The First Mistake(76)

‘I’m not going to do it here and I’m not going to do it at Livvy’s, I mean Olivia’s, birthday party.’ She sees Beth baulk at the self-correction, as if noting that she’s no longer in the inner circle who know Olivia well enough to call her Livvy. Alice presses on, keen to convey that she’ll be the one calling the shots. ‘We’ll arrange something for next week, once we’ve both had a chance to work out what this all means and the consequences that come with you having had an affair with my husband.’

Alice couldn’t help herself.

‘Mrs Davies, Mrs Davies,’ calls out Miss Watts, making her way towards Alice.

Alice fixes on a smile. ‘Hi.’

‘Could I have a word please?’ She looks to Beth. ‘Perhaps in my office would be best.’

‘Yes, yes of course,’ says Alice as she begins to follow her inside, not knowing what to do with Olivia.

‘I’ll keep an eye on her,’ says Beth, sensing her predicament. ‘The girls can have a play.’

It was all that was needed to force Alice’s decision. She caught hold of Olivia’s hand and marched her inside.

‘I’m sorry,’ says Miss Watts quietly once they’re in her classroom, so Olivia can’t hear from the corridor outside. ‘I just wanted to have a word with you to see if we might be able to find out what’s going on with Olivia at the moment.’

‘Is there a problem?’ asks Alice, careful to temper her impatience. She doesn’t need this on top of everything else.

‘Well, yes, I’m afraid there is,’ she says, wringing her hands together. ‘Another parent has called to make a complaint.’

‘A complaint?’ says Alice, not sure that she heard right. ‘About what?’

‘They are suggesting that Olivia is bullying their child.’

Alice almost laughs. ‘My Olivia?’

‘Erm, yes, I’m afraid so,’ she says. ‘We’ve had said child in for a chat and she won’t say very much. I think it’s because she may be frightened.’

‘Are you sure you’ve got this right?’ asks Alice, unable to believe that her daughter could possibly be guilty of what she’s being accused of.

‘We’ve also spoken to Olivia,’ says Miss Watts. ‘But she says that she’s not been horrible to anyone. But, in these situations, I find there is rarely smoke without fire.’

Alice shakes her head. ‘I understand that you have to investigate this, but are you absolutely sure you’ve got this the right way round? Just last week I was called in to pick Livvy up from the nurse, after Phoebe had pushed her in the playground. Could it be that it’s actually Phoebe who’s bullying Olivia?’

Miss Watts pulls that therapist face again and Alice feels an overwhelming desire to punch her.

‘Phoebe isn’t actually the child in question,’ she says.

‘She isn’t?’ queries Alice. ‘Well, if it isn’t Phoebe, who is it?’

‘I’m afraid I’m not able to divulge that information.’

‘So, let me get this straight,’ says Alice, feeling like a pressure cooker. ‘Are you honestly expecting me to ask my eight-year-old child who she’s supposedly bullying, because you’re not prepared to tell me?’

‘Well, as we’ve spoken to both girls, I’m hoping that it will rectify itself, but I just wanted to make you aware of the situation as the girl’s mother has threatened to take things further if it’s not resolved.’

‘Are you kidding me?’ asks Alice incredulously. ‘They’re eight years old for Christ’s sake.’

Miss Watts looks down at the floor, as if she suddenly wishes she was anywhere but here.

‘Who’s the child?’ asks Alice again.

‘I’m afraid I really can’t say.’

If she knew it wouldn’t reflect badly on Olivia, she’d drag Miss Watts across the classroom by her cheap lapels until she told her.

‘Well, then I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself,’ Alice snaps as she storms off.





37


‘Shit, shit, shit!’ says Alice as she slams the steering wheel.

‘Why are you saying the s word Mummy?’ asks Olivia, wide-eyed.

‘Because Mummy is pissed off,’ says Alice. ‘If one more person thinks I’m going to take their shit, then they’ve got another think coming.’ She looks in her rear-view mirror to see Sophia turning to her little sister and putting a finger to her lips, in an effort to stop her from saying anything more. Alice smiles, but it’s a painful facade. