Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
I was thankful I caught him again. It gave me the wake-up call I needed. The strength to fight back. The begging and pleading weren’t going to work again. The gaslighting. I may have fallen for it the first time, but that was over. I was done.
And after everything he put me through, I asked one thing: leave me be and let me heal and move on. I deserved that. He needed to give that to me. When the hang-up calls started, I didn’t want to believe it. I had a sliver of hope he would stick to his word, but sending flowers to my work? He’s crossed the line.
The children start filtering in, and I rein in my anger. “Hey, there. Good morning.” Breathe in. Breathe out.
“Pretty flowers. Did Mr. Ben bring you those? My mom’s boyfriend brings her flowers. My mom says it’s because he likes her a lot. She said one day we’re all gonna live together.”
“Yes. Why don’t you take your seat? I’m going to have the aide come in for a bit. I’ll be right back.” I step out of the classroom, grab Hillary, the teacher’s aide, and excuse myself. Stepping out the side exit, I make a call.
“Mr. Weinstein’s office.”
“Hi, this is Makayla Fischer. Can I please speak to Mr. Weinstein?”
“Let me see if he’s available.” I’ve warned Christopher time and time again that if he didn’t stop harassing me, I would follow through with the restraining order. “Ms. Fischer, I’m putting you through now.”
“Jonas Weinstein.”
“Jonas, it’s Makayla. I’ve had enough. I want to move forward with the restraining order against Christopher.”
“Makayla, what’s happened?”
“He won’t leave me alone. He’s still calling and harassing me. I just received flowers at my work with a note that says you’re always and only mine. I want it put through now.”
“All right, calm down. I’ll submit the order of protection. I’ll need you to take a picture of the flowers. Keep the note. And if you haven’t already, screenshot the calls. We’ll need to submit this as evidence. I’ll let you know when they set the preliminary hearing. Most likely, you won’t have to come home and attend.”
“I want him out of my life, Jonas.”
“And you pay me to make that happen. Sit tight. I’ll be in touch.”
I end the call and do my best to regain my composure. How can a man who was so kind and attentive turn into such a bitter, resentful jerk? I take in a deep breath and focus on my shaking hands.
Too many emotions intertwine. Anger. Sadness. Regret. The day I packed my bags and left our home, I promised myself I wouldn’t let another man walk all over me. My future would be full of hope, self-love, and discovery. A man would not define me, hold me down, or disrespect my trust. And as much as it wounds me how our marriage ended, it angers me more that he still feels he has this hold over me.
I clench my eyes closed and shake away any negative vibes. “Think happy thoughts, Mak. Happy thoughts.” Luckily, I know the perfect remedy. Pulling out my phone, I edit my original text.
Me: Come home hungry tonight. I’m going to smother you in between. . .
No. Geez, what’s wrong with me? I delete and start over.
Me: Can’t wait for tonight. Come home super horny. I’ll be. . .
Ugh. Also, no. Maybe I need to table this text until I can get my mind right. I want Ben to make all this static in my head disappear.
Me: Can’t wait to see you tonight. I really miss you and—
“Hey, Makayla?” I look up from my phone to see Gary, our gym teacher. “Hillary sent out the search party for you. She needs to cover Eileen’s class and says your kiddos are being extra bouncy this morning.”
Shoot. I look down at the time. “Yes, of course. Sorry, I lost track of time. Thanks.” Great. Am I going to lose this job before I even officially get it? I rush back into my classroom. Gary wasn’t lying. These kids are a special kind of hyper today.
“All right, everyone. Let’s settle in. If we hurry and quiet down, we can continue reading Dragon’s Love Tacos.” Thankfully, that does the trick. With a smile plastered on my face, I turn to search for the book on our class shelf. Wish I was at Ben’s right now. Eating tacos. . . naked. Great, now I have the image of me riding his face while I enjoy a nice steak tortilla—stop it. “You know what? I say we start a new book—Grumpy Monkey.” Sounds more fitting for how I’m going to feel after working myself up all day. Maybe a warning text is needed. Ben is seriously in for it tonight.
“Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang. . .”