Page 3 of My Destiny

“Don’t be silly. Here,” he says, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. “Use the credit card to buy yourself a gown. I want you to be the standout of the night.”

“It will take more than a nice dress to do that.”

Leaning down, he places a kiss on my forehead. “You’ll be the most beautiful woman in the room, I’m sure.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “What if I can’t find anything?”

“You will.” A nervous excitement bubbles up inside me. This will be my first time meeting his boss and the rest of his colleagues, so I want to look my best. Despite everything I’m feeling in this moment, I know how much this job means to Jake, and more than anything, I want him to be proud of me.

“I’m not really comfortable going on my own, I don’t know anyone.”

“You know me. I’ll be there waiting for you when you arrive.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve got to run. I’ll text the information to you.”

Grabbing hold of his tie, I pull him in for one more kiss. “Please do.” My words come out like a plea. I can’t even rely on a phone call from him these days, it’s getting to the point where I can’t seem to rely on him for anything.

He’s a great lawyer, and he’s worked extremely hard to get to where he is. Unfortunately for us, though, his job is starting to take over his life.

CHAPTER TWO

Brooke

I strap my iPod to my arm and slide the house key into the small pocket sewn into my running shorts. Placing the plugs into my ears, I press play as I jog down the path and out into the street.

When we moved here, we bought a beautiful two storey house just ten minutes out of the city. It was built in the 1920s. The house had undergone extensive renovations before we purchased it, but still had a lot of its old charm, which Jake and I loved. We took out a hefty mortgage, but his salary more than covers the repayments. After the small apartment we’d had in Sydney, it took a while to adjust to living in such a vast house. It’s ideal for a growing family—it’s a shame Jake no longer wants that.

Pushing all thoughts of him out of my mind, I pick up the pace. This is my time to clear my head. Maybe our night out will bring the positive changes we need. Something has got to give either way.

Ten minutes into my run, a sharp pain shoots across my lower abdomen. It’s so intense it stops me in my tracks. Placing my hand on my side, I inhale a few deep breaths and try to walk it out. I attribute it to a cramp and continue running as it slowly subsides. When the pain returns with a vengeance minutes later, I decide to turn around and head back home. Maybe I need to schedule an appointment with the doctor, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. My day is already jam-packed.

After showering and changing into my favourite green sundress, I call Pierre. Jake always said he loved me in this dress, and that the colour suited me. Hopefully, I can find something in this colour for tonight. Would he even notice?

“Hi, this is Brooke Johnston,” I say when the receptionist answers the phone. “I was wondering if I could have a quick word with Pierre.” I think I’ll have a better chance of getting in to see him today if I speak with him directly.

“One moment, please. I’ll see if he’s free.” I hold my breath as I wait. He’s usually booked out for weeks in advance.

“Chérie,” he says in his sexy French accent.

“Pierre, I have an emergency on my hands.”

“An emergency?”

“Yes. It’s Jake’s office Christmas party tonight, and I’ve only just found out about it. It’s black tie. Please, please, please, can you fit me in sometime today?”

“For you,Chérie,I’ll try my best. Hold on one moment.” I chew on my fingernail as I wait for him to come back to the phone. “How about one thirty? I can squeeze you in between clients.”

“One thirty sounds perfect,” I say, beaming. “Thank you so much for this. I owe you big time.”

“I need to keep my lawyer’s beautiful wife happy.”

His comment makes me laugh. Jake represented him when we first arrived in Melbourne. He’d recently split up with his partner of two years, after finding out he’d been unfaithful. To make matters worse, his ex then set his sights on Pierre’s fortune, which meant his salon was in jeopardy—a business he’d put twenty years of his life into. Thankfully, Jake was able to use the infidelity, as well the fact that his partner had walked into the relationship without a penny to his name, to negotiate a smaller settlement which would ultimately save Pierre from losing everything he’d worked so hard for.

I scoff down some breakfast in between my chores, before heading to the bus stop. I pray I find a dress for tonight. There’s nothing in my wardrobe that remotely resembles a ball gown. I want to look perfect for Jake. I don’t know why, but I do. We need this.I need this.

Desperation sets in as I exit the third store, having had no luck. Looking down at my watch, I see I only have forty minutes to spare. I can’t be late for my hair appointment.