My Destiny

  MY DESTINY

  J. L. Perry

  MY DESTINY

  Copyright © 2014 J. L. Perry

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the produce of the author’s imagination or used factitiously. Any resemblance to the actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers.

  Editing by Kim Young of Kim’s Editing Services.

  Formatted by Max Henry of Max Effect Author Services

  ISBN: 009252900X

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9925290-0-0

  BOOKS BY J. L. PERRY

  Destiny Series.

  My Destiny

  My Forever

  (Coming July, 2014)

  Damaged – Jacinta’s Story

  (Coming August, 2014)

  A note from the Author.

  Warning: this book contains sexual content, coarse language and some violence. It is recommended for persons over the age of 18.

  This book is dedicated to my beautiful Grandmother, Evelyn…

  You have always inspired me to be a better person. The unconditional love and support you have given me over the years has never wavered. The wisdom you have shared, and the kindness and compassion you have shown…not only to me, but to everybody…is truly amazing. You have such a beautiful soul, and I am so blessed to have been born into your family.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Acknowledgements

  PROLOGUE

  Brooke

  I’d been living in Melbourne for just over six months now, but I wasn’t happy with where my life was heading. I moved here with my husband, Jake, after he’d been offered a position in a large law firm, Cavanagh and Associates.

  Melbourne’s a beautiful city, renowned for its restaurants and art, but it’s not home—it’s not Sydney. The weather’s a lot cooler here. Sure, it still gets stinking hot in the summer, but it also rains a lot.

  Cavanagh and Associates was one of the largest law firms in the country. Jake told me that between their Sydney and Melbourne offices, they had over one hundred lawyers on staff. It’s a very prestigious firm, being the main reason Jake jumped at the chance to work for them. They specialised in a vast range of law, but most of their clientele were either rich, famous, or both. Jake was hoping that after a few years in Melbourne, he’d be able to transfer back to the Sydney branch of the firm. That was our goal, anyway.

  Jake and I had been married for five years. Up until our move, I was content with my life and with our marriage. Since moving to Melbourne, everything had changed. Well, Jake had changed. I’m still the same person I was five years ago. I wasn’t sure if it was the stress of the job or the crazy long days that Jake had been putting in, but my husband was no longer the person I fell in love with all those years ago.

  I gave up so much to move to another state with him, and I did it so that he could further his career as a lawyer. Lately, I’d been regretting my decision.

  Before moving here, we’d been living in Sydney, and I was working at a large dance studio as both a teacher and choreographer. It was a good job and I really loved it. Teaching was my passion in life…my dream job, so to speak. I’d been saving all I could for three years now so that I could fulfil my lifelong dream of opening my own studio.

  Since we’ve been living in Melbourne, I’ve had a few good job offers, but Jake made sure to express that he was no longer happy with me working. He told me that since his salary had almost doubled, I should give up my silly dreams of dancing and concentrate on being a good wife.

  My dreams aren’t silly; I am a good wife!

  Sometimes he made me so angry with his chauvinistic ways. All Jake wanted was for me to stay home all day, looking after the house and him. He obviously didn’t understand how important dancing was to me. With the exception of Jake, dancing was my life.

  I miss teaching my dance classes but, at least since moving here, I’ve managed to secure six students to whom I teach piano. I give lessons on various days during the week. Apart from the piano lessons, my life consisted of cleaning the house, cooking, and waiting around for Jake to come home.

  I’d love to start a family some day; however, there’s never any mention of having children—at least not in the near future. When we first got married, Jake had wanted children, but sometime over the last few years, he decided that being a father no longer fit into his life’s plan.

  I was a good wife and I’ve always done just as he asked, but giving up my dreams of teaching dance is where I draw the line.

  As I lay in bed that night, waiting for Jake and worrying about what the future holds for us, I could feel my eyes getting heavy. I looked over at the clock on my bedside table. It was nearly 11:00 p.m., and Jake still wasn’t home from work.

  As I drifted off to sleep, I had no idea that in less than twenty-four hours, my life as I knew it was to be turned upside down, before spiralling out of control. I was also unaware that destiny would step in and play its part, changing the course of my life forever…

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Past

  When my mother was nineteen-years-old, she worked part-time for a law firm while putting herself through university. My mother was a beautiful woman, inside and out. She had long brown hair, big brown eyes, and delicate facial features. I was fortunate enough to inherit her looks and, because of this, I have to admit that there was a striking resemblance between us. When I look back at photos of her in her twenties, you’d think we were the same person. The only difference was our height. My mum always said I was tall, like my father.

  Thank god that’s all I got from him!

  My mum had a heart of gold, and she’d give you the shirt off her back. She always put others before herself. I only hope to be half the person she was.

