Chapter 30 ALEX
WE TRIED OUR BEST TO AVOID the press for the rest of the week, but each morning, another angle appeared about Nancy. After her outburst outside Toverton Tower, people began speculating about her social background.
The Echo published an ‘investigative piece’ revealing Nancy lived on World’s End Estate in a council flat with her single mum.
The hashtag #poornancy trended, and I watched helplessly as a grim outpouring spilled out the ether, split between patronising support and those who denounced the Coopers as scroungers.
Following that, rumours spiralled that Nancy could be a sex worker posing as a graduate to cover her illicit profession.
Some suggested she had specifically targeted me to extort money through blackmail.
One publication then took a deep dive into prostitution, its long history in the capital, and the statistical likelihood of a sex worker coming from a ‘deprived’ and ‘broken home’ such as Nancy’s.
The spin-off #whorenancy then did the rounds, followed by the memes, and the explicit deepfakes.
It was a travesty of judgement and decency, full of absurd theories and vitriol that left me sickened.
None of my previous girlfriends had ever faced such a brutal onslaught, and I knew why.
I’d readied myself for the reaction within my circle, but this was something else—something I couldn’t control.
I wasn’t ignorant about the challenges our relationship faced.
I knew Nancy would see certain things differently.
That we would clash over our values and outlook.
I had no issue with that. We would find a middle ground in our own way and in our own time.
What I hadn’t anticipated was the public pile-on.
We’d faced jeering and catcalls, with a few crazed people even filming us as they shouted abuse down the street.
Every day was worse as the stories continued.
It had been so intimidating and humiliating that Nancy had retreated, spending her days confined to the apartment, the car, and the top floor of the tower.
I felt powerless as her confidence slipped away a little more each day.
She smiled less and less, dressed plainly, wanting to blend into the background, and slept restlessly beside me while I tried to soothe her.
That she’d stuck around this long was a miracle, but it wouldn’t last long.
My previous girlfriends would’ve walked away for less, and I never thought much about it.
But with Nancy, the thought terrified me.
My only option was to make it stop.
On Friday, David was out at meetings and Evelyn had a date with Dale, so I organised lunch to be delivered from Brutto.
We ate rich peposo stew and boozy tiramisu.
After the rough week, I was relieved to see Nancy indulge in a hearty feast. Nevertheless, she remained subdued.
I wiped my hands with a serviette and watched her lost in thought.
“I’ll be having dinner with a friend this evening.”
“Will you be out late?” she asked absentmindedly.
“I should be back before nine. We could watch a film and have a bottle of wine.”
She put down her fork and took a sip of water. “If you’re going out, I might stay at the flat tonight.”
“It’ll only be for a few hours, and then we can hang out.”
“I haven’t seen my mum all week, and I’d like to catch up. If you’re going to be out anyway—”
“We should decompress together after a tough week.”
Her eyes dropped to her plate. “You could stay at yours. You can’t have seen the place in days.”
“There’s a housekeeper who looks after everything, and I’d rather be with you.” I hated how desperate I sounded, but I couldn’t help it. I needed her tonight.
“Why don’t you come to World’s End after? We can watch a movie and stay over, and I’ll have a chance to chat with Mum beforehand,” she said, and I hesitated, taking a sip of Sanpellegrino. “You don’t want to come to World’s End, do you?”
“It’s not that—”
“What is it then?”
I clutched the glass bottle. “I want to spend time alone with my girlfriend after I’m done with this dinner. Why is that so difficult?”
She considered me wearily for a few moments. “Of course, I’ll wait for you at the apartment. Shall I prepare a delicious home-cooked meal for my hubby too? Oh no, wait, you’ve got that covered.”
“You’re being a child,” I muttered, regretting it as soon as the words left my mouth.
“You know, I think I’m done with lunch. I’ve got work I need to finish.” She rose, threw her serviette on the table, and turned to bolt.
“Don’t run!” I grabbed her wrist and caught her wary expression. You’re the strong one in this relationship, you brute! I released her and stroked my lips, breathing through my agitation. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout. It’s been a stressful week. I just…want to be with you tonight.”
She sighed. “Why don’t you cancel dinner if you’re not up to it?”
I rose and drew her into a hug. “I need to go, but I promise I won’t be long. Let’s just try to put this week behind us.”
She nodded, but her hollow eyes made my heart ache. “It’s got to stop at some point. I just never imagined this, you know? It’s been horrible.”
“It will get better. I’ll make sure of it.” I embraced her tightly, holding on.