You already know what The Manor was being used for because of the fire that exposed the dungeons. Garth and Leanne had evidently wanted to get me out of theway thatweekend so they could host one of their epic X-rated parties and Krystal’s role was to keep me occupied. I didn’t stay long that night but I saw enough to give me an insight into an alternative lifestyle that I’d known nothing about.
I returned to the spa but couldn’t sleep. I needed to see the dungeon for myself so I returned to The Manor the following morning and broke in. I found the dungeon containing many rooms set up for a variety of preferences but, before that, I found a cinema room. The shelves were full of X-rated DVDs and, among them, there were a dozen with my name on. Not only had Leanne set up the sessions with my ‘playmates’ – she’d recorded them too and goodness knows who had been watching them. I destroyed them all, although I doubt they were the only copies.
I texted Garth to say I was inside The Manor and he rushed over but there was nothing he could do to put a positive spin on what I’d found so he admitted that marrying me had been a cover-up to please his bosses who hadn’t responded well to the rumours of his alternative lifestyle. He and Leanne had met through mutual friends and, when he’d explained his situation and what the perfect wife would look like for him – young, innocent and vulnerable – she said it sounded like her baby sister. I was fifteen at the time and he liked the photos she showed him so Leanne arranged for himto observe me while we were out shopping. The plan was to introduce us when I was eighteen but that, in the meantime, Leanne would prepare me for my wedding night as Garth would ‘enjoy’ me more if I had some idea of how to please him.
Why did she do it? Because – and this is a quote from Garth of Leanne’s exact words – she was sick of sharing her home and her parents with a string of pathetic snivelling orphans.
I’d taken photos of everything and told Garth my solicitor would be in touch. He had no choice but to grant me a divorce. I did consider going to the police – recording my time with my ‘playmates’ without my consent is a criminal offence and there’d be several other charges around me being a minor – but I couldn’t face reliving any part of it. The scars ran so deeply that it took me fourteen years before I told anyone what had happened. During those years, I put so much of my life on hold. I’d already lost my family and, because I trusted nobody, I never dated and remained detached from friends and colleagues. The loneliness nearly killed me.
Over the past year I’ve worked so hard at getting my life back. I’ve surrounded myself with people I love who care about me and would never hurt me. Leanne is not one of those people. I know that people can change and Krystal is a great example of this but – with my apologies for being so blunt about it – I believe that Leanne is a disturbed individual incapable of ever putting anyone else ahead of herself. She has proved that with me, she proved that with you and my hope is that she doesn’t prove it with her baby.
A couple more paragraphs covered the worries I’d shared with Jed about whether revealing the truthnow seemed vindictive and how Jed had convinced me that wasn’t the case. I emphasised how much they meant to me and that I didn’t want to lose them even if they maintained contact with Leanne because I did understand that a grandchild changed things. My conclusion was to say that, even though their immediate reaction might be to rush round to see me, writing the email had been emotional and difficult and I still needed some space for now.
When I’d finished reading it, I took a deep breath and pressed send. My heart pounded and I experienced a moment of panic but my eyes rested on a pile of Zoe’s books on the table and I thought about the conversations she’d be having with the police right now. We’d both done the right thing. It was difficult and painful but it needed to be done so we could both move on with our lives.
I closed my laptop and wandered over to the window. Was telling my parents enough?
‘Should I follow Zoe’s example and go to the police too?’ I asked Hercules.
He twitched his nose and I crouched down to stroke his ears.
‘One step at a time, eh? We’ll see how Mum and Dad respond and take it from there.’
I straightened up and looked out of the window once more and, this time, a feeling of calm flowed through me. All the people I cared about the most now knew my biggest secret and I felt so much lighter for it. I just hoped it didn’t cause my foster parents too much pain but, if it did, that was on Leanne. She’d caused all of this and I refused to shoulder any blame or guilt for anything she’d done to me or the fallout from it.
42
JED
The first day of April dawned. How were we already in the second quarter of the year with the Easter holidays rapidly approaching? With it being a Monday, I was in the gallery on my own. Around mid-morning, I was surprised by Pam and Billy arriving with Piper and Savannah. After hugs from the twins, Pam took them down to the end of the gallery to look at the Australian collection, leaving Billy by the counter with me.
‘Ingrid’s coming home this week,’ he said.
‘I’m hoping that’s not an April Fool’s joke.’
‘I wouldn’t be that cruel. She has a flight booked for Thursday so it’ll be Friday before she’s home but she’s categorically confirmed it’s over with Declan.’ He glanced at his family, turned his back to them and lowered his voice. ‘She’s not in a good way. She told Pam things hadn’t been going so well but that hadn’t stopped her from, you know…’
Yes, I did know, and it didn’t surprise me at all.
‘Because of that, Ingrid assumed they were working their way back to some sort of reconciliation. She met up with a nursingcolleague of hers who knows Declan’s ex-girlfriend and found out they’re still seeing each other.’
I winced but, again, I wasn’t surprised.
‘She confronted him about it and asked how they were supposed to have a future together if he was still sleeping with his ex and he told her that they have no future. He doesn’t love her anymore – blamed the kids, of course – and he still wants a divorce.’
I tutted. ‘Scum.’
Billy nodded. ‘Ingrid was devastated and demanded to know why he’d led her on but Declan couldn’t see why she was so het up – said he thought she’d returned for a holiday and wanted a bit of fun while she was there. It was finally the wake-up call she needed. She’s currently packing up her life there and will be returning to Whitsborough Bay for good. She understands she left a mess behind and that she can’t just turn up after a month away and expect things to go back to how they were before but she wants to have a family conversation about how we all move forward and that we need to involve you in that.’
Now that partdidsurprise me. ‘That’s a first. Or was involving me your suggestion?’
‘It all came from her. She’s asked that none of us say anything to Aaron, Lucy and Erin. She’s going to contact them directly over the next day or so to let them know she’s returning and that she knows she has a lot of explaining to do.’
‘Okay. They won’t hear it from me. I’m glad she’s taking ownership of it and I hope it’s an indication of some growth on her part.’
‘You and me both. Honestly, Jed, I thought the cancer would be the toughest thing I faced this year but it feels like a breeze compared to the storm our Ingrid’s dragged us through.’
Continuing with Billy’s analogy, I just hoped that we were through the storm and Ingrid’s return wouldn’t land us in the midst of a hurricane.
