Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Lilly took a deep breath, as she needed to put her feelings aside for now because she had an awful discussion ahead of her.
Her parents would not be supportive of her decision especially when she told them she would work at Blue’s.
Lilly could picture their faces as she revealed her news.
It wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have, but she would pull on her big girl pants and do it.
The earlier she felt their wrath, the sooner she could get on with the next chapter in her life.
Lilly looked back to see if Elijah was still there but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
Reaching the end of the street and flagging down a taxi, she climbed into the back, gave her driver an address, and sank back into the seat.
Touching her lips with the pads of her fingers, Lilly wondered if they would get to kiss again.
Would he want to have a relationship with her once she wasn’t a corporate lawyer?
Gazing out of the window, she watched as the city centre shops turned into leafy suburbs until the taxi pulled up in front of her parent’s house.
After paying the cab driver the fare, she climbed out of the back of the car and instinctively tied the belt of her coat tighter.
Even though it was her life, her future and her decision, the constant need to please her parents increased as she got older.
During school and university, she hoped she would care less about her parents’ approval once she had made partner but it was the opposite.
Walking up the path to the front door, she rang the doorbell and waited to see which face would greet her arrival.
She wasn’t sure which parent she would prefer to see, her mother would be the lesser of two evils.
Fidgeting on the spot, she fiddled with the belt of her coat and waited for the door to open.
Just as she thought no one was in the door swung open.
She faced her brother, and he looked awful.
Dark shadows under his eyes and greasy hair.
“Hi Lills, how are you doing?” William greeted her with a hug and a peck on the cheek.
Lilly hugged her brother in return and walked into the house.
“I’m well, thank you, I’ve news to tell you all, is mum and dad at home?
” Lilly asked her brother. She shrugged off her coat and hung it on the end of the bannister.
Clothes lying about was something her parents hated, but she didn’t care, she felt brazen and in control.
She wouldn’t be here long enough for them to see the coat let alone tell her off for leaving it there.
“They are in the garden, have you got a promotion?” William asked her, his eyes lit up with the prospect.
William was four years younger than Lilly and still lived at home.
At twenty-eight, she thought this was disgraceful but never voiced her opinion on the subject.
He had yet to find a career or a full-time job after leaving University.
William was the only person she knew that had two degrees and couldn’t find a job.
He had the odd casual job here and there, never anything longer than a few weeks.
She worried about him. With her employment change, she could no longer bail him out with money and knew he wouldn’t be happy with this situation.
A few months ago he had lost his temper with her when she could not get to a cash machine to give him some money because she was due in court.
“No, they have not promoted me. Come with me and I can tell you all,” Lilly told him and grabbed his arm to drag him along to the back of the house.
They both walked through the kitchen and out through the French doors to the garden where Lilly could see her parents reading the papers under the shade of an oversized umbrella.
The house always came alive in the summer, large colourful garden, which languished in the sun all day.
Today had turned into a beautifully sunny day.
Lilly’s dad looked up to see his children approach and wore his usual wary frown. His instant question was one that they were used to.
“Why are you both here in the middle of the day? As far as I know at least one of you has a job.” Dylan, her dad said.
His voice, stern and unforgiving. Lilly was thirty-two, but she still felt like a child in the presence of her father.
Drawing in a deep breath, she prepared to speak but was interrupted.
“They have fired Lills,” William announced.
Gale, their mother and Dylan’s head snapped round to face her in a flash. The anger on her father’s face was the opposite of distaste that was clear on her mother’s face. She could see her mother’s expression that said, no daughter of hers gets fired.
“Thanks Will. You just made this ten times worse than it already is,” Lilly bit out to her brother.
“Just breaking the ice, sis, at least now whatever you say won’t be as bad,” William said and shrugged his shoulders, laughing. It didn’t last long, Lilly had her courtroom face on and turned to William and showed her anger.
“Oh,” William spluttered. “You haven’t lost your job have you?”
“No, William I have not lost my job,” Lilly said to all three of them but glared at William. “I quit my job.”
“What did you just say?” Dylan questioned.
“Tell me this isn’t true Lills. What am I going to do if you haven’t got a job?
You’re so selfish. I’m going out,” William announced.
He didn’t allow his sister to explain before the back gate slammed as he left her to it.
He had made this far more complicated than she imagined, and she didn’t have a chance to ease them into her decision.
She wasn’t entirely sure why he was so angry about her quitting, he didn’t have a job either.
“Explain yourself young lady, why is my daughter out of work?” Gale demanded, arms folded, her newspaper discarded to the side of her coffee.
“Yes, Lillian please explain to us why you thought it fit to give up an excellent job we have worked so hard to get you,” Dylan added.
Lilly wanted to run away and burst into tears. She wished she’d had Elijah here to hold her hand. She should have said yes when he offered to come with her. The loneliness wouldn’t be as acute.
“I’ve decided to give up being a lawyer and search for what I really want to do with my life. I hope you’ll support me and let me find what it is I love to do.” Lilly hated the pleading tone that came with her speech.
“Don’t be ridiculous darling, we didn’t work hard to put you through school and university for you to throw it all away, you’re a partner for God’s sake. Harry won’t just let you walk away,” Gale spat out the words to Lilly.
As each word came out Lilly shrivelled up a little inside but kept her poker face on. She wouldn’t allow her parents to see how disappointed she was that they would not support her.
“Don’t worry Gale, I’ll call Harry now and get this sorted out, Lillian will be back at work tomorrow,” Dylan said and patted his wife’s knee to comfort her.
“Of course dear, this is just a misunderstanding,” Gale answered and then looked up to Lilly. “That’s right isn’t it? You’re just having a rebellious tantrum and will apologise to Harry and go back to work tomorrow.”
Gale wasn’t asking her daughter, she was telling her, and it angered Lilly no end. Nothing had changed. Lilly was never allowed to give anything up her parents wanted her to do. She was going to stand firm and stand up to her parents.
“No,” Lilly said in a low voice.
“Speak up child, what did you say?” Gale demanded.
“I said no. I am not going back to the firm. Harry supports my decision and has accepted my resignation, he has also allowed me to leave immediately. So, no, I won’t be going back, in fact, I start my new job tomorrow at Blue’s, it’s a bar in the city.
” Lilly turned on her heel. She had enough time to see the gaping mouths of her parents before she entered the house, collected her coat and bag and walked out of the front door.
Lilly felt empowered, strode down the driveway and down the leafy road where her parents lived.
She walked until she hit the main road and flagged down a taxi to take her home.
Messaging her best mate as she walked, she told her the news that they would get drunk tonight to celebrate the start of her new life.
Angie: Brilliant. It’s about bloody time, I’ll come round early with wine and you can tell me about McHottie.
Lilly: His name is Elijah, not McHottie and I’ll see you at six.
Angie: See you then, make sure you wear fabulous underwear, you might get McHottie naked tonight.
Lilly: Hush, see you later x
Angie: x