Doctors Orders (Book#1 Hope Ridge)

Chapter Three: Pieces back together again.

It's been just over four months since I moved out of our marriage home and into my apartment. My parents wanted me to stay with them, but I could only do the over mothering for so long. It was preventing me from getting back up again. My mother always means well, but I need to learn to stand again. Nate will not break me. I won't let him.

For the first few weeks, Nate kept calling and texting. He kept his relationship with his home wrecker low-key around town. It was all everyone in our circle was talking about, however.

So, I started making new friends elsewhere. It wasn't that I was abandoning my friends or such, but they kept bringing Nate up to me. Like "Nate wants to talk with you" or "Maybe just hear him out…"

No! I didn't need to do that. Once a cheater, always a cheater. He wasn't even honest when he was caught. All he did was try and make excuses or stay silent. The words he spoke to his mistress were enough said. He was okay with casually tossing out the "I love you". I would never trust the authenticity of someone who can say it to side-chicks in passionate moments, especially when he hasn’t said those words to me much, if at all this past year. He brought her back to our home. Laid her on our sofa. Promises of christening our bedroom with her whorish ways.

I would never trust him again. Yes, we haven’t been intimate at all this year, but again, I thought it was because he was too busy and always exhausted. Not that I craved our s*x life much, but I felt him slipping.

I did, in fact, change banks. I will never do business with not only that branch but that business again. I switched my insurance and mortgage plans to another bank as well, cancelling all associations entirely. Less chance of Nate interference.

I knew my parents and a few of their friends also closed out their accounts from that bank. My dad closed his business accounts with them. That was a huge hit for the bank. I am told many others did, as well, once the word of Nate's affair circulated around town. My parents held a large reputation in town.

A complaint was filed and after reviewing the security cameras, the bank demoted Nate from branch manager back to bank teller and put him back on probation, as he was caught abusing his position with an employee after hours.

I mean, it cost the branch a few long-term clients as a result of his exposed behavior.

I suspect that was one of the many reasons he wanted to talk. I didn't care though. I was nothing but a caretaker to Nate, so I stopped caring.

Over the last few weeks, I started to explore what it was I wanted. One of those things was, I wanted to move. Not just to another apartment- No, I wanted to move out of this city. There are so many bad memories.

It's funny; when you are happy, you don't see the bad stuff, but the moment you can take that step back and see the whole picture; you see that you weren't happy. I was always running around trying to make sure Nate was happy, but it was internally making me miserable. I was doing it because it kept him calm and we wouldn’t argue. I wouldn’t be corrected on my shortcomings as long as Nate was happy.

Now that I wasn't worried about Nate and his wants- I was able to see I was never meeting my own.

I loved my colleagues, but I also wanted to work in family practice and not a medi-clinic. I wanted that small-town charm and not the city hustle. I wanted roots and to do that- you needed somewhere to claim your own.

I haven't told anyone yet, but I was looking at land for sale across the country. I was also corresponding with a family clinic out there and it looks like I stand a good chance after my divorce is finalized.

The clinic is run by Dr. Bergs. He is the brother-in-law of Dr. Winston. He is the only one aware of my plans and has helped me a great deal in the preparation of the idea. He put me in touch with Dr. Bergs and gave me a glowing letter of reference. I know Dr. Winston wants me to leave this city. Nate has resorted to stalking me at work lately and it's starting to become excessive. We have had to have our security guard shared with the pharmacy attached next door, to escort Nate out a few times too many already.

Just two more months and then I will be completely free of this nightmare of a marriage. I hated that I legally had to wait six months before I could file for divorce. There is no chance of a reconciliation. The longer it takes, the more chance of Nate getting his hands on me. I needed this to move faster.

Nate has tried to suggest marriage counselling and maybe going on trips to "get us back to the beginning", but each time I tell him I am not interested and then security takes him out of the clinic.

