Diary Of A Life For Rent: Diary Of A Life For Rent, #1

By F M Digby

A Mysterious Man, A Forbidden Love, A Deadly Trap

"An absolutely gripping romantic thriller!"

Until she found him tangled around another woman, Katie had been sure her boyfriend was preparing to propose. The discovery of his betrayal called for a fresh start. For Katie, that meant moving to London to blog about her life of casual dating, partying, and fun. But three years later, Katie's fresh start had grown stale. Unemployed, single, and struggling, she makes a New Year's resolution to get more serious about life.

Vincent seems like just the kind of guy a girl could get serious with. She thinks he could be Mr. Right until his ex-girlfriend shows up with a secret that would make any girl think twice. So, when Katie meets a sexy and commanding David, she is hooked because he only has eyes for her... or so she thought. David offers a forbidden world of dark and sultry romance with sex and pleasure like Katie has never experienced, but is he too mysterious?

While torn between two men and making choices she is second-guessing, Katie shouldn't be surprised when she starts receiving threatening letters. She wanted to get serious with life, but this was too serious. When Katie finds herself locked in the back of a limo filling with smoke, she wonders if she chose the right man... and if she will live to find out.

Content Warning

This 18+ romantic suspense novel contains explicit sexual content, including scenes of BDSM and power play. It also contains themes of violence, including physical and emotional abuse, and may not be suitable for all readers. Additionally, this novel contains depictions which may be triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pawsitively Bookish Limited
• Release date: Aug 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223626275

Book preview

DIARY OF A LIFE FOR RENT

F M DIGBY

Copyright © 2022 F M Digby All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

To request permissions, contact the publisher at [e-mail].

Paperback Edition ISBN: 9798429621296

First paperback edition - March 2022

Second paperback edition - March 2023

Edited by

A. Korek

Stephanie O’Neil

CONTENTS

A Note From The Author

Content Warning

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Also by F M Digby

Acknowledgments

About the Author

A Note From The Author

Hi there, welcome to my debut novel, where I promise to be honest about one thing. I can't guarantee you a happy ending, but I can guarantee you a suspenseful ride.

So, if you're ready for an emotional thriller with a romantic twist, you're in the right place. My book is a love triangle with endless possibilities - and just as I said, no guarantees. It's a world where secrets, lies and passions come alive and not everyone can come out unscathed.

It's the classic story of two men in love with the same woman, only with a few extra twists and turns that will make you question everything you ever thought you knew about romantic love. It'll keep your heart racing and your mind guessing till the end.

If you're ready to take a chance on this wild and unpredictable journey, then come on in. But remember, I warned you - this is not your average love triangle.

P.S. Brace yourselves, while the tale you're about to embark on is woven with suspense and romance, there's another twist – it's penned in the delightful dialect of UK English.

Now, I realise that to some, this might feel like exploring a maze under moonlight, where the word 'colour' keeps an extra 'u' tucked under its arm and 'analyse' chooses to waltz with an 's' instead of a 'z'. It's also a world where 'bloke', 'kerfuffle', 'chuffed to bits' and others frolic around in the joyous jamboree of British slang.

Fear not, for this is part of our adventure! Every unfamiliar word is an invitation to delve deeper into the unique charm of UK English. When an unfamiliar term tickles your curiosity, I encourage you to seek out its meaning, perhaps with a little help from our digital friend, Google. The results, I assure you, may add an extra sprinkle of amusement to your reading.

So, strap in and enjoy the ride. The spellings might be a little different, but the heart of the story is the same. It's all part of the charm, I reckon.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

Content Warning

This 18+ romantic suspense novel contains explicit sexual content, including scenes of BDSM and power play. It also contains themes of violence, including physical and emotional abuse, and may not be suitable for all readers. Additionally, this novel contains depictions which may be triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

For the full list of potential triggers for this book, please see the website below, or scan the QR code to be directed straight to the site.

www.fmdigby.co.uk/contentwarnings

DIARY OF A LIFE FOR RENT

ONE

Even a day that starts with so much promise can easily lead to disaster. After a day of skipping work and shopping for the perfect dresses for the upcoming Christmas parties, I had plans to have dinner with a friend, but instead, opted to go home and rest. I wanted to make sure I was well rested for next week’s festivities. I spent the whole taxi ride home from the station thinking about how lucky I am, and how perhaps a proposal could be on the cards this Christmas. That’s why it was extra important to me that I had the right dress, the right shoes, and that I was, as previously mentioned, well rested.

