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“You can’t contact her, Sarah. She’s changed her number.”
Sarah closed her eyes, every cell in her body screaming at the injustice. Just one call to make sure Kendra was okay and to tell her… Tell her what? That she’d sort everything out once she’d won the election, or that she’d go running to Kendra immediately if she lost. What kind of message did that send her? She could tell her that she loved her, but when Sarah’s behaviour clearly showed that Kendra was last on the list of what was important to Sarah, how genuine would that come across? It wasn’t the truth that Kendra was low on the list, but it was the perception she’d created. And perception was what registered in people’s minds. Unless Sarah had something to promise Kendra, and she didn’t, she couldn’t compromise her any more than she already had.
“I’m serious. She’s under contract. Don’t go near her. Do you understand?”
Sarah lifted her head and stared at him. Kendra wasn’t the first person in a government position to have ever been paid off. It wasn’t just about her being out of a job. Jeremy would have advised her to move away, so it would be harder for the press to track her down. Kendra had been so happy with her new place, and now she’d probably given it up. “I know how this works, Jeremy.”
“I understand it must be hard for you.”
“No, Jeremy. You don’t have a fucking clue what this is like for me.”
He looked away and sighed. “You need to focus one hundred percent on the task in hand. Winning isn’t guaranteed. You’ve got a fight on your hands for the next few months, and I need to see that you’re up for it. This isn’t just about you. It’s about the party and a turning point for the country. If you’re not at the helm, we won’t win. So, let’s be clear, this action has been taken for the nation’s benefit, for everything we believe in and wanted to make happen, Sarah. You’re the person the voters need.”
“Fuck off, Jeremy.”
He lifted his hands in the air. “I’m just doing my job, Sarah.”
“Then have some fucking sensitivity for the fact that you’ve just screwed up someone’s life who didn’t deserve it and how important that person was to me.”
He glared at her. “I think you need to take a long hard look in the mirror, because from where I’m standing, the person who’s messed up her life is you.” He grabbed his briefcase and started towards the door. “Her replacement starts in the morning. I’ll be in the office first thing,” he said.
Sarah bit her lip, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. The image of Kendra came to her. She opened her eyes, her heart racing. She picked up her bag, stormed out of the hotel, and made her way home.
“Hey.” Mark called to her as she entered the house and headed towards the kitchen. “How was it?” he asked.
Tears slid down her cheeks as she watched him preparing their dinner.
He turned his head when she still hadn’t answered and put down the knife. “What happened? What did they say?”
He was referring to the motor industry reps, of course. “She’s gone,” Sarah said. She rubbed her eyes, grabbed a glass, and poured a large whisky. “Want one?”
“Sure. How come?” He wiped his hands on a cloth and moved towards her.
“It’s for the best,” she said, not believing a word of it but knowing it was a political truth.
“Jeremy sorted it?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “What are you going to do?”
Sarah downed her drink and poured another one. “Drown my sorrows.”
“I can see that. Then what?”
“I’m going to fight to win the damned election.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
She held his gaze. “I want it all, Mark. I want the job, the family, and I want Kendra. But I can’t. If Jeremy hadn’t sacked her, I would have had to face the facts, or I would have found them presented to me on the front page of the news one morning. This is politics not a counselling group.”
Mark turned the glass in his hand.
Sarah sighed. “It’s not just about me and what I want anymore. This is about doing what’s right for the country. The current government needs to go, and I’m the best chance our party has of getting into power.”
Mark nodded. “That’s true.”
Sarah finished her drink. “I’ve got some work to finish,” she said.
“I’ll bring dinner up to you.”
She stroked his arm. “Thanks.”