It's starting to get embarrassing for me at work. I knew everyone but Dr. Winston was gossiping about my shamble of a marriage and the dramatics Nate was causing because of it.

My dad comes and picks me up after work now. The apartment complex I live in is secure with a security desk at the front, so Nate can not get in past them without my consent. I never give it. No matter how many times the front desk tells me that he is there. It is always No.

I know my parents are concerned but I also know they are aware I am planning something. They don't know what yet, but they always know when their only child is scheming.

I will miss them so much, but who knows, maybe they'll retire in my new town eventually.

I would love that, to be honest, I've never been far from them other than when I did my three years at UNI.

I am just about to sit down and eat my delicious stir-fry when my phone rings. Caller ID- blocked caller. I rejected the call and turned my attention back to my meal.

The cell phone rang again. Same as before- blocked caller. This is becoming too much.

I turned my phone off. I need him to get over the loss.

My laptop pings from where it sits in the living room. I received an email.

I rushed over to see them; I had been offered the family clinic position in BC. I was so excited, I needed to call someone, but who? No, I couldn't tell anyone yet because I couldn't risk Nate finding out. I was about to burst with excitement, though.

I read through the email thoroughly, several times.

The work hours are the same; the salary is slightly higher. That excites me. Benefits and they even included temporary lodging while I look for something more permanent.

I couldn't believe it. I felt as though this weight had been lifted right off my shoulders. I had my way out. Finally. A big bright shiny light just opened up at the end of this tunnel I was forced into.

I don't remember when I last smiled like this. It was time to tell my parents, though. The sooner, the better.

I finished eating my dinner, turned on my cell, and called my mum, asking her if they were home. They were.

When I arrived at my parent's house, I was greeted immediately by my mum's big warm hugs. I could feel her breathing me in as she did. My father stood behind her smiling, but I also saw the concern lines stretched across his forehead. Once my mother pulled away, he jumped right in for his hug. I laughed.

I was really lucky to have such great supportive parents. I don't think I'd be nearly as okay as I am if I didn't have them.

"What's wrong? Did he do something again?" My father immediately bombarded me with questions about my sudden arrival.

I smiled and let them both lead me inside.

"Dad. I'm fine. Promise. This visit has nothing to do with Nate, and everything to do with me."

We all sat down in the family room. My mum brought us all coffee. This is a family who loves their coffee. They always had a decaf pot brewed in the evenings.

While we drank our coffees, I explained to them all the realizations I had come to; especially my not being happy here. I told them that I doubted the harassment would stop and, although it's not the main reason I am choosing to leave, it is a good motivator for the final push.

I opened the email on my phone and showed them my contract offer.

My father was a smart businessman, he loved contracts and so he went through every word and detail within the offer.

My mother loves the offer of temporary lodging and the idea of buying land and building.

I was never raised "wealthy" but we were comfortable and, because of the values my parents instilled in me, I started saving from my very first job. My father made some incredible investments with my money and, over time with interest and constant contributions, I had a sizable chunk of money. The best part was it was never in my name.

When I told my parents I was engaged to Nate, one of their stipulations was to sign over the money to them. Just as a precaution, they said, and to be honest, I love them so much more because of it.

That was my money and no way would I share it with that cheating monster.

With the money, I would be able to buy the chunk of land I've been looking at and still afford to build a small cottage on it.

There was a field of wildflowers in the back half and a small river to the side.

When I showed my parents a lot I wanted to purchase, right away my father was recording the information and made a call to his real estate friend.

They were setting everything up for me. I thought my parents would be upset, but as it turns out, they were both incredibly supportive of the idea.

My father's real estate friend was negotiating and going to get the land cheaper than asking. In addition, my father was also getting in contact with a contractor and construction company he knew did a lot of business in the area of BC I was moving to.

I was only at my parents' for maybe an hour and they were already making plans and setting things in motion for me. My parents made me a deal. They purchased the land, and I used the money I was going to use to build my dream home instead of a small cabin like I had originally planned. They called it my divorce gift.

