Chapter 26 – Jasper #2
Otis jumps out of his chair, places a quick kiss on my lips before literally running out the door, and I can feel myself smiling at his retreating figure.
“Your happiness is good to see,” Marcus mutters. “In fact, I don’t think that I have ever seen you this happy.”
“Yeah, Otis is good for me,” I reply.
“It’s not just Otis, it’s this place, these people,” Marcus adds.
“This is a family,” I reply. “Which you are a part of, and I’m so glad that you are.”
“Me too, but I’m going to have to get back to work. I need to keep an eye on Clive and Marj.”
“Have fun with that,” I reply with a chuckle, as Marcus gets up and leaves.
Doug called me two days later to tell me that Clive’s ex-wife's interview would be airing the next day, and that she had taken my number, though I hadn’t received any phone calls. I had no idea if she was going to call, but I really hoped that she would.
It’s how we found ourselves in the conference room, again.
We were all here. My family minus Kimber, with a huge screen set up to watch the interview.
Clive’s ex-wife had managed to secure a post on the breakfast news, which was a generous idea, really.
If the interview went well, it had time then to be picked up by all the other news outlets during the day.
“You ready for this?” Richard asks.
“Yes. I just hope that she’s going to be okay,” I tell him.
“We will find her,” Vincent adds, “and make sure that she’s okay.”
“And what, offer her a job?” I chuckle over to him, “You can’t save everyone by offering them a job.”
“Just watch me. If she has skills that I need, then yeah I’m going to offer her a job,” comes Vincent’s reply.
“Guys, shut up. It’s starting,” Otis says, and we all turn to the screen.
There she is, exactly how I remember her from when I spotted her all those years ago. She may look a little older, but that’s not surprising. But she was an attractive lady, with brown hair that stopped at just above her shoulders.
“Athena,” the reporter starts, so that was her name. Athena. It suited her. “Thank you for joining us.”
“Thank you for having me,” Athena replies.
“Now, you wanted to come on this morning to discuss the situation that has been gripping the press recently, linked to your ex-husband and Jasper Knight.”
“I did, yes,” Athena confirms. “I think I need to give my side of the story.”
“Is this as a result of Jasper and Otis’s interview that aired recently?” The reporter asks, and I get the feeling he had no idea what is coming.
“Partly,” Athena replies. “But I think it’s more to do with Clive and his new girlfriend and the images they are posting.”
“Oh,” the reporter replies. “You disagree with what’s been happening.”
“Hundred percent, I do,” Athena continues. “I think I’m the most qualified person to tell the world what Clive is like. I was with him for almost twelve years, and have two children with the man.”
“Children?” And the reporter looks surprised. “Clive has never mentioned children before.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Athena responds. “He never sees them. My youngest, I don’t think even knows what her dad looks like, it’s been that long since Clive saw her.”
“That must be tough on you?” the reporter asks.
“Yes, it’s tough, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Leaving Clive was one of the hardest things I did, but I haven’t regretted it for one second,” Athena states, and you can feel her strength, even through the TV.
“Would you mind explaining?” the reporter asks.
“Happily,” Athena says, and I watch as she takes a deep breath.
“I met Clive when I was eighteen. I thought that he was the best man I had ever met. Kind, considerate, romantic. I thought I had hit the man jackpot. My family loved him, his family loved me. It was perfect. Two years after we met, we got married. That’s when everything started to change.
My family and his were traditional, and we couldn’t live together until we were married.
The moment we moved in together, his true nature came out. ”
With every sentence that Athena utters the more my heart breaks for her. To know that she was with Clive for so long. My experience with him was nowhere near that length of time, and he broke me. How the hell did she manage for so much longer?
“It started small,” Athena continues, “Asking me where I was going? If that was what I was wearing out? Then came the demands that I’m never to go anywhere without him.
I virtually became a prisoner in my own home.
It took me a long time to figure out that I was in an abusive relationship.
In my head I always thought that abuse was physical, but I found out afterwards that wasn’t the case. Some can be emotionally abusive too.”
“So what Jasper Knight said about Clive being controlling was true?” the reporter asks.
“Yes, I hate to think that Jasper suffered the same as me. Nobody deserves that,” Athena adds. “And the fact that Clive is now trying to pull the victim card? Well, I couldn’t stay silent anymore.”
“Are you aware that Jasper Knight states he was seeing Clive while he was still married?” the reporter asks.
“Yes, and I’m not surprised. A few years into our marriage, Clive started to stay out late.
I thought he was cheating, but there was no way I could prove it, until one night.
I had been given permission to stay over at my parents’.
So I followed him. Saw him enter a night club and leave with a man.
I later found out that it was a gay night club. ”
“Is that when you left him?” the reporter asks.
“No. I stayed. Continued on, had my daughter with him. To this day I couldn’t say why. I think a part of me was scared to be on my own,” Athena adds. “Clive has a way of making you feel useless unless he’s with you.”
“I remember that,” I state, and all the eyes turned to face me. “Clive makes you feel like you are the most special person in the world and nothing without him.”
“Jasper,” Otis mumbles, and I can feel as he reaches over and grabs my hand.
“What made you finally leave?” the reporter asks gently.
“The fact that he gambled away everything. We were on the verge of losing the house,” Athena says. “I went to my parents and finally broke down and told them what had been going on. They told me to leave, that night, and that is what I did.”
“So absolutely everything Jasper Knight reported is true?” the reporter asks again.
“Yeah. Jasper was a victim, like me, and I’m so happy that he has Otis Young. They make a really cute couple, don’t you think?” Athena says with a smile.
“Well,” the reporter starts, “Otis was seeing Clive’s girlfriend at the beginning of the year.”
“No he wasn’t,” Athena states. “Go look at images of Jasper at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. He changed. Only someone like me, who has survived, like Jasper, can see it. Last year, he was happy, yes. This year he was happier, and that had to be down to Otis. So, there is no way Otis was seeing Marj, I believe her name is.”
“Holy shit!” Otis exclaims. “Did she just somehow back up my story, too?”
“I think that she did,” David mutters, and I watch as he turns to Vincent, “You need to find her. I think that she just backed Montague Racing, too.”
“I’m aware of that,” Vincent replies.
“How are you doing now?” the reporter asks.
“Better. Don’t get me wrong, being a single mum to two kids isn’t easy. Some months are harder than others, but my family helps, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“Thank you for coming in today, Athena, and telling us your story.”
The cameraman moves away from Athena and the reporter starts to explain what is coming up on the rest of the show, and someone turns off the screen, prompting all of us to turn and face Vincent.
“Guys, I know. Jasper, do you think Doug will help?” Vincent asks.
I’m about to say I can ask when my phone starts ringing with a number that I don’t recognise, and I answer it quickly.
“Hello,” I say, holding my breath.
“Can I speak to Jasper Knight please?” A voice sounds on the line. A voice we were just watching on the TV.
“Hi Athena,” I respond, and all eyes turn to face me.