He stepped closer. She watched him. Carefully. Every movement. Every breath.
‘So, is that what you want, a divorce?’
‘Yes, it is, a clean break. The girls need stability, and this… this farce is hurting them.’
He shook his head slowly, walking to the coffee table and opening the wine. ‘You think it’s going to be easy, don’t you? And that I’ll let you keep everything. The house. The company. The girls.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘I don’t want everything. I just want out. You’ll get your share, don’t worry, and it’ll be worth it tobe rid of you. Every single penny, even if you don’t deserve it.’ Another pause. He looked at her like she was nothing, and that hurt.
‘You know,’ he said, tone low, ‘people talk about you like you’re some saint. A grieving widow and Supermum turned ace businesswoman. But I know the truth. That you’re a cold, frigid selfish bitch who doesn’t care about her trophy daughters, just her show house and bank balance.’
That hurt, about the girls because it wasn’t true, the rest, maybe so but he’d made her that way. But instead of crumbling she met his gaze and retaliated.
‘While you play the charming, bumbling fool. It suits you. Maybe you deserve this year’s award for biggest waste of space at ClearGlass. Remind me to put your name forward, I’m sure you’ll get lots of votes.’
His eyes darkened. The silence returned. She stepped back and gave herself space then said, quietly, ‘Just so you know, I’ve made all the arrangements and Nancy knows everything.’
‘Of course she does. Wouldn’t expect anything else from that bitch.’
‘You’ll be hearing from my solicitor soon.’
He didn’t speak. Julia moved toward the sofa, her hand brushing the soft surface for reassurance. Her pulse quickened, but she didn’t let her nerves show. ‘If you care at all about the girls, you’ll make this easy.’
Shane’s smile returned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Why should I do that? I’ve toed the line and done as you asked and not rocked the boat but if you’re set on divorce, why should I keep the big secret? What have I got to lose?’
‘And that’s the burning question, isn’t it, Shane? Looks like we’ve reached a stalemate and right now I’m wearing my best poker face, so I suppose it’s time we both showed our hands.I’m not bluffing. Are you?’ Julia watched as a nerve in his eye twitched.
‘You can walk away from all of this with a decent settlement and get on with your life and I’ll get on with mine, and if you care about the girls the way you say you do, you’ll not only keep your mouth shut, you’ll stay in their lives. Depending on how you behave, I think the next few months will be your chance to rewrite what everyone thinks about you, or not, depending on how you handle it all.’
Shane leapt forward, coming within centimetres, his body visibly shaking. ‘Don’t you dare threaten me.’
She held her ground. ‘It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise. I’m sick of you holding me to ransom and it’s about to end. Fact. Deal with it.’
‘I will, don’t you worry about that because I swear I’ll have the last laugh. I promise you that. Nancy might be the hotshot lawyer but she’s always been a cow and looks like her little twinny has turned out the same. No wonder Molly and Dee are messed up having you two–’
‘Shut the fuck up, Shane, and get out. Go shag whoever it is you’ve got on the go. Give her my love and wish her the best of luck, the poor cow.’ Julia’s anger was about to bubble over and she couldn’t bear to be in his company for a minute longer.
Shane stared. Long and hard. Smirked, threw his head back and laughed then said, ‘Will do. Thanks for giving me permission. It’ll make it all the more enjoyable. Sleep well, wifey.’
He turned to leave the room but stalled when Julia threw him one more question. ‘Who is it this time, just out of curiosity, anyone I know?’
Looking her straight in the eye, Shane’s mouth twisted as he said, ‘Well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?’
Grabbing a glass from the table Julia raised it above her head, her whole body shaking. ‘Get out. Get the fuck out of my room and my house.’
With a shake of his head, Shane did as she ordered and left as Julia rushed over and watched him descend the steep glass stairs. She was frozen to the spot, hand on the banister, breath held.
Had she done the right thing? But what choice did she have? He’d seen the email and her plans were out there. Her whole world was now in the palm of his hands. He could ruin everything. The farewell party, Molly’s move to Princeton, Dee’s perception of her and Nancy. Julia’s head was awash with it all. She grabbed the fresh bottle of wine and twisted off the lid, glad she hadn’t thrown the glass and made a mess, as one question nudged its way to the front of the queue. Who had the upper hand now. Her, or Shane?
Chapter Seventeen
The Edwardian Hotel in Manchester was a building designed to impress. It loomed with elegant grandeur, its sandstone façade glowing in the late afternoon sun. Inside, it smelled of leather, fresh flowers, and something richer – expensive perfume perhaps, or history, old wood and the money ingrained in its fibre. The marble floors gleamed beneath Molly’s feet as she passed through the lobby, her high heels treading a path she’d walked before.
The room – their room – was on the top floor. One of the executive suites. Stylish and spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed a canvas of the city below, industry, revolution, innovation and hustle. Beyond the glass, the skyline blurred against the pale blue sky, a flock of pigeons wheeling above the rooftops. Inside, it was all softness and order. A handcrafted mattress dressed in pure cotton bed linen, a bathroom filled with natural Noble Isle products, towels thick as blankets.
It was the kind of space where real life couldn’t intrude. Where wrongs and secrets couldn’t touch them. Molly sat on theedge of the bed, legs crossed, phone on the bedspread beside her, untouched. Her eyes moved restlessly to the door, then back to the window. The sun caught the glass buildings across the street. It was beautiful. Perfect. The best way to end things, on a visionary and sensory high.
But she felt sick. Not with guilt. Not exactly. With nerves. Anticipation. Dread. The closer it got to leaving, the more she feared being found out. Imagine keeping a huge secret only to be discovered on the cusp of it being a thing of the past. Like a bank robber being caught with his stash of cash and diamonds just before the plane taking him to the high-life, took off. A murderer thinking they’d outsmarted the ruthless detective and being thwarted by a tiny speck of forensic evidence. It made Molly’s chest tighten, just the thought of it.
