d made a life with Sophie? What kind of life would that have been? A happier one, he was sure. Surely the girls deserved to see a loving relationship as they grew up, not a bitter, grudging one.
    Come on, just get on with it
.
    Michael opened the car door, stood out and walked up the path, every step a challenge. He put his key in the lock, as usual. He knew they were there from the bluish flickers of the television, the lights, the voices. He hadn’t needed to bring in his briefcase, felt empty-handed, had nothing to place in the hall. The girls scampered out, as always, “Dadd-ee!”
    His throat tightened, “Hello, my gorgeous girls.”
    Emily first, “Daddy, I’ve been to Jack’s. We had beans on toast. Saw the ducks.”
    “That sounds great.”
    “And, Daddy, I got a silver star for my reading chart,” Charlotte chipped in.
    “Fantastic, Lottie.” He was kneeling between them. They hadn’t a clue what was about to happen and he was aching inside. “Right, right,” he hushed them. “I just need a couple of minutes with Mummy. So you two just go and watch your Peppa Pig, or whatever it is, for a little while and then I’ll be right back.”
    He stood up, headed for the kitchen. Emily started to follow him. He turned, his voice gentle but firm, “Just two minutes, Emmie. Okay?”
    “’Kay.”
    “Good girl.”
    A lump lodged in his throat. He watched her follow Lottie back to the lounge. Turned to enter the kitchen, where Kate was loading the dishwasher.
    “Kate,” his voice was gentle. He wasn’t even sure what he was going to say next.
    She half-turned. She looked dreadful, pale and drawn. Her eyes rimmed with red. He’d better be honest, keep it simple, “I’m just here to collect a few things.”
    She didn’t speak; just looked at him coldly.
    “I’ll pack a bag and then I’ll be off. Just for a couple of nights, for now.”
    “What are we going to tell the girls?”
    “Oh… I’ll just say I’m away with work for a day or two. Then we’ll sort something out.” His voice faltered. How did you tell your two little girls that you didn’t want to live with Mummy any more? In fact, how did you tell Mummy? “I’ll go and get some things sorted.”
    Kate couldn’t speak.
    Michael turned and headed up the stairs. He felt such a bastard. Stood for a second or two in the calm of their bedroom. But there were too many memories crowding in. Her nightie on the bed, her perfume on the dressing table, her hairbrush with strands of her blonde hair through it. He gathered his nerve, took a large overnight bag and began to fill it: pairs of socks, boxer shorts, a belt, a wash bag with some essentials in it. He then found a suit carrier and placed inside three work shirts, a couple of ties and a suit. He’d need something casual too: a couple of t-shirts, a black v-neck jumper, a pair of jeans. An extra pair of shoes. That’d do. He’d come back soon. He just needed a few days to clear his