  Whilst my mum was working at the law firm, she fell in love with her boss and they had an affair. Their relationship lasted for eight months. Unfortunately for my mother, and unknown to her at the time, the bastard was already married.

  My mum became pregnant with me. When she told my father that she was carrying his child, he insisted she terminate the pregnancy. She was devastated and refused to have an abortion, so he threatened to fire her. My mum walked out of his office that day and never saw him again.

  He wasn’t mentioned often, but on the few occasions where my mum did bring him up, her face would light up; however, I could always see a real sadness in her eyes, and I could tell he had broken her heart. My mum would tell me how in love they had been, and how happy he had made her. Of course, that all ended the day she told him she was pregnant. I never said this to her, because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but it was obviously one-sided, considering the way he tr
eated her.

  Without a job and with a child on the way, my mum had no choice but to give up her dream of becoming a lawyer. She quit university and got a job to start saving for my impending birth. I think my mum always intended on going back to university but, unfortunately, she never got the chance.

  For the rest of her life, she struggled. My mum held down two, sometimes three jobs at a time just to keep us clothed, fed, and housed. I still feel guilty when I think of what she had to give up for me, but she never once complained. She always said that I was the best thing that had ever happened to her. In my heart, I knew how hard life was for her and how much her life had changed after I was born.

  When I was a little girl, I fell in love with music. My mother loved music, too. We’d listen to our favourite songs together, singing and dancing around the house. Those were some of the best times of my life. I might not have my mum anymore, but no one could take my memories from me, and I cherished every moment we spent together.

  Even though money was scarce, my mum managed to put me into dance classes. Ms. Jones, the old lady who lived next door to us, also taught me how to play the piano. Whenever I was lonely or feeling down, I’d dance and lose myself in the music because it always made me feel better.

  Ms. Jones never married and had no children of her own, so she was happy to take care of me when my mother had to start work early or worked late. She had a brother who lived in Queensland, but she didn’t see him often. She was a sweet old thing, and often helped my mum out with food and stuff when times were tough.

  Ms. Jones was kind of like a surrogate grandmother to me since both my grandparents were no longer alive. If she wasn’t giving me piano lessons, she was teaching me how to bake. A few weeks after having a bad fall, she passed away at the age of eight-two. I was only fourteen when she died. Mum and I were very sad, and we both missed her a lot.

  Growing up, I made a vow to myself that when I finished university, I’d get a good job and spend the rest of my life looking after my mum. I wanted to make up for all the sacrifices she had made for me.

  Unfortunately, in my last year of university, my mother got sick and died. She always worked so hard and was tired all the time. I honestly don’t think she even realised she had cancer until it was too late. Before she died, I promised her that I’d finish university and fulfil all my dreams. Even though I told her many times growing up, I let her know how much I appreciated all the sacrifices she had made for me.

  It truly broke my heart to see her suffering, as she had already suffered way too much over the years.

  ****

  Jake and I both attended The University of Sydney. I was studying dance and music, while he was studying law. A mutual friend of ours was hosting a party and that’s where we first met. I was immediately attracted to him. He was so tall and handsome. What caught my attention the most were his beautiful blue eyes. They reminded me of the ocean. We talked for most of the night, and I found him to be a really nice guy. His only downfall was that he was studying law, and I wasn’t interested in having a relationship with a lawyer—ever.

  He continued to pursue me for months after that, to no avail. I’ll give him one thing. He didn’t take rejection lightly and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  Four days after my mother passed away, Jake came to her funeral, which touched me deeply. He was very kind to me that day and asked if he could stay with me that night because he didn’t want me to be alone. I wasn’t too keen at first but, honestly, I didn’t really want to be alone, either.

  Jake and I had a few drinks that night and…well, I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I ended up losing my virginity to him. We started dating after that. Although I had a lot of offers growing up, I was never really interested so I had never been in a serious relationship before. Due to the long hours she worked, time with my mum was always limited so whenever she was home, I preferred to spend my time with her.

  When Jake and I finished university, he got a job at a small law firm in Sydney. After living together for six months, he asked me to marry him, and we moved into a small apartment at Newtown. It was only a ten minute commute from his office. Even though it was a tiny one-bedroom, it was cosy and perfect for the two of us. Rent in the city was pretty pricy and it was all we could afford.

  One year later, we had a small wedding. Jake was a great lawyer and was soon promoted. After a couple of years, he felt that there were no more opportunities for him at the small firm so he applied for a few jobs with some larger ones. That’s when he was offered a senior position at Cavanagh and Associates in Melbourne.

