«Got Her Back»
«Julie! Julie, stop right there!»
The moment the young woman stepped out of work, a short, plump woman rushed up to her. Her usually haughty, commanding voice now sounded almost sweet—but with an edge of reproach.
«Juliet, love, what on earth happened between you and Danny? He called me yesterday, said you’d left him. How could you do that? He needs your support now more than ever, and instead of sticking by him, you just pack up and leave? What kind of loving woman does that?»
«The same kind of loving man he is,» Julie sneered, her smile sharp and unpleasant. «Or do you not remember that little chat you had with him in our kitchen a year and a half ago? Maybe I should remind you? You seemed so thrilled with his little ‘principles’ about commitment—so why’s the shoe on the other foot now? Or is it ‘different’ when it’s you?»
«What are you even on about? I’d never encourage someone to abandon their partner—especially not in a time like this!»
«Funny, that’s not how I remember it. I remember you arguing hard against the idea of me marrying your son. I remember you telling him that if he went through with it, I’d ‘cling to his neck like a dead weight’—that if anything went wrong, I’d be an anchor dragging him down. So what’s the logic here? He gets to dodge responsibility, but I don’t?»
«Dead weight? Don’t be ridiculous! You love each other—you should be facing this together!»
«Except he didn’t want ‘together.’ And neither did you. So now you two can enjoy this lovely situation all by yourselves. I’ve got better things to do than waste my time on problems that aren’t mine anymore. And thank God we never got married—at least I don’t have to pay him any alimony. Cheers for that, Patricia.»
With a mocking little bow, Julie turned on her heel and strode toward the bus stop.
Her mind wandered back to the idea of finally getting a mortgage on a flat closer to work—her tiny one-bed, inherited from her nan, was a nightmare to commute from, nearly two hours each way through traffic and endless bus stops.
But those thoughts quickly gave way to the nagging question—had she done the right thing, leaving Danny now?
Logically, yes. Her heart, though? Too soft for its own good.
Luckily, any pity vanished the second she remembered that conversation she’d overheard months ago.
Julie wasn’t one to eavesdrop. Never had been. But that night, she’d slept all day thanks to a nasty cold and had shuffled out to the kitchen for water—barefoot, since her slippers had mysteriously vanished under the bed.
Which meant neither Danny nor his mum heard her coming.
But she heard them.
«She’s a nice girl, son, but don’t marry her. If she were loaded—fine, at least you’d get something out of it. But what happens if you sign those papers now?»
«What’s gonna happen, Mum? Jules works—it’s not like I’d have to support her. And if I marry her now, it might help me get that promotion. You know how my boss is about ‘traditional values’ and all that.»
«Don’t tell me you’re thinking of having a kid with her!» Patricia had waved her hands in panic.
«God, no. Wasting money on some snotty brat? No thanks. Jules isn’t fussed either—too busy chasing promotions. I’d just lie later, say she’s infertile. Spin it like I’m some saint for marrying a ‘damaged’ woman.»
«Don’t marry her at all, Danny! You don’t get it—there are legal consequences. Anything you buy while married becomes joint property. Want a divorce? She’ll take half—half your flat, half your car, half your savings. And she’d be entitled to it. You could get a prenup, but who’d sign away their right to a bigger payout? No one. And if something happens to her while you’re married? You’re stuck paying for her. Had a client recently—his wife cheated, then got hurt in some fight with her lover. He lost a fortune divorcing her, and now he’s stuck paying alimony. Like it’s his fault she’s disabled now. No, son. Don’t marry Julie. This way, if things go south, you kick her out in a day. But sign those papers? No upside for you. Unless she magically gets rich or makes it big in her career… which, let’s be honest, won’t happen.»
Julie had crept back to bed and cried the whole night.
She’d known Danny wasn’t in a rush to marry her—two years together without a proposal made that clear. But knowing he was reluctant was one thing. Hearing the real reason—that he wanted an easy exit if she ever got sick or hurt—was another.
Danny had always claimed his boss frowned on married employees. Promised that once he found a better job, they’d get that stamp in their passports.
Turns out, that was all rubbish.
The tears dried fast. And with them, any love she had for Danny.
The next morning, she looked at their relationship coldly.
Living together saved her time—less housework, less commuting (his place was central). And for all his flaws, Danny was… good in bed. Finding someone else would be effort with no guarantee of success. Plus, she could rent out her own tiny flat on the outskirts for a bit of extra cash.
Take away the feelings (which, clearly, he didn’t have for her), and it was a decent arrangement—mutually convenient. No reason to leave… until it became a problem.
And it did, months later, when Danny drunkenly wrapped his car around a lamppost.
Broke the barrier, totaled his nearly new car (still had 18 months of payments left), and—worst of all—smashed his spine.
Doctors said he’d probably walk again, but rehab would be long and brutal. At least he was the only one hurt—no criminal charges.
That was the ‘good news’ he shared when Julie visited him in hospital.
«It’s fine, Jules. Six months, a year—I’ll be back on my feet. We just have to get through this mess.»
«Good luck with that,» Julie grinned.
Then dropped the bomb: being shackled to a near-cripple wasn’t part of her life plan. His keys were in his hand, her stuff was already gone, and she’d taken photos to prove she hadn’t stolen anything.
«Wait… You’re ditching me now? Jules, we love each other! Don’t people who love each other stick together when things go wrong?»
«Didn’t you and your mum agree not to marry me so you wouldn’t have to stick together if things went wrong? Works both ways, Dan. I’m not carrying a man who’s not my husband—especially not one who’d have dumped me in a heartbeat.»
«I wouldn’t have—!»
«That’s easy to say now. But we’ll never know, will we? Been fun. Hope rehab goes well. Don’t call me.»
With that, she walked out—and blocked his number before she even left the car park.
No looking back.