There it wasthe dress! Would you believe I threw it in the bin myself?
Standing by the kitchen table, opening the rubbish bin, Emily suddenly froze. «Whats this dress doing here? Are you seriously telling me *I* put it there?»
Nearly every day, Emily asked herself the same unanswerable question: what on earth did she ever see in Matthew?
To look at him, he was nothing specialshe was embarrassed to introduce him to her friends, so as far as they knew, she was still single.
Only her sister knew she lived with a man, and she kept it a secret.
Matthew hadnt achieved much in lifehe worked as a mechanic at a steel plant.
Sometimes, sitting in front of the telly, Emily caught herself thinking it was time to end things with Matthew.
But just as shed made up her mind, hed turn up with flowers or some little gift, and shed postpone the breakup for another day.
Before Emily, Matthew had already been married. The marriage lasted only two months, but it ended with a pregnancy and the birth of his daughter.
By the time he met Emily, his daughter was twelve. Emily had never once seen the girl, nor had she ever wanted to.
The chance came just before her birthday, which shed planned to celebrate with her friends.
«Emily,» Matthew began hesitantly, «my ex-wifes got a business trip coming up. Shes asked me to take Lily for a bit…»
«How longs a bit?» Emily grimaced. The last thing she wanted for her birthday was a child in the house.
«A month.»
«A *month*?» She frowned. «Please tell me she realises well have to pay for things?»
«She didnt send any money,» Matthew admitted, spreading his hands helplessly.
«Correct me if Im wrong, but *you* pay child support, dont you? So the girls here a whole month, and her mother just pockets the money?» she snapped.
«Come off it, you know what I earn,» Matthew said weakly.
«Hows this going to work?» Emilys irritation grew, the reality sinking inshe didnt want someone elses child living with them. «Shell need school runs, looking after. Whyd you agree to this?»
«Because Im her *father*?» Matthew looked baffled. «You think I should just turn her away?»
«You shouldve remembered you dont live alone, for one. Two, its *my* flatyou shouldve asked first. Three, its my birthday, and I dont want it ruined!» Emily said firmly.
«I dont think my daughters a problem,» Matthew replied, guilt creeping into his voice.
«Something *will* go wrong, I just know it,» Emily crossed her arms.
Matthew assured her she was being pessimistic.
The next day, a round-faced girl with garish makeuplooking at least sixteenstood at their door.
She glared at Emily before turning to her father without a greeting.
«Where do I sleep?»
«Youll have to take the sofa bed,» Matthew forced a smile.
The girl rolled her eyes and stormed off to the bathroom in tears.
«What was *that*?» Emily hissed at Matthew. «Rude and completely spoilt. Thank God Im celebrating at a café. And youre *not* coming.»
«Why not?» Matthew looked hurt. «I thought youd finally introduce me to your friends. Weve lived together over six months…»
«Youre babysitting,» Emily said, secretly relieved she wouldnt have to show him offher friends boyfriends were fit and well-groomed.
«Right,» Matthew muttered, too wounded to argue.
The next morning, Emily rushed about preparing for her birthday.
First, she ironed her dress and hung it up, waiting for the evening.
Matthew still hadnt spoken to hernot even a birthday wish.
She refused to let it ruin her mood and pretended nothing was wrong.
After work, she dashed home to changeonly to freeze in horror. The dress was gone.
«Wheres my dress?» Emily shrieked, marching into the kitchen where Lily lay on the sofa bed.
Ignoring her, the girl fiddled with her phone.
«Are you deaf?» Emily snatched the phone from her hands.
«Give it back!» Lily screeched as Matthew rushed in.
«Whats going on?» he demanded. «Hand it back!»
«Wheres my *dress*?» Emily ground out.
«I didnt take anything!» Lily sneered. «She just hates me!»
«Give it to her, now!» Matthew ordered.
«Oh, shell confess, will she?» Emily hurled the phone to the floor.
The screen shattered. Lily burst into tears. Emily stormed out, triumphant.
She scrambled to find another outfit for her party, threw it on, and left for the café.
There, she forgot everythingand decided to end things with Matthew.
She came back at dawn. Hearing her, Matthew got out of bed.
«Do you know what time it is?»
«Playing the strict husband now? Too late. Ive made my decision,» Emily said flatly. «Youre both out by morning.»
«So its *my* fault?» Matthew laughed bitterly.
«You smashed Lilys phone»
«She stole my *dress*!» Emily yelled.
«My daughter didnt take anything!» Matthew shot back. «Im *sure* of it!»
Emily scoffed and waved him off, not listening.
To calm herself, she grabbed a half-finished wine bottle from the cupboard.
She took a sipthen spat it out, disgusted.
«What *is* this? Shampoo? Youll say I poured that in too?» She laughed, opening the binthen froze. «And *theres* the dress! Youll say I chucked it in myself?»
«You just wanted an excuse to leave! I know youve been planning this forever!» Matthew shouted. «If not for me, youd have done it sooner!»
Emily raised a brow. She remembered everything perfectly.
«I installed a recorder. I *heard* your calls with your sister about meI *know* everything!» Matthew said smugly.
«Surprise! I always wondered how you knew when I was leaving!» Emily was stunned. «Now *get out*!»
This time, Matthew didnt try to change her mind. He knew it was over.