I was elated and happy I came here tonight to tell them.

After a long night of hypotheticals and planning, I decided to spend the night in my old room with my parents. My mum makes the best breakfasts, anyway. Win for me and my belly.

I was going to let Dr. Winston know about the offer and my plans when I got to work tomorrow morning. Six more weeks.

The countdown was on.

I fell asleep smiling tonight. For the first time in possibly years, I fell asleep smiling. I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t unsure. I wasn’t… alone.

Time flew by after I finalized everything with the contract offer from the clinic. I stopped worrying about my social circle here and started planning my new future direction. Aside from Dr. Winston and my parents, no one else knew I was leaving the province. They all just thought I was taking some much-needed relaxation time off work. I needed it to stay that way, as I didn’t want Nate to find a way to prevent my departure or showing up there.

The purchase of the land was confirmed and I was reviewing ideas via Zoom with the contractor my father put me in touch with. I wanted country cottage vibes with a peak-peak and a large front and back veranda. I wanted a log exterior.

With my more "natural" elements being requested, the contractor was going to be working with a local lumber supply company. I loved the plans we had sketched out.

It looked like I was getting three bedrooms, two baths, and an open living

room and kitchen concept. The two smaller rooms will be on the main floor, but the master will be loft-style overhead with a slider option for privacy. It would also have its own master en-suite and a small breakfast lookout balcony. There would also be a small office just off from the master bedroom.

I haven't even seen it; it wasn't even built yet- but I was already in love with the idea.

My parents were involved the entire way through. My father was familiar with these types of dealings and all the business lingo. I was a nurse at a clinic. I knew where my strengths lay, this was definitely my father's area of expertise. I was so thankful for him.

We managed to get great prices and my father handled all the financial areas with my hidden money.

My mother helped me with preparing myself for the actual divorce hearing. It was in three days and Nate's pestering had become full force. Sometimes it felt like his pursuits were two different versions of himself. One was calm and trying to manipulate with logic, while the other version was a lot more possessive and stalker-ish.

I had to get a restraining order against him two weeks ago because he was waiting in my car either at work or home, it didn't matter.

I was living like a paranoid person and it was causing unnecessary stress. My parents took me in and we got another restraining order issued.

Since then, Nate has had his friends try and speak to me on his behalf.

I will be happier once everything is finalized. I heard Nate and his mistress ended things shortly after he lost his promotion. I guess without the big bucks, she lost interest.

I chuckled whenever I thought about it. He tossed everything we had away for a superficial fling.

Due to the affair, I could take half of everything. I certainly had enough witnesses to confirm his affair and he didn't get a prenup before we married, but I just wanted to cut all ties with him. I wanted nothing that wasn't my own purchased items.

Besides, I was already having my dream home built. I didn't need anything from him.

The thought made me chuckle because each time, I thought back to his birthday bash when he announced that "I needed him". What a joke. I guess it was the other way around, after all. He's the one who can't let me go.

The divorce hearing was just in a couple more days, then I moved four days after that. It was crazy how quickly things were moving now that I knew the direction I wanted to go.

I was not taking everything, of course. I sold off the furniture and started to downsize lots of clothes and unimportant possessions. I donated lots of my clothes to shelters for battered women. I feel those are the shelters overlooked by too many people.

Lots of women with their babies reside in them and struggle every day with very little. It was sad.

I knew I was small and... well, small but my stuff would fit someone- maybe the older teenage girls living in them could make use of the clothes.

I also got rid of my cookware and dishware. I didn’t need them anyway. My mum is an executive chef, after all. She loved feeding people.

I wasn't taking my car with me. My dad had a friend who needed to buy a small car for his teenage daughter. My car would be perfect for her. It was small for the city parking and easy on fuel. I didn't need a flashy car like Nate, so I kept the same one I had throughout school. My dad was concerned about its reliability. So, he and my mum snuck out and bought "themselves" a brand-new Bronco.