I’ve been with Jamie for almost two years, but I have a feeling it’s coming soon. It’s not just intuition, there have been signs. Firstly, I caught him snooping in my jewellery box. Secondly, I believe he met with my parents recently. Third and finally, he has been nervous around me all this week. So, I’m sure it’s safe to say that this will be an amazing Christmas.

The house is completely dark as I arrive home, and the walk up to the front door was quiet. To be honest, this isn’t unusual, I wasn’t expecting Jamie to be home this early in the evening. I’m sure he’s still at work, he usually gets home around 7pm, the same time as I usually do.

The cold winter air pricked my skin as I opened the front door to a dark home. A faint blue glow lightened the living room and a faint murmur drifted down from upstairs confirms I am wrong. At first everything seems okay, I figure it’s just Jamie watching TV upstairs, maybe he also pulled a sickie. With the hallway still in darkness, I walk in, hang up my coat, and place my shopping bags carefully by the hall table.

I know what I’ll do, I’ll make a hot drink and take it up to him. No doubt he still had a long day and he never seemed to bother to make himself a cup of coffee.

No sooner had I got my hand on the kettle when a sinister noise makes my heart leap into my throat. Panic-stricken, I carefully made my way up the hallway and heard muffled, yet discernible voices coming from the bedroom.

Each step I took seemed to reverberate off the walls as I stepped closer to the room. Jamie’s voice was distinct, and I could feel a wave of anguish and sorrow crashing through me. A chill rushed through me as I heard a woman’s voice.

Oh yeah Jamie, oh that feels so good. My breathing heavy as I gripped the railing on the stairs, I took a deep breath and willed myself to keep moving. With each step I took, I heard Jamie’s voice louder and Sarah’s faint moans in between. My stomach sank as I reached the bedroom door, I could see them through the crack in the door, his back to me and Sarah beneath him.

Stepping onto a creaky floorboard, I freeze, unable to move another inch. I held my breath and waited for them to notice me. Jamie’s voice rose in pitch as he said, Shh, did you hear something?

Sarah cackled a little too loudly. Oh come on Jamie, don’t be silly. I thought you said Katie wouldn’t be home for hours.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the door burst open. They both stood there in disbelief and terror. Jamie shirtless and dishevelled, Sarah completely naked, attempting to cover herself with the sheet from our bed. All at once my body flooded with rage as I stepped back in horror. Jamie immediately lunged towards me and tried to grab me to pull me back towards the bedroom.

Get off me! Don’t you dare touch me! My voice shook with rage as Jamie begged for forgiveness.

It was a moment of weakness, I swear it will never happen again.

Hey! Sarah strutted out from my bedroom, completely naked and arrogantly clutching her dress in her hand. A smirk twisted her lips while she taunted me with her eyes. Sarah then dared to speak as she attempted to tug the fabric over her shoulders. Katie, look, I am so very sorry, please believe me, her words dripping with sarcasm and smugness.

I bellowed at them both with a roar so powerful it shook my entire house. Tears of anguish and fury spilled recklessly down my cheeks, my heart pounding with a mix of devastation and rage.

Get out of my house! And that goes for you too!" I spat, as I shifted my gaze between them both with burning eyes.

Jamie’s expression changed abruptly from remorse to something inhuman and malicious.

He advanced towards me like a poisonous snake, his voice lowering to a deep and menacing tone as he spoke. Well, maybe if you weren’t such a mess, I wouldn’t have strayed, he snarled.

Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? I retorted, my voice hoarse and trembling.

You’re pathetic, Katie, an absolute joke, he sneered derisively. Your job barely pays the bills and you’re boring as fuck. How can you expect people to stay with you when all you do is run away from your problems? You’re a flake. You’re twenty-four years old, yet you can’t seem to keep a job longer than a year! You never face your issues head on and stop running away all the time. Let me guess...you’ll be running off again soon? Where will it be this time? Seriously Katie, you need to grow the fuck up.How dare you? I hissed through my clenched teeth. Fury drove my every action as I glared at him in disgust.

Oh, and your mother was right, no one will ever truly love you, they couldn’t, you are unlovable, and undeserving of love. Everyone can see it, she even said I’m too good for you. You were definitely punching with me darling. I should have never come near you.