  I had no family or real ties in Sydney, except for my job, which I loved, and a few friends I’d made at university, so we packed up and drove the ten hours to Melbourne. My dream to open my own dance and music studio was now put on hold, but I made that sacrifice for Jake so he could pursue his career. I vowed that, one day, I’d fulfil the promise I made to my mother on her death bed.

  The Present

  The alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. “Good morning,” I said to Jake. It was after 11:00 p.m. that he finally got home from work last night.

  I moved closer so that I could snuggle up to him, but before I had the chance, he got out of bed and headed for the en-suite bathroom in our bedroom. I hated fighting with him, and I was missing my husband so much. I just wanted my old Jake back.

  I was feeling more tired than usual for some reason. Lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, I thought about how much I would have loved to be able to stay in bed for a little while longer, but I had a busy day ahead. My busy schedule consisted of: wake up and get ready, make Jake’s breakfast, prepare his lunch. Then, once Jake left for work, I’d go for my daily five kilometre run, before coming home to shower and do some laundry.

  I also had a hairdresser’s appointment at 1:00 p.m., and I still needed to find a dress to wear for tonight. I then had to be back home by 3:00 p.m. because two of my students were coming over for their weekly piano lesson. Just the thought of how much I had to fit into the day was enough to give me a headache, and as much as I could have gone with a few more hours sleep, I knew it wasn’t possible.

  As I got out of bed to put on my running gear, a wave of dizziness came over me. I had been having a few dizzy spells and stomach cramps over the past two days, but I didn’t think much of it.

  It’s probably just a virus or something.

  I quickly sat back down on the bed and waited for the feeling to pass. After a few minutes, I was feeling better, so I got up and continued to get dressed.

  Walking over to the bathroom where Jake was showering, I asked him what he’d like for breakfast. He told me that he wanted to get to the office early so he’d get something to eat on the way. He seemed really agitated and in a hurry to get out of the house.

  I washed my face and brushed my teeth before putting my long brown hair up in a ponytail, then went downstairs to make Jake’s lunch and a coffee.

  When he walked into the kitchen dressed in his suit, I smiled. He was very handsome. Jake was tall, and had an athletic body, light brown hair, and beautiful blue eyes. He was two years older than me, but he looked younger than his actual age of twenty-eight. He gave me a soft kiss on the lips when I handed him his coffee and lunch.

  “Try not to work to late tonight,” I pleaded as I straightened his tie. “I’m worried about you, Jake.” I got up on my tiptoes, kissed his cheek, and asked him what time I needed to be ready for the party tonight.

  “I’m not sure if I’ll make it home in time, Brooke. I have a late meeting and I’m not sure when it will finish. I might just have to meet you there. I’ll call you later and let you know,” he added, before walking towards the front door.

  I can’t deny that I was pissed off with what he had said. I wasn’t comfortable going to Jake’s work function on my own, but I just smiled, trying to hide my disappointment. “Okay. Call me later and let me know. Have good day at work!” I replied to his retreating back.

  We ha
rdly ever go out together anymore, so I’m really looking forward to spending time with him tonight. Jake has always had a bad habit of doing whatever he liked, and he rarely thought about how his actions affected others. He was kind of selfish like that.

  Jake’s a great lawyer, and has worked really hard to make his way up the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, it was starting to take over his life.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Brooke

  After Jake left for work, I grabbed my IPod, and locked up the house. I put the key in the small pocket that was built into my running shorts, strapped my iPod to my arm, put the headphones in my ears, and started running.

  Since we moved to Melbourne and Jake got his massive pay rise, we bought a beautiful two story house just ten minutes out of the city. It had been built sometime in the 1920’s. The house had extensive renovations before we purchased it, and Jake and I immediately fell in love with it. We had to take out a hefty mortgage, but his salary more than covered the payments.

  The previous owners had the yard landscaped and a pool installed out back, as well. Jake and I didn’t have to do a thing to it when we moved in, except furnishing it. After the small apartment we had in Sydney, it took a while to get used to living in such a large house. The house was perfect for a growing family. It’s a shame Jake no longer wanted that.

  I’d been running for about five minutes when I started to get sharp pains in my lower abdomen. I attributed it to a cramp, and kept running until the pain slowly subsided. Around thirty minutes later, the pains came back again so I decided to turn around and head back home.

  After taking a shower, I dried my hair before putting on my favourite green sundress and slipping into a pair of matching green sandals. I hung some washing on the clothesline, then headed to the kitchen to have some breakfast. I needed to eat something before heading to the shops. While I was buttering my toast, I started to feel a bit nauseous. After a few bites, I couldn’t stomach anymore, so I threw my breakfast in the bin and poured my coffee into a travel cup before heading out.