Read Online The Queen of Bad Decisions by Janel Gradowski - Free Book Online Page B

now. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Get your things packed up and be ready to go. If Gary comes back before I get there, call the police.”
    “Okay. I will.”
    Tears dribbled down her cheeks as she wrestled the plastic storage bin of yarn out of the tiny closet. What was up with the drippy waterworks display? She wasn’t a crier. Tears of joy for finally taking control of her life again? Apparently extreme conditions produced weird reactions. She stacked the lumpy bags on top of the container and dragged everything into the living room. Then she went to the bathroom to collect her makeup and other toiletries. She was plucking the last vitamin bottle out of the medicine cabinet when the sound of tires crunching over gravel crackled through the open bathroom window. Fear dried the deluge of tears. Was it her mother, Gary or someone else? She moved into the hall and stared at the front door. If it was Gary, she would lock herself in the bathroom until the police came. She patted the back pocket of her jeans to make sure the phone was there. A frenzy of knocks rattled through the dead-silent apartment. “I’m here. Let me in.”
    Daisy sprinted into the living room. She fumbled with the lock and flung the door open. Her mother rushed into the apartment and strangled her in a suffocating hug. Finally, she let go. She nodded at the pile of bags and boxes and asked, “That’s all you want to take with you?”
    “That’s all I have.”
    Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Really? Your closet was stuffed to the gills when you lived with us.”
    Most of those clothes had been sold at rummage sales long ago, to raise rent or, more likely, beer money. “I’ve pared my wardrobe down to essentials. There have been a lot of tiny closets in my life since I last lived with you and dad.”
    “If you’re sure you have everything, let’s go.” Her mother grunted as she picked up one of the heavy bags in each hand. “I’ll take these if you grab the box.”
    Daisy glanced over her shoulder as she lifted the storage bin. One last look, just to make sure nothing important had been overlooked, because she wasn’t ever coming back. The bowl of spaghetti sat on the counter, untouched. What a waste. Gary would probably leave everything sitting on the stove until it rotted and he couldn’t stand the stench anymore.
    “Hang on a second.” She set the container down. “I just need to do one more thing.”
    She grabbed a gallon jug out of the refrigerator. The milk had passed its expiration date a week earlier, but she had forgotten to throw it out. Now it was separated into layers of curds and yellowish liquid that shifted and swirled when she crossed the room. Her mother laughed as Daisy lifted up the couch cushions and sloshed the putrid milk underneath them. A little surprise for darling Gary. A parting gift for being an asshole and pushing her over the edge into leaving. “He deserves a going away present from me, don’t you think?” she asked as she replaced the cushions.
    “I think it serves him right.”
    “Me too.” Daisy picked up the storage bin again and walked out the door. She left it open, just like Gary had when he left. She had seen raccoons waddling away from the building’s dumpster many times. Maybe the scent of food would attract a few new pets he could use as her replacements.
     
     
     
    “Put your stuff over here for now, we’ll figure out what to do with it after dinner,” her mother said as she dropped the black garbage bags near the entertainment center. The apartment wasn’t much larger than the one Daisy had bolted from, but it was a world away in cleanliness. She inhaled the scent of lemony furniture polish combined with pine cleaner, an aroma that was always present in her parents’ home. As she was growing up, her mother never dispensed gems of wisdom about broken hearts or shattered friendships. Instead, she worked two jobs, kept the apartment spotless and drilled her motto into