‘My fault? Why? Because I’m not willing to push Gregory up a grade? Is that it? He’s not ready for the things you want him to do, that’s all. And this is your act of revenge? You post lies about my sixteen-year-old stepdaughter? What on earth is wrong with you?’
‘But you sent it to me!’
‘It was a hoax. Don’t you get it? Somebody pretending to be me, spreading lies about me, and you swallowed it hook, line and sinker.’
I am vaguely aware that people have stopped their shopping to watch us, but I can’t help myself. I am an inch away from her, my finger in her face.
‘And not only that, but you went and posted it on Facebook! For Christ’s sake! What is wrong with you?’
I am fully shouting by now. So much for keeping a low profile. Not drawing attention to ourselves.
‘Get away from me!’ she cries, her handbag raised like a shield.
‘You’re a horrible person. Do you know that? You’re a horrible, horrible person!’ I shout.
‘Mrs Price!’ A hand is pulling my arm back.
‘A horrible person!’
‘Mrs Price!’
‘I am going to sue you,’ I tell Diana, my finger stabbing the air. ‘I am suing you for what you did.’
‘Mrs Price! Stop it!’ the voice says behind me, the one belonging to whoever is still pulling my arm.
‘Not if I sue you first!’ Diana shouts back.
‘Mrs Price!’
This time I’m being hauled away. I yank my arm back and whip my head around, ready to shout at whoever this is, until I realise it’s Scarlett. She’s still pulling me away from the scene, away from the small crowd. She drags me outside and around the side of the supermarket, where the bins are.
‘What are you doing?’ I ask.
‘What areyoudoing?’ she replies. ‘Can’t you see everybody is filming you?’
‘Are they?’
‘Yes!’
I lean against the wall and put a hand over my eyes. ‘I don’t even know what the hell just happened.’
‘Are you all right, Mrs Price?’
‘No, not really.’ I bend down, my hands on my knees, and take a few breaths. ‘What are you doing here, anyway?’
She looks at me like I’m mad. Which I am, obviously. ‘Shopping?’ she says.
I straighten abruptly. ‘Have you told your parents?’
She recoils. She knows exactly what I’m talking about. ‘God, no way!’
I grab her arm. ‘You can’t tell them. You understand me? You can never, ever tell them. Promise me you will never, ever tell your parents what happened that day. Ever.’
She tries to pull away from my grasp, but I just hold on tighter.
‘Ever,’ I say again, like it’s the only word I know. ‘You can never ever breathe a word of what happened that day. Do you understand me, Scarlett?’
She nods violently. ‘Yes, Mrs Price! I will never tell them! Trust me, I don’t want them to know! Can you let me go, please? You’re hurting me!’