This thing was sexy. I have never been one for cars or all the details that went into it, but this Bronco was the sexiest SUV I've ever seen. It looked apocalypse-ready.

My dad got the full setup for it: the roof rack, the tinted windows, the front bush bar, the fog light, the tow wrench in the front, and the trailer hitch on the back.

It was backwoods ready for sure. I loved the colour, the interior, the features. If my eyes could have turned into little hearts like in the cartoons; they would have.

I moved the three duffle bags and four boxes of things over to my parent's house, two nights before the divorce hearing. They didn't want me alone after the court hearing, and to be honest, I agreed. There was no telling what Nate might try afterward. If he got me back into that house after all this drama, I’d never get back out again. I knew that for a fact.

The morning of the court hearing came fast. My mother made us all this large feast of a meal. It was the most delicious meal I think I've ever eaten. I sold by she did anything different but I was different. Today was the day my life started fresh.

My father's lawyer friend, Bill Staples, was the best divorce lawyer in the city and both he and my father were pushing for me to ask for more from the divorce, but I wouldn't budge.

I was just asking for lawyer fees to be covered by Nate. He reluctantly agreed to the divorce terms when he signed.

After breakfast and clean-up, we all piled into my father's SUV and drove to meet Bill at the courthouse.

We arrived before Nate. I didn't see him or his attorney when we entered.

Our court time was set for Ten AM and it was already nearly a quarter after ten. It didn't make much sense to me, as Nate was always punctual.

Deciding not to wait any longer, the judge was considering rescheduling, but Bill earned his wage by convincing the judge to push through with a "default divorce" and sentenced Nate to pay my lawyer's fees.

I was worried that Nate not showing up would delay the divorce proceedings, but Bill explained that sometimes a judge will reward the party who arrived at a default divorce as a consequence of wasting the judge's and other parties' time.

Since I had a restraining order in place against him for stalking and harassment, as well as evidence of his affair through multiple witness statements and I wasn't asking for anything other than my lawyer fees to be paid, the judge didn't see a point in rescheduling an open and shut divorce. This was most likely Nate's desperate way to stall the divorce, but lovable Bill found a way to get me my freedom and his fees covered.

As we left the courthouse, we waved Bill off after half a dozen thank you's from all of us. We watched him drive off and decided on a celebratory day as a family. One last trip to all our favourite places around the city since I will be leaving permanently in a few days.

I couldn't wait for Nate to find out I got the divorce approved, regardless of his childish attempts.

The day was fun. We went to the zoo that my parents used to take me to as a child. We went to the mall. I bought a few sweaters and a new pair of Blundstone's and jeans for around the new property I acquired. I knew it would be a rainy season in BC approaching, so I also bought a new jacket and rain boots for the Bronco emergency duffle. Should I get stuck, I'd have backup gear.

Overall, time with my family after everything was exactly what I needed.

I had two more work days before I was officially done, but I needed this family day and I think so did my parents.

We finished the evening at our favourite diner and bantered with the regular server and cook there. We told them I was leaving now that I was divorced and they all wished me the best of luck on my new adventure.

We'd been coming to this diner for the last twelve years. Once a month, same day every month, and same booth seating. The staff knew us and we often stayed a little longer just to keep them company, as it wasn't the busiest diner but it was the city's best-kept mom-and-pop shop around.

Even though my parents could go big and flashy, we preferred things low-key and relaxed. Dina's Diner offered that comfort. Not to mention, John was a great cook. When I was a teen, I'd eat nothing else but his supreme burgers when I was sad or stressed. It was the only thing to snap me out of my rut. My dad tried to imitate it but he could never do it exactly right. I'll miss those the most, other than my parents, that is.

After giving everyone hugs and promising to visit, we all piled back into my father's SUV and drove back home to my parent's place.

Now that all my loose ends are tidied up, this would be a quick departure in a couple more days. I planned on soaking in as much family time as I could before I left.