His horrid degrading words felt like a slap that seared through my skin, and I could feel the rage that had been boiling beneath the surface now gushed forth like a raging sea. My eyes filled with tears and I wanted to reach out and grab him, shake him until he realised the hurt he had caused. Tears burned my eyes like acid as they cascaded down my cheeks. I clenched my fists in anger. Our argument had reached its boiling point and I couldn’t take it anymore. I balled my hands into fists and pushed him away from me with all the force I had. I could feel the betrayal radiating through my veins as I shoved him out the door with a deafening roar of fury. He had betrayed me and I could feel the pain radiating in my chest as I slammed the door shut behind him, not wanting to see his face ever again.

Stop it.

Stop what?

You’re doing it again, aren’t you? Katie, it’s been three years. I know that face, you’re thinking about that ass of an ex again, I know it. He’s not worth it.

Yeah, I know. It’s just that time of year. Looking down at my drink I avoid eye contact with April, she knows me too well.

April is one of my closest friends. She knows me inside and out and has been there for me for all the highs and lows. I know I can’t complain too much, when I moved in with April, I had no idea just how much better my life would become in so many ways. It was during those three years that I finally managed to find happiness and become a little more settled in myself. Sadly, I still don’t have a steady job and I spent last night ringing in the new year as a single woman, again. Though I must admit, I would have been crazy to think that I would have everything back on track by now. When I moved in with April I quit my job, I couldn’t stand the thought of bumping into Sarah every day, plus the commute would have been a pain. So, I’m still on the job hunt and taking any temporary jobs I can get until I find something I like. The last three years haven’t been easy: I’ve been hopping from job to job, finding each one more miserable than the last. Surely with this kind of batting average I must be getting close to something I’ll like. My friends keep lecturing me for being so flighty, so I’ve decided I need to make more of an effort this year to progress in life. Not only do I need to do it for myself, but I can’t keep living with April for pretty much free, it’s not fair on her. April has been lovely about it all, but I have promised that I will soon have a steady job and will start paying proper rent. April keeps saying no rush, it’s not like she pays rent either, I suppose that’s the huge perk of her inheriting the flat. April was very lucky to inherit a gorgeous three-bedroom flat in Camden in her early twenties and now rents a room to Amelia. They have been sharing the flat for almost five years. Luckily for me, there was a spare room going. Not long before I moved in, April’s other roommate Claire moved out, and since it was the Christmas season, April was very kind to offer me the room.

So come on then Katie, tell us, how’s the job hunting going, have you got much lined up?

Oh don’t, please, can’t we talk about anything else? I feel rough enough as it is. We’re all completely hungover (as usual) so as part of our New Year’s Day tradition we are spending the evening in our favourite little Chinese restaurant in China Town. China Town is our favourite part of London, everything we need is within mere walking distance: the clubs, the bars, the restaurants and, of course, our favourite casino.

Go on, do tell, I’m interested, April pleaded while topping up my glass of wine.

Okay, fine, as long as I’m not boring anyone at the table. Everyone just smirked and insisted I continue. I’ve not got any interviews yet, but I am hopeful on some that I’ve applied for.

Such as…?

Oh, you know, the usual suspects, a couple of accountancy firms, admin of course, and a few various estate agents.

"Nice. It’s sweet really, at least April seemed pleased for me. How’s the blog coming along?"

It’s coming along nicely, thanks. I’ve got a few more subscribers recently, I’m not going to be a rich or famous writer any time soon, but that’s fine by me. I just enjoy writing.

Well, you never know, it could happen one day. Until then a steady job would do a treat. You’ve got great experience behind you; any employer would be lucky to have you.

Thanks. April has always been interested in my job hunt. For the last year or so she has been the most invested. She has been the driving force pushing me to do better for myself. Academics has always been important to April; back in the day, she did try to encourage me to go to college, but sadly that option was not in the cards. I left school and went straight out into the work force. Something that April has no idea about. April would never know what it is like to bounce from job to job not knowing which career path to take. She works as a lead psychiatrist for a private practice run by her father. This career path was destined from the beginning. April has worked really hard to get where she is now, it’s just from what I can gather her work colleagues don’t always seem to agree. I personally think that is a shame. I know April, and there is no way she doesn’t deserve her success.

So, which one do you think you will go for?

If I’m completely honest, I have no idea. None of the jobs strike me as my dream career, though I still haven’t got the faintest idea what I’d rather do. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if I hear back from them and make my decision from there. I try my best to change the subject the best way I know how, Who fancies a shot?

