‘Julia begged him not to tell you, said it would break your heart to find out Ronnie wasn’t your natural father and that after losing him once, it would be like doing it all over again. You were happy and had accepted Shane as your stepdad, so was that not enough?’
Molly already knew the answer but asked anyway. ‘And he agreed. Just like that. He didn’t fight Mum. Demand I knew he was my father?’
‘He did at first, put up a bit of resistance, made it look like he gave a toss, but your mum talked him round and played on his emotions so in the end, he agreed to leave things as they were as long as…’
Molly finished for her. ‘As long as Mum toed the line and didn’t get rid of him.’
Nancy nodded. ‘More or less. She made him burn the letter, with the DNA results. They agreed to try to mend their marriage and he promised not to sleep around – but it was broken by then. After a while Julia gave up and asked him to move out. He refused and reminded her of the consequences so they compromised. That’s why he’s in the guest suite and your mum stayed upstairs. They agreed to get on with their own lives but share the house and show a united front for you and Dee, and anyone else.’
‘What I don’t understand is why Mum changed her mind and was going to divorce him. Why all of a sudden did she risk me knowing the truth if she kicked him out?’
Nancy turned and faced Molly. ‘I think that was more my doing than anything. Remember in April, when Granddad got sick and she flew to France with Dee? She confided in me then what had been going on and it broke my heart, that she’d been held to ransom and so miserable for years. We talked it all through and I convinced her that she had to tell you. That you were old enough to know the truth and she couldn’t sacrifice her life and mental health for a secret.
‘But she was adamant that nothing was going to derail your A-levels or your chance to go overseas. In her head, she was removing you, a pawn, from the battlefield and she’d only have Dee to worry about, because let’s face it, sometimes your sistercan be trickier than mine ever could.’ Nancy smiled weakly but received nothing in return, so continued.
‘I pointed out that Shane had kept the truth to himself simply because it kept him in a life of luxury, not out of any kindness to you. Money and status was what mattered to him so maybe, if she freed up an asset, he’d take a hefty settlement in return for continued silence and just go.
‘Julia wasn’t sure at first, but she was desperate and at her wits’ end and wanted out. So much so she was prepared for everything to blow up in her face, as long as it was after she’d got you settled at Princeton and out of his reach. Yes, there was a chance he’d tell you, get a flight over or contact you but she was ready to take that chance. I said I’d help her get everything organised and stand by her. If you needed me, I’d be close by in Toronto, less than two hours by air and it reassured her, gave her courage. You know what happened next, she ran out of time…’ Nancy flicked away a tear that had escaped, the silence that followed a welcome pause after information overload.
Molly closed her eyes, craving privacy while she thought it through. It was all starting to make sense. Of course Shane was never going to demand his rights because he had other plans for Molly… and it made her sick to even think it. He wanted to take what was his in another way.
Shane, her father, was a paedophile of probably the worst kind. He’d groomed her, no doubt had his sights on her since the day they met, and once he discovered the truth, saw a way to live his perverted fantasy right under everyone’s nose.
Even when her mum decided to call it a day, all the time Molly was sleeping with him, the last thing he ever wanted was for the truth to come out. So while her mum thought she was protecting her from the truth, the truth would have actually saved her from making the biggest, most disgusting, shameful and humiliating mistake of her life.
Chapter Forty-Five
Molly’s own dirty secret was trapped in her head, banging on her skull, thumping and kicking, desperate to get out and get help but she had to keep it locked in. Which was why she stayed silent and let Nancy do the talking.
‘Have you any more questions?’
Molly shook her head.
‘Okay, so now we just have to face the will reading later but there’s nothing to worry about there. Julia appointed me executor until you and Dee are twenty-one, so for now, I can protect your interests. There’s absolutely nothing mentioned about Shane in there, so rest assured the secret is safe but, it remains to be seen if he’ll spill his guts. If he does, we’ll handle it.
‘You should know your mum left you and Dee the house. She wanted you to live there but under the circumstances of her death I’m sure she’d understand if you’d prefer to sell it. He gets a cash settlement that reflects the brief marriage, but you and Dee get everything else. The company and all your mum’s assets.’ Nancy glanced at Molly who was focused on the privets in front of the car, unresponsive.
‘If he contests the will, the solicitor has a side letter which sets out why she made her decision. It’s a legal document to firm up her will. I will also retaliate with your mum’s pre-prepared divorce documents, a signed affidavit detailing his infidelity and her grounds for divorce. The directors and staff will back us up regarding his behaviour at work and we now have Harley in our arsenal, so I’d be surprised if he counter-claims. He should think himself lucky he’s getting anything.’
Molly remained mute.
‘So, let’s just tough it out this afternoon. I will be right by your side. I’m going to ask him to leave immediately afterwards and if you back me up, I doubt Dee will object. Then the next thing on the agenda is sending my parents back to France without them getting wind of anything, and the same with Dee, who I think needs some professional help. I can sort most of my affairs out from here but I will have to go to Toronto at some point and if it comes to it, you and Dee can come with me, if she’s well enough.’
Nancy made it sound so simple. Like ticking off a to-do list. But there was so much more to it than that. Layers and layers of things so deep and dirty that they made Molly’s own skin crawl. Many would find it hard to believe that a daughter would do that to her mother and yet there she was, guilty as sin, and sinned she had.
And then there was this thing inside her, that had arrived the minute Nancy had said the words,Shane is your father,and it was growing with speed and intensity and she wasn’t sure if it was anger or fear. Anger made her want to kill Shane stone dead, by any means possible, with her bare hands squeezing and squeezing till he went blue and his tongue hung from his mouth. Then fear. Such terrible lip-numbing fear that he would tell Nancy and Dee and Magda what they’d done.
Nancy’s phone ringing saved Molly from self-torment and it quickly became clear that her grandma was having another meltdown over her granddad. She listened as Nancy promised to be there as soon as she could, and that this time maybe an ambulance would be best seeing as he was hallucinating and seeing dancing bears on Aunty Betty’s back garden. When she ended the call, Nancy’s expression was full of apology.
‘I’m going to have to go over there, otherwise Mum will end up in an ambulance, too, but I won’t go to the hospital if they decide he needs it. I’m sure Dad’s lacking sodium and that’s causing his delirium so they should be able to sort it easily. A neighbour in Toronto had the same thing. I’ll get Dad sorted then come right back. I’ll drop you home, first.’ Nancy started the engine.
‘Actually, Nancy, I think I’ll walk back. It’s only ten minutes and I’d like some air and time to think, so you get going. I’ll make my own way.’ It was a spur of the moment decision brought on by the word ‘home’.
‘Are you sure? I’d rather take you. You’ve had a massive sho–’
‘Which is why I want some alone time, get my head straight for later. I’ll be fine, I promise.’
Before Nancy could protest further, Molly had opened the door and was standing by the car. ‘Tell the Gs I’ll call and see them this week. You take care and I’ll meet you later,’ and with that she slammed the door and strode away while behind her, the sound of her mum’s car reversing out of the car park was another stab to her heart.
