Page 44 of Such a Good Couple
You know what I hate about you …
That truly stung. She had never considered that Ollie might hate something about her. Even when she thought that he might be cheating, she’d been so angry and felt so rejected, but she hadn’t thought that it was because hehatedsomething about her.
‘Well, you know what I hate about you?’ She looked across at him with as much contempt as she could summon. ‘You act like the cool guy. You love everyone thinking you’re so chill but you’re actually so self-righteous. Watching packages arriving. Judging me any time I even slightly cut loose and get a teensy bit messy. Fuck you. How dare you judge me.’
Clara shook her head, fending off a wave of exhaustion that was suddenly bearing down on her, no doubt from the speeding adrenaline that had just fuelled the worst fight she and Ollie’d ever had.
Ollie said nothing and she said nothing. She was unsure how you wrapped up a conversation where each person had hurled the most hurtful things they could think of at the other. She hadn’t realised how much resentment was buried in their marriage.
Finally, Ollie spoke: ‘Well, thanks for fucking up the entire holiday. I’ll be sorting out seeing the kids while we’re staying on the yacht. Brody said he could arrange handovers.’
‘What are you trying to do, Ollie, skip straight to joint custody? Because that’s not how this works.’
‘Onlyyouwould cheat and then make it a me-problem,’ Ollie roared.
‘I fucking thoughtyouwerecheating.’ Clara’s voice rose to match his. ‘And it is ayouproblem because I was semi-right. Youweresneaking around and lying to me. And aboutsomething sostupid, and that’s nearly worse. And the way you’re acting right now about this dumb drunken kiss is not even about me at all. This is all your unresolved shit about what your father did. You should really think about dealing with that.’
Ollie snatched up his suitcase and stormed past her to the door, banging it shut behind him.
Clara dragged herself to the sofa by the window. Did he really have unresolved issues about his father? Or was she deliberately deflecting from the issues she obviously hadn’t been taking seriously between them? Feeling irritated with your other half when it came to parenting was normal. But she had kind of assumed it was justherirritated withhim. She hadn’t considered that he was getting so pissed with her.
CHAPTER 12
Maggie sat at the table at the edge of the deck tapping into her family group chat, which had been kept abreast of all the drama as the holiday spectacularly unravelled over the last two days.
Maggie: Morale is so crap, they’ve all decided to go home early.
Of course, she hadn’t mentioned to her family that Fionn was also M.I.A. It was bad enough that the girls had witnessed their shaky reunion, she didn’t want her family worrying about them. She continued to type.
Maggie: It’s 9 a.m. and is it bad that I am literally counting the hours till they all leave tomorrow? To say things have SOURED. I am literally looking out at the boat moored 30 feet from the beach where Ollie and Conor have stayed for the last two days.
She glanced back at the house, where she could hear Clara and one of the nannies grappling with the boys. Annie, she knew, was down in the gym. She ran a finger through the leftover maple syrup on her plate and licked it, watching ‘Donal typing’ at the top of the screen.
Donal: No sympathy for the Rich Lady on her private deck.
She smiled to herself and wiped her fingers to type back.
Maggie: You’re such a little bitch.
Dad: Language.
Emer: Being rich is very hard on Maggie, Donal … She has to spend time with her povvo friends. Well, until she ships them off early from the ‘vacay’.
Maggie: Shut up both of you. I know you’re joking but it’s not funny. I begged the girls to stay but they’re insisting they go home. Relationships imploding are a bad vibe on a holiday.
Mum: This is all very sad, Maggie. The poor girls. I keep meaning to say I’ve put the order in for Donal’s birthday cake. Aubergine emoji-shaped as requested. They just need a confirmation of the delivery date. They can do day of the party or day before?
Maggie: Yup, sorry, meant to text. So Friday 25th July is the party. I’ll be arriving in Dublin the day before so if they could drop it to the house then, on the 24th?
‘Morning!’ Brody had just appeared at the bottom of the stairs at the other side of the deck. He started up and Maggie swiftly nudged the syrup-streaked plates over to the other side of the table.
She turned her phone face down and looked up at him. ‘I haven’t been able to reach Fionn.’ She sat back watching Brody’s smooth, bland smile that revealed exactly nothing.
‘Oh?’ He took a seat at the table and within seconds one of the waitstaff materialised. Brody ordered a coffee and sat back,crossing his legs.
‘Have you spoken to him?’ Maggie made a concerted effort to not sound furious.
‘Well, we’ve had the occasional check-in, just keeping him up to speed on the inbox.’
