working out ways to avoid each other whenever I was around. But yesterday you made a conscious decision to do what you did. Why now, Beth?’
‘You don’t get it, do you?’ says Beth. ‘That day, when I saw you both outside my flat in Guildford, was also the last time I saw him – until yesterday.’
Alice feels winded. ‘What?’
‘He disappeared off the face of the earth and it was only a good few years later that I saw a picture in the paper, of you receiving a design award. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to recognize the woman in the car that day, but I knew it was you the minute I saw it. So I used you to track him down.’
That admission, more than anything else, cuts Alice the deepest.
‘Now I’m here to claim back what’s mine.’
‘You want money?’ asks Alice, her voice tight. ‘That’s what this is all about?’
‘I want what’s rightfully mine. What he stole from my family.’
‘And you’ve waited this long to get it?’
‘I needed to take my time, work out the best way to do it, pounce at the most opportune moment, just like he did with me. I had to be sure he had the money to give.’
‘So how are you going to go about getting it back?’
Beth looks down into her lap and wipes away the tear that is threatening to fall. ‘By blackmailing him.’
Alice lets out a derisory laugh. ‘With what?’
‘I had hoped that making him look like he was having an affair would do the trick. That by the time he found out it was me, he’d be so close to losing you that he’d do anything to make me stop.’
‘So, the texts . . .?’ starts Alice.
Beth nods. ‘And all the other things . . . the hotel bill, the earring, the flowers, the tyres . . .’
‘That was all you?’ asks Alice, disbelievingly. ‘But why? Why would you do that to us? To me?’
‘Because I hated you for having the life that I was supposed to be having. You had it all . . . the perfect job, the perfect children, supposedly the perfect husband . . . I just wanted you to hurt as much as I had been hurt. But I went too far. Olivia didn’t deserve to be brought into this.’
Alice cocks her head to one side as a new fire sparks within her. She’ll take whatever Beth throws at her, but not if she’s going to bring her children into it. They’re off limits.
‘Olivia?’ she questions.
Beth looks anywhere but at Alice. ‘I made a formal complaint to the school about her,’ she says quietly.
‘Oh my God!’ Alice exclaims.
‘I’m sorry,’ says Beth, barely audible.
Alice goes to get out of the car before Beth leans across and grapples with the door.
‘Please – wait,’ she says.
Alice leans her head back resignedly onto the headrest and closes her eyes.
‘So what is Nathan going to do now?’ she asks. ‘Now that he knows it’s you.’
‘He’s told me he’ll have the money ready by tomorrow.’
Alice laughs sarcastically. ‘We’ll have less money then than we’ve got now. Japan completes this afternoon.’
‘Are you still going ahead with that? After everything I’ve told you?’
‘Doing the Japan deal isn’t dependent on Nathan,’ says Alice, matter-of-factly. ‘It depends on me – whether I want to do it or not – and right now, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t. In fact, what you’ve said only makes me want to do it more.’
‘Is Nathan doing it with you?’ asks Beth.
‘Financially, you mean?’
Beth nods.
‘No, this is all on me – I’ve taken a loan out for it.’
‘Good,’ says Beth. ‘Don’t let him anywhere near it.’
‘And what are you going to do?’ asks Alice. ‘Now that I know everything. Now that you can no longer blackmail him.’
Beth turns to look at her imploringly. ‘Don’t tell him, Alice.’
‘What?’ she says, exasperated. ‘After everything you’ve done, you honestly expect me to do you a favour?’
‘Please,’ begs Beth.
‘What if everything you’ve told me is a lie?’ says Alice, looking directly at Beth for the first time. ‘What if you’ve made this all up? And even if you haven’t, why should I do anything you say? Look at what you’ve done to me, to my family. Right now, Nathan doesn’t look like he’s actually done anything wrong, at least not by me. So why would I show you loyalty over him?’
‘Because he pretended to be your dead husband,’ blurts out Beth, stopping Alice in her tracks. ‘Please – if