As soon as Jed told me about Michael’s message, I wanted to visit the woods so we headed there on Sunday morning. After a long week or so of worrying about Zoe and Leanne, some alone time in such a beautiful, peaceful setting was exactly what I needed. We walked through the woods first, admiring the stunning flowers, before settling on the bench under the giant oak tree, Jed’s arm around my shoulders, heads resting together. With the birds chirping and the light rustle of leaves, I felt so much peace and contentment that I could happily have stayed in that exact spot all day.
‘Have you dozed off?’ Jed asked after a while,his tone teasing.
‘Nearly. I feel so relaxed here. Can we build a log cabin and stay here forever?’
‘The other visitors might object but we could always give it a try.’
‘Nah. I can’t see a lighthouse from here. We’ll keep looking.’
We had a table booked for lunch at The White Horse in Little Sandby so we needed to get going.
‘Are you looking forward to your trip to the woods with Michael?’ I asked as we set off back along the woodland trail.
‘I am. It’ll be good to get a photography perspective.’
‘We still need to have that night out with Nia and Michael.’ Michael had suggested it early on and Jed and I had both been keen but there hadn’t been the opportunity. ‘I hate having everything on hold. I feel like we’re fobbing them off. Maybe we could go out for a drink before the next Bay Trade meeting if Nia can get a babysitter for Kayla. It’s not a meal but it’s probably the best we can manage right now.’
I dropped Jed back at home in Great Sandby after a delicious lunch and stayed for a coffee. Aaron and Richie were sprawled across the floor propping up dominoes blocks for Piper and Savannah to knock over although they weren’t managing to get long runs in before the twins dived in. While Jed distracted them with a teddy bears’ picnic, Janice and I helped Aaron and Richie create something bigger, eliciting squeals of delight from the twins later as they sent the dominoes toppling. I smiled at how great Jed was with the girls and wondered whether there could be a scenario where he ended up looking after them on a more permanent basis if, say, things did miraculously work out for Ingrid and Declan. Jed and I didn’t want children of our own butsometimes life took unexpected turns and I rather liked the idea of playing a role in raising Piper and Savannah.
When I returned to The Chocolate Pot shortly before closing time, Maria told me the police had gone upstairs with Zoe a couple of minutes earlier but I wasn’t to worry – they had an update on Griff.
Griff had fled from Whitsborough Bay after assaulting Zoe, knowing that she’d taken things too far and that there was no way she wouldn’t be reported. She’d arrived in East Yorkshire where she’d been arrested for assaulting a retailer who’d confronted her for stealing. The police there discovered she was on parole so she’d been shipped back to prison and wouldn’t be a problem for anyone anymore. The look of relief on Zoe’s face was priceless.
As they prepared to leave, one of the police officers asked Zoe if there was anything else they could do. Zoe looked at me and I saw the question in her eyes. I nodded encouragingly.
‘Yes, actually,’ she said, her voice strong, her shoulders back. ‘I’d like to report an old case of sexual and physical abuse.’
The officers listened to Zoe’s story and assured her that they took allegations like that very seriously – it didn’t matter that several years had passed. She needed to go to the police station to give a formal report and Zoe asked if she could do that now.
‘The police will need me to go into more detail and I’d rather not subject you to the specifics. You know enough and I’d rather we left it there. Does that make sense?’
It made perfect sense. I’d wanted to spare my parents the specifics of what Leanne did to me, to protect them as much as myself. With one of the officers assuring me that they’d bring Zoe back later, I accepted her wishes to go solo on this one.
When she’d gone, I wandered over to my laptop and opened up the email sitting in my drafts. I’d questionedearlier whether it was worth it but it was. If Zoe could be courageous enough to outline the harrowing wrongdoings at the hands of people who should have cared about her, so could I.
To: Kirsten Sanderson, Tim Sanderson
From: Tara Porter
RE: The Truth
Hi both,
I pride myself in always telling the truth but I haven’t been completely honest with you. I told you that I mainly blamed Leanne rather than Garth for what happened. You asked me why and questioned whether I’d told you everything. I hadn’t.
When we reunited in December, I assumed you knew the full story but it soon became apparent that you only knew parts of it. With Leanne cut out of your lives at that point, I saw no need to hurt you and embarrass myself by filling in the blanks but, with Leanne back, it’s time to bite the bullet. I can’t soften the blow but I hope this helps you understand why I can’t have anything to do with Leanne because the truth is so much worse than her setting me up with a man who didn’t love me…
I idolised my big sister – you know that – and I thought she loved me too so I lapped up her advice and would have done anything she asked. So when she presented me with a rather unusual congratulations-on-finishing-your-exams gift after my final GCSE, I was surprised and unsure but I genuinely believed she had my best interests at heart. The gift? A drop-dead gorgeous man called Isaac.
This is where it gets embarrassing – partly because of what actually happened and partly because of how naïve I was. Isaac was the first of three ‘playmates’ as Leanne calledthem who ‘educated’ me over the next two and a half years – up until the point when I was introduced to Garth. Each of my ‘playmates’ had an objective for their time with me and, although I didn’t know it back then, the overall objective was to groom me to become the perfect wife for Garth. I was given one rule – that it had to remain a secret. They were also given one rule – no sex. That was a privilege to be reserved for my ‘doting’ husband.
I’ve spent years blaming myself for allowing this to happen but Jed has helped me see that this wasn’t my fault. I trusted Leanne and believed the many lies she fed me to normalise what was happening.
When I met Garth he was everything I’d ever dreamed of in my ideal partner – attentive, charming, caring. Of course, it was all an act. Leanne had told him exactly what to say and do to get me to fall in love with him and it worked. I fell deeply and would never have guessed that he didn’t feel the same.
Looking back now, there were red flags but I didn’t notice them because I wasn’t looking for them. For my 22nd birthday – four months into our marriage – one of Garth’s gifts was a weekend at a luxury spa. It sounded lovely until I discovered that Krystal would be my companion. She was their friend, not mine, and I’d never gelled with her so I couldn’t understand why I was spending my birthday treat with her. Garth was adamant that I’d travel with Krystal but I couldn’t face being trapped in a car with her too so I drove down early on my own. Garth wasn’t happy about it and it struck me that it was the first decision I’d made for myself in a long time. Somehow Leanne and Garth had taken control of every aspect of my life.
By Saturday night, I’d had enough of Krystal, feigned a headache, and left the spa intending to go home. I hadn’t driven far when I realised how tired Iwas. The Manor was nearby so I decided to ask the caretakers for the key and spend the night there. Except when I drove past The Manor, I spotted cars all along the driveway. Fearing a break-in or the caretakers taking advantage, I went to investigate but recognised Garth’s and Leanne’s cars outside.
