Chapter 1
For the past one month, Ashley’s dreams have turned into nightmares.
She had expected that finalising the divorce would put a stop to it, but it only got worse.
And this morning was no different.
With an unconscious frown, Ashley stirred at the predominant image of catching her naked husband steadily thrusting into her mother.
Ashley, like the day she caught them, couldn’t scream her way out of the dream. Or maybe she didn’t want to. Because being awake was just as painful.
But she woke up anyway.
Her eyes darted across the room, a deep sigh escaping afterwards.
Her life was an absolute mess, and she needed to do something about it.
She could resume work. Or attend therapy. Or just find something different from being holed up in this big house all alone.
With a parched throat, she headed to the kitchen. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the process. The image that stared back at her was frightening.
“You look like trash, Ashley.”
And the horrible voice that just uttered those words cemented her fear.
Freezing in that spot, she wondered what her ex was doing in the house after she painstakingly ensured he’d never have access to her.
And why did he have to appear now of all times?!
Knowing it would be stupid not to confront the bastard, she turned, her fingers running through her rough hair.
“Kevin,” she said through gritted teeth.
Hand on his protruding belly, he raked his eyes over her and sneered, “You look worse than I expected. Are you sure you’re taking care of yourself?”
Her heart burned “I can look like whatever I want to look like, Kevin.” And she balled her hands into very tight fists. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled. “I forgot some things last time.”
“You have one minute to leave before I call the-”
“Are you not going to ask about her?”
Ashley frowned. “I’m not interested in knowing what your wife has been up to, Kevin.”
“Girlfriend,” he corrected.
And the itch to slap him overpowered her.
“But you’re halfway right to call her my wife. We’ll be getting married soon.”
“Have fun getting married to my mother then,” she spat, crossing her arms to contain her anger because this man wasn’t worth losing her shit over anymore.
“Ashley, can you do us a favour and stop acting like we killed someone?” His shoulders shrugged like they often did. “All we did was fall in love.”
“Fall in–” She gasped. “You… You slept with my mother, Kevin! Right in this house, on our bed, you were with her! I caught you with her!”
Kevin rolled his eyes, his hands sliding into his pockets. “Please, get a life, Ashley.”
“How about you get out of my house?”
“You need to come to terms with this, Ashley. Stop trying to hold on to me.”
That added fuel to the rage in her heart. “How can you even be this delusional?! Do you even hear yourself? YOU cheated on me! YOU slept with my mother! How about YOU try to have some decency, you absolutely fucked up idiot!”
“Ashley, stop causing a scene. You know our neighbours hate noise,” he calmly said, his smile wider.
Ashley, within her trembling breaths, soon realised what this man was doing… riling her up on purpose.
“Leave,” she quietly ordered.
“Ashley, don’t you get it? I grew tired of you. And now, I have a woman I really–”
“Oh, my God! Oh, MY God!” Ashley just couldn’t believe she was still listening to his trash. Her hands pointing at where the front door was, she nearly screamed, “Leave my house right now.”
He scoffed, the red thing in his hand finally catching her attention.
“What on earth are you holding a wrench for? Did you come here to destroy the house?”
“You do this every time, Ashley. I clearly just told you I came to get the rest of my things. Why are you suddenly twisting what I just-”
She rushed at him and pulled the wrench out of his hand. Pointing it threateningly, she warned, “Leave my house, you cheating bastard! Leave!”
Kevin chuckled lightly. “Seeing you like this is quite amusing.”
“Fucking leave, Kevin!” Her voice had turned heavy with tears. “Please!”
She didn’t shed those tears before him.
But the moment he strutted past the front door, both her anger and sorrow mixed, and she totally lost her mind.
“Fuck!” She screamed, her hands clutching the sides of her head. “Fuck you, Kevin!”
Her anger was still gnawing at her heart, so she smashed something on the ground.
“I hope you fucking enjoy screwing my mother, you stupid dick!”
She grabbed something else to smash, but this time, her tears overpowered her.
As they roused, her anger seemed so little. She slowly fell onto the tiles, stayed cowered on the floor and whispered one last time, “Fuck you, Kevin.”
~~~
“Uh… What’s that?” Ashley groggily asked no one as the continuous sound of trickling water reached her ears.
If she didn’t know better, she would have thought she had been magically transported to a mini-waterfall.
Blinking her heavy eyes open, the noise becoming louder, she got up from the base of the stairs where she had somehow fallen asleep after her bath.
After many steps, she traced the sound to the kitchen.
“Oh… my!” She hurried into the pool of water amassing in her kitchen, threatening to spill into other parts of the house. “Did I leave the tap open? Shit! Damn it!”
But no taps were left open.
She glanced below the sink and noticed the cabinet doors had soaked up too much water. She opened the doors, and the loudest sound this house had heard in weeks jumped out of her.
The pipe system had been severely damaged, water rushing out of it like it was desperate to find its freedom.
“Who…?” Confusedly, she frowned at the terrifying sight. “What…? Wait…” She stood straight, her eyes landing on the wrench she forced out of that bastard’s hand. “Oh my God! That fool definitely did this! Oh…” Ashley’s breath raged. “That bastard…”