‘Matthew, I am not responsible for—’
‘I’m not interested in hearing you toe the corporate line or your usual bullshit about how you’re not to blame for destroying people’s lives. I’m here to tell you how I’m about to destroy yours. Now, do you mind if I help myself to another drink?’
Chapter 81
MANDY
Mandy was relieved to find Pat’s house empty when she returned from visiting Richard at the nursing home.
She needed space to formulate a plan before she was ready to confront Pat and Chloe about why they’d lied about Richard’s death. But first she needed to get out of Pat’s house. She made her way upstairs to her bedroom – his bedroom – and fought the urge to cry again. She was concerned about the effect her afternoon of stress might be having on her baby.
What had begun as an ordinary day with so much to look forward to had taken more twists and turns than a James Patterson novel. She was exhausted, and couldn’t wait to return to the safety of her own home and its familiar surroundings. Once there, she’d lock the doors, slip into a deep, soapy bath and begin to come to terms with everything she had learned. And then, in a couple of days when the dust had settled, she’d visit her mum and sisters in the hope of making amends. It had been the best part of a year since she’d seen them properly and she needed her real family now more than she could’ve ever imagined.
She grabbed her clothes from around the room, and threw them into two suitcases. Everything baby related sheleft where Pat had hung it, alongside bags of toys, nappies and a stroller. She could buy these things for herself, later.
The sound of the front door opening gave her a queasy feeling and she quickly slammed the lids of her cases and zipped them up.
‘Hiya! Are you upstairs, Mandy?’ yelled Chloe. ‘We’ve brought fish and chips from the takeaway as Mum couldn’t be bothered to cook …’
Her voice trailed off as Mandy appeared on the landing lugging her cases behind her. ‘Is everything OK?’ asked Pat.
‘I’m going home for a few days,’ Mandy replied. ‘I just need a bit of time to myself.’
Pat and Chloe looked at each other, a baffled look crossing their faces. ‘Has something happened? Is it the baby? Is he OK?’ asked Chloe.
‘Yes, the baby’s fine.’
‘Then why are you leaving? I thought you were happy here?’
Mandy paused and stared at the two strangers below her, realising she didn’t really know them at all. They had lied to her from the day she’d first met them, and she resented them for every mistruth they’d sold her and every fake promise they’d made.
‘I know about Richard,’ Mandy said slowly but firmly.
‘What do you know?’ Pat asked.
‘I met Michelle Nicholls today, Richard’s ex-girlfriend. She told me a lot of interesting things about him, like that he was quite the ladies’ man and that he didn’t want kids of his own. But that’s not even the half of it, is it?’
‘Whatever she’s told you, she’s lying,’ said Pat immediately. ‘Michelle is a bitter little tart, angry because Richard didn’t want her anymore.’
‘So you didn’t beg her to have Richard’s baby and then harass her when she said no?’ Mandy fixed her glare on Pat.
‘No, of course we didn’t, darling. Before he died, Richard told me he never loved her.’
‘“Before he died”! Pat, stop it. I know the truth. I just spent the afternoon with him in his nursing home.’
Pat held her hand to her mouth in surprise and Chloe looked away.
‘Why did you lie to me?’ continued Mandy. ‘Why did you tell me he was dead?’
‘We didn’t mean to,’ Chloe interrupted, her voice trembling. ‘When you turned up at the remembrance service, we assumed you knew he was alive. Then when you came to the house, we realised you thought he was dead and …’ She glanced at Pat. ‘Mum thought it best not to upset you any further. I wanted to tell you the truth but then it all went too far.’ Again, she exchanged an uneasy look with Pat.
‘You even showed me where you had sprinkled his ashes, Pat. What kind of mother would do that? When her son is still alive?’
Even Chloe looked surprised at this. ‘Mum?’ she said quietly, but Pat ignored her.
‘For all intents and purposes he is dead,’ said Pat. ‘I lost my little boy and I wanted him back. And you, you wanted a child. I’m sorry I lied to you but it’s worked out for all of us, hasn’t it?’
‘That was the plan then, to replace Richard with my baby?’
