CHAPTER 15 #2
“I'd rather be his whore than stuck under the same roof as you. You're nothing, Joe. Just a spiteful, little man with no job.”
“I'll be back managing before you know it, Sasha.”
“Good luck with that, Joe... I hope they come to me for a reference.”
He growled.
“I'm not scared of you, Joe. I pity you.”
“This is your last chance, Sasha.”
“Or what, you'll come to my house and break something else? I'll call the police the moment I see you. You can sleep it off in one of their cells.”
“No, that's not going to happen. It's your last chance to make me an offer for an out of court settlement.”
“Go to hell, Joe.”
“I mean it, Sasha.”
“Joe, you got a severance package. Be thankful for that. Go spend it on a car, if you can stay sober long enough to drive it.”
“I fucking hate you, you fucking whore!”
I set down the phone and let him ramble as I took another bite of my sub. It was beautiful, and my taste buds stayed gherkin free this time. While the soft sound of Enya playing out from a speaker above me took me back to my childhood.
I checked on his incessant rantings.
“Then I'm gonna take every penny you have and show the whole world-”
I hung up.
I took the last bite of my sandwich.
Then I replayed the conversation with Joe in my head, my own anger starting to rise. Who the hell was he to dictate terms to me? To threaten me? To make me feel a victim to a wrong choice in my love life?
I was done playing the victim, and went straight to Twitter. Everyone else seemed to have had their say on what'd happened, I figured it was about time I'd mine.
SASHA LIU – This was what the holier-than-thou Joe McDonald did to my home when I told him our relationship was over. He got physical with me too #NeverAnExcuse
The attached video contained only a snippet of the damage, but I figured it was enough to make my point.
I'd see him in court, if necessary, to show off a whole lot more.
The first comments arrived within minutes.
TWEET – Oh my God! That's awful! Why didn't you speak up before?
TWEET – You probably got your big black boyfriend to do that to make Joe look guilty
TWEET – I stand with Sasha
TWEET – You were dicking another guy, what'd you expect?
TWEET – I'd like to see Joe McDonald think twice about doing that now you've got a good guy like DeShaun Wilkesboro to defend you
TWEET – You chatted shit to him, you got your house slapped
TWEET – She said he got physical, she got more than her house slapped
TWEET – Didn't slap her hard enough
TWEET – Who's the her in this story? It's two dudes
To say the rest of the opinions that followed were as polarised was something of an understatement, but my message was out there.
And Joe's reputation would never be the same again.
I was relieved not to be at Saturday's home match with Stranraer when I heard of the return of protesters to Lady Macbeth Park.
I waited at home, knowing the result and wanting to surprise DeShaun in nothing but a new pair of expensive stockings.
He came to the front door.
“Hi,” I said, hiding my body behind it as I welcomed him into my home for the first time.
DeShaun walked inside, his eyes barely noticing my body, while he seemed only half-interested in his new surroundings.
“What's wrong?”
He hesitated, then leaned down to give me a gentle kiss.
“DeShaun, what is it? What's going on?”
He looked to the door to the living room. “Can we sit?”
“Of course.” I gestured for him to go first.
He walked in.
“Sit down.”
“Thanks.” He looked up. “Sorry, you look amazing.”
“You're freaking me out, DeShaun. What's going on? I know you well enough now to know.”
He reached his hand out. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He subtly pulled me down next to him.
I quickly crossed my legs, feeling very underdressed.
“I was on the bench today, Sasha.”
“I know.” I'd tried to warn him not to get his hopes up for a start, but I'd watched him build them more every day as the week went on.
“I was booed when I first appeared from the tunnel.”
I squeezed his hand. “I'm sorry.”
“Donaldson scored early on, but Stranraer really came at us hard after. Especially in the second half. Kyle sent me to warm up with twenty minutes to go.” He stopped and stared ahead.
I leaned my chest against his side. “What is it?”
“I was jeered. Loudly. Not even by the Stranraer fans. By our own support.”
“Surely it settled when you got on the pitch?”
He turned his head to me. “It didn't die down, Sasha. It just got louder. I was moving up and down the touchline. It was distracting everyone. Our own players on the field were noticing even as the match continued. Then I saw Kyle and Drew speaking. Drew called me over. Kyle just watched the match as he spoke to me.”
“What'd he say, DeShaun?”
He clicked his tongue. “He told me to sit back down.”
“What?”
“They didn't bring me on, Sash.”
I was speechless.
“When the crowd realised, they started cheering... There was even some applause.”
I shook my head.
“The guys on the field held on for a narrow win, but I was just sat there in pieces.”
I felt a lump in my throat.
“Sasha, what's the point in me being in the team if I can't even get on and do what I'm here to do?”
I was powerless to act.
“They didn't even give me a chance.”
I'd assured Kyle I wouldn't interfere in team matters, especially selection.
“The fans, the management, the protesters,” he started, staring into my eyes, “everyone seems united against us.”
My grip on his hand tightened.
“What have we done, Sasha?”
I let my eyes shut, unable to look at the disappointment I was responsible for in him. “You're right,” I whispered. “My own club's turned against us.” I breathed in so hard I felt my breasts crushed against him. “Maybe... Maybe it's time I just...”
“What, babygirl?”
I opened my eyes. “Maybe I should just put the club up for sale, DeShaun... Do we really need this?”