True Love in Her Revenge

Liesl looked at her phone for what felt like the hundredth time and frowned at the time on the display. It was odd her mother had not responded to her text messages at all for an entire day. It was weirder still her husband of five years had not responded either. They were both attentive…

“Liesl, for what it’s worth, I do love you. This was an error in judgement but unfortunately, a costly one.” “Save your condescending bullshit for the lawyers. I don’t need it. Get out,” she plunked down on the leather sofa. She was shaking with unbridled rage, shock and if she were honest, heartbreak. “I need…

Liesl wiped the corners of her gritty, reddened swollen eyes, “how?” “My sister Mara’s restaurant is one of his favorite places to dine. She specializes in Mediterranean cuisine and he’s Portuguese. He goes there a lot. At least once a week.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, “shit, really?” “Yeah,” Elsie grinned wickedly, “Mara…

She gagged at the thought as Fred laughed, “I would rather sleep with his father than his brother and that’s saying something. The old man is sleazy.” “His sons are chips off the old block.” Fred commented dryly. Her phone rang and she noted it was Janka. She answered it on speaker, “is he gone…

“I don’t care. I hate him. I want him to burn.” An argument near the toilets caught his ear and he looked over to see his date telling off another patron of the restaurant. The woman opposite him giggled, “oops, looks like my distraction wasn’t long enough. I’ll let you get back to your date.…

She was quiet. “Does it matter?” “It does.” He was going to use it either way, but he needed to know. “My ex had a habit of working constantly. All the time, twenty-four seven. I admired his drive and determination and appreciated his hard work, but now I think he was avoiding me.” She gave…

An hour later she had deposited the money in her personal checking account via wire transfer and was back standing in the middle of the foyer of the home she had once considered her dream home. Her glass castle of floor to window ceilings in the pricy suburban neighborhood had been her fairytale come to…

“Restoration?” “Yes. Customers will bring Janka paintings which have been damaged over time and we restore them. It’s one of the services she offers at the gallery.” “Very cool. We have something in common then. I like to restore old homes. You like to restore old paintings.” She smiled, “you like to restore old homes?”…

“You were happy.” Janka shrugged. “I mean in a conditioned, brainwashed, way, but you were happy. Liesl, some women are happy to be a housewife and if it was your dream to be with him in the refined, cultured way he demanded you behave, then we weren’t going to crush the dream. However, I will…

By Friday, she was a ball of nerves. This was her first showing without her husband by her side. Much of her art over the last seven weeks, several new pieces, clearly depicted her anguish and rage. Large red streaks and splatters against stark white canvas peppered with black and her own blood which she…