‘Um, a loan.’
Fury surged through Liv’s system. She slapped her hand to her forehead. ‘That’s not the right way, and we can’t afford to throw twenty thousand away on branding and coffee table books. We need to get the basics right with the business.Katrina’s head is in the clouds.’
‘I didn’t realize it would cost so much. Those branding guys could sell ice lollies in the Antarctic.’
Liv didn’t laugh. ‘Why do you always let her get her own way?’
He ran his tongue around inside his mouth and let out a defeated sigh. He seemed to turn something over in his head before he spoke. ‘I promised her I’d never utter a word…’
‘About what? You need to start talking.’
He nodded, his voice turning gravelly. ‘Before you and I met, Katrina was going to get married. She spent thousands on a fancy white dress, booked a big country house, and invited all her friends and our family. But her fiancé didn’t show up on the day. He left her standing at the altar. It was bloody awful. Katrina took on a huge debt for their wedding and is probably still paying it off. Mum and Dad insisted she move back home with them. They fussed over her and she’s got used to it. She always thinks she’s right. Being let down like that really changed her. She always wanted to have kids, but couldn’t trust anyone after what happened.’
Liv understood how adverse events could upend your life. The repercussions from her childhood always floated around her like embers from a fire. It wasn’t an excuse to be ignorant. ‘Katrina refused to listen to my ideas,’ she said.
‘She’s suspicious about anyone outside of the family.’
‘We’ve been married for over twenty years.’ Liv threw up her hands. ‘What did the bank say?’
‘They looked through the company’s books. Paperpress’s income has dwindled greatly, and there’s not many tangible assets in the business.We need to secure collateral against something else…’ His words petered out.
Liv’s stomach swilled. She felt like throwing up. ‘Not… our house?’
The way his eyes dropped told her she was right.
‘Y-you can’t do that,’ she stuttered.
He dug a hand into his pocket. ‘It’s my name on the mortgage.’
Liv clenched her fists so tightly her fingernails dug into her palms. ‘I can’t believe you just saidthat. It’s beenourhouse for two decades. What will happen if the business fails?’
‘It won’t.’
‘We could lose our home.’
‘Sorry,’ he said quickly. ‘It was a stupid thing to say. I’m really knackered.’
‘Me, too,’ she fired back, taking a few minutes to think. The cupboard was hot and stuffy, contributing to her sensation of suffocation. She thought about Jake hiding paperwork from her. ‘We need to sort this out.’
Jake rubbed his forehead. ‘Thanks for sayingwe. I know we’ve never had a fortune, but you never seemed to mind… until recently.’
Liv’s cheeks burned. In the past, if she had enough cash for a couple of glasses of wine on Friday night and to pop a small box of chocolates in her shopping trolley, that was enough. And now she’d stepped into a world of fine dining, designer bags and luxury hotel suites. Jake’s observation was right, and she didn’t want to admit it.
However, there were much bigger problems between them, besides money. ‘You’ve been totally suckered in by Katrina,’ she said. ‘It’s all about whatshewants.’
‘Well, what about you and Essie?’ he shot back. ‘She tells you to jump and you ask how high. It’s like you’re carrying out some kind of secret mission for her.’
Liv’s head felt floaty and light. She longed to blurt out the truth and put an end to her deception. Her former life seemed so simple, and she was beginning to ache for it. ‘Essie needs extra help from me.’
‘And Katrina needs mine,’ he said firmly.
Above them the light bulb pinged and went out. The cupboard was plunged into darkness.
‘The bulb’s gone,’ Jake muttered. ‘I don’t think we’ve got a spare.’
‘What is it thatyouwant?’ Liv asked him. The question was easier now she couldn’t see his face. ‘Forget about Katrina and the business for a moment.’
The sigh he let out was so deep it made her heart plummet.
