‘Ah yes. Good memory.’
‘And to send that email to Diana Ashford-Wells? Why would you even do that?’
‘Well, I thought to myself,who does Kate love most in the world?Before I knew you, I thought it was Max, obviously. You’d made such a song and dance about—’ she makes air quotes ‘—giving your marriage another chance, when I was so close to having him. So close. But then I came here and realised I’d got that wrong.Who does Kate love most in the world?Little Holly. Dead sister stand-in. And the only way to get rid of you, for good, was to show you that I’m quite prepared to hurt her, if you don’t leave us alone.’
I recoil. ‘Hurt her?’
‘Well, not hurt her,hurther. I’ve actually grown rather fond of Holly. But you know, I could make her life a little harder, let’s say, if you don’t get out of my way.’
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Does she actually think that’s the way to get rid of me? To tell me that if I don’t leave, she would hurt Holly? Oh, wait. Not hurt her,hurther, but make her life a little harder? She actually thinks that’s going to make me leave Holly behind. This woman is mad. This woman has never loved anyone in her entire life.
‘How do you even know Diana, by the way?’ I ask.
‘Who? Oh, that woman who came to your house and stuck a note on your door? We talked briefly that day. She wanted to know if you were home. I read that note, by the way. She doesn’t like you much. I ran into her later in town. We had a bit of a gossip about you. I told her Max was leaving you and you were losing your mind about it. She was quite shocked. I got her email from the class list you keep in your kitchen.’
I think back to that day. It was the first time I met Teri, when I helped her move that chair into her house. And Mrs Ashford-Wells left the note on my door. I had no idea they’d spoken that day.
‘You don’t care who you hurt, do you? Mrs Ashford-Wells must have been devastated to hear those awful things I’dsupposedly said about her son. But you don’t care about that. You use people.’
‘I use people?’ she scoffs. ‘You are something else. Your little sister dies, so you decide that now Holly will be your little sister. And big bad Max is very dangerous! Why, he might just kill her! Do you know how deluded you are? So it’s your fault your little sister died. Deal with it. Don’t bring Holly into it. Don’t tell the whole world that Max is some kind of violent criminal just so you can replay your little fantasy and save your baby sister after all. It’s time to move on, Kate. Leave Max and Holly alone. They’ll be so much happier with me. After all, I’m Holly’s new best friend, haven’t you noticed? She likes me a whole lot more than she likes you.’
She marches me the few steps to the front door, her hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off.
‘And if I don’t?’
‘We just went through that, Kate. If you don’t, then the police will see the video and Holly will get arrested.’
‘Not if Scarlett tells them what really happened.’
She laughs. ‘And who do you think they’ll believe? Meanwhile, Max will see for himself what a terrible stepmother you are,’ she continues, ‘and he’ll dump you anyway. It’s all up to you, Kate. But put it this way, if you’re still here by tomorrow night, that video is going out.’
She taps the doorjamb twice, then closes the door in my face.
38
I can’t let that happen. The police will ask questions, and the very first one will be, ‘Where’s Holly’s father?’ And it will take them five seconds to figure out that he’s not in Zurich.
I have to do something. Now.
Back home, I find Holly downstairs in the living room. She stands as I walk in and holds up her phone to show me.
‘I thought we weren’t supposed to draw attention to ourselves,’ she says.
Squinting at the screen, I see it’s a freeze-frame of my face, distorted and ridiculous, mid-shout in the middle of Waitrose. I guess that was bound to happen. ‘I had a rough day.’ I take off my coat and lay it on the back of an armchair. ‘Holly, we need to talk.’
‘You had a rough day?’ She presses play. My voice erupts:‘How dare you!’
I sit down on the couch. ‘Yes, all right. You don’t need to do that. I’ve seen it – I was there.’
‘What’s the matter with you?’ she yells. ‘What is wrong with you? Do you see yourself? You’re an embarrassment, Kate! You’re losing it!’
‘Holly, calm down. It’s fine.’
‘It’s not fine! Your meltdown is all over Facebook and TikTok!’
‘Holly—’
‘Shut up, Kate.’