Oh god, don’t even get me started, wasn’t last night enough for you, woman? Parker has just strolled back from the gents. You’re not seriously thinking of getting more shots, are you? Parker is my closest male friend; we met many years ago at one of my many temp jobs. This was before he got serious and settled himself into a nice job as a veterinarian. Luckily for me, even though I’ve moved many times over the years and had many jobs, Parker has never given up on me.

Come on, let’s do some shots, a few more won’t hurt, then go on to the casino. Who’s up for going tonight?

Yeah, count me in, I’m feeling lucky tonight. Oh please, April feels lucky every night. April is one of those unexpected geniuses, of sorts. You wouldn’t know it unless you knew her well, but we always said that if she never went into the psychology field then she would have done something that involved numbers. I don’t really understand it but when she was young, she was considered a child genius. That’s why she feels lucky when gambling, she is a double threat. She can not only read a person and know whether they have a good hand, but she can also follow the game and calculate the odds of her cards coming out. I could only dream of having a mind like hers.

Parker, are you up for it? Come on, let your hair down, figuratively speaking of course.

Sure, why not. I’ll message Amelia now, she can meet us there.

TWO

When we got to the casino the drinks were flowing and the tables were hot. Parker and Amelia almost always head for the roulette table first, whereas April and I prefer the poker deck. The Hippodrome Casino was great any night of the year, but New Year’s Day was always our favourite time to come. Of course, we do frequent here at least a few times per month, it has become a little oasis for us all. I personally have always been fascinated by casinos. In fact, I used to work in one for a short while. In a way I’m glad I left that job, working as a poker dealer kind of stole the fun away when it came to playing. Plus, there is a whole set of rules for dealers that kind of make being a player awkward. First off, you can’t gamble in the casino you work in; fair enough, that seems reasonable. More annoyingly though, you also can’t gamble within a certain radius of the casino you work for. This is obviously no good when you live close to work and want to gamble all night then stumble home in the morning.

After a couple of hours on the poker table, April and I decided to join the others for a few spins on the roulette wheel. While standing at the table I could see Amelia was a little distracted placing her bets, so I seized the opportunity to ask the question that we were dying to ask her all night.

"So… Amelia, tell me, how’s things been going with that gorgeous guy you’ve been seeing? I’ve not seen either of you around the flat lately.

Yeah, he’s fine, we’ve just been spending more time at his. I could tell by her response she wasn’t really registering what she was saying.

Plus, his place is convenient for your work, right?

Yeah, exactly, it’s convenient, that’s all.

Sure, convenient, Parker said in a cheeky tone before calling over one of the waitresses. Can we get another round of shots please?

Tequila, right? The waitress started to gather our previous round of empties.

Hold on a minute, what do you mean by that? Amelia just picked up on Parker’s comment.

I’m kidding, you need to lighten up. That’s the thing about Parker, he loves to tease Amelia. Like the rest of us, he knows how much Amelia detests the idea of commitment and how she likes to fool herself into thinking that she only has casual relationships. In fact, Amelia never could discuss emotions or feelings of any kind, especially not so openly in public. I guess that’s why her and Sam work so well, that and their shared love of rock music and body art. Amelia works in a tattoo studio just around the corner to where Sam lives. In fact, that was how they met. One day Sam went into the studio for some tattoo work, and they’ve been smitten ever since. Of course, neither of them will admit it, they both claim to be two free spirits who just so happen to spend a lot of time together.

So, Katie, what about you, are you seeing anyone at the moment?

Nope, no one right now.

That makes a change. Parker had clearly decided that I would be his next victim to tease for the night.

Oh thanks, I’m not that bad, am I?

Well… his answer lingered in the air a little longer than I appreciated.

Well, what? I demanded.

Let’s face it, you haven’t exactly been shy of a few dates lately, but none of them seem to make it to the second date. Not that I’m judging, of course, it’s just an observation.

So, hold on a minute, you’re commenting on how many dates I go on. I bet if I were a guy then no one would judge me. In fact, I bet people would be praising me.

Yeah, why is that? April jumped in on the conversation; I knew she would agree with me, after all, April dates more guys than I do. Especially if you include the fact that she sometimes dates multiple guys at once.

Oh no, I’m not falling for this trap, no matter what I say I will not be able to win this argument. So, I think I’ll just shut my mouth.

Good idea. April and I shared a smile: finally, a win for us.

The conversation began dying down and I turned to April. Do you think I date too much? She gave me