The Write Dream (Storage Ghosts) by Gillian Larkin Read Free Book Online Page B

might see. She carried on, “I don’t know much about your
family circumstances but it seems you did a good job raising Andrew.”
    Sharon
smirked and nodded. “I did. Well, someone had to, after his wishy washy mother
filled his head with so much nonsense. Hand the books over then, I haven’t got
all day.”
    Grace
wasn’t finished with her questions yet. “It must have been hard for you taking
on someone else’s son. Not just emotionally, but financially and you’ve built a
successful business too. I admire you, I could never do that.”
    Sharon
tossed her hair back and laughed. It was an arrogant laugh. Grace had a sudden vision
of Sharon being a villain from an old black and white movie, she would
definitely be twirling her moustache at this point.
    Sharon
looked around the shop. “Are we alone?”
    Grace
nodded.
    Sharon
said, “I’ll tell you what I did, I’ve been dying to tell someone for years. It
doesn’t matter if I tell you, you’re a nobody, no one would listen to you.”
    Grace
swallowed the insult and pasted a smile on her face. “Go on.”
     
    Chapter 14
     
    Sharon
began to talk. “I never liked Marie, she was unbelievably happy, it got on my
nerves. And the way Brian was so protective of her! What an idiot he was, I
soon sorted him out after we got married. Even when Marie’s husband died she
was still cheerful. Her and that little boy of hers did everything together.
She encouraged him to write those stupid tales. The times me and Brian had to
listen to him drivelling on! I could have slapped Andrew just to shut him up.”
    Marie
floated back to Grace, her eyes downcast. Grace could feel her sadness, her own
heart felt heavy listening to this evil woman in front of her.
    Sharon
looked upwards as if gathering her thoughts. Then she looked directly back at
Grace and said, “Do you know what? I was glad when Marie died. I don’t even
feel bad saying that out loud. I was glad she was gone, any hold that she had
on Brian was gone forever. Although, we had agreed on that stupid plan to look
after Andrew, I only agreed to it so that she would hurry up and die.”
    Grace
heard a slight whirring noise behind her. She really hoped it was what she
thought it was. She nodded encouragingly towards Sharon.
    Sharon
picked a bit of fluff from her jacket and dropped it onto the floor. She went
on, “We knew she had some money put away but we didn’t know how much. Brian was
too upset after Marie died to deal with the financial side of things, the
spineless wimp, so I had to do it. I got quite a shock when I found out how much
money Marie had left. I put it all in my account. I lied to Brian about the
amount, I knew he would never have the Brians to check. Now, this is the clever
part.”
    Sharon
actually grinned as if she was proud of what she had done. “I made sure Andrew
could overhear what we were saying when I told Brian that Marie hadn’t left us
much money. I said it wouldn’t be enough to pay for Andrew’s upbringing. I
added that I had taken a loan out so that we could start a security business
and try to make a profit. You should have heard me! I was the perfect victim. I
said I would work day and night to make the business a success, and that I’d
take a second job to make sure Andrew went to university.”
    Grace’s
smile faltered but Sharon didn’t notice. Grace said, “Do you think Andrew felt
guilty about you having to work so much? Is that why he didn’t apply for
university?”
    “Well,
duh!” Sharon said. “Of course that’s why. I used Marie’s money for the
business, keeping some for myself. I need luxury items, Brian was never good at
providing for me. I don’t have to work many hours because Brian and Andrew do
so many. It’s amazing what guilt can make a person do.”
    Marie
said quietly, “I had no idea she was like this, I thought we were friends. How
could she do that to my son?”
    Grace
had no answer for Marie, she was finding it hard to listen to Sharon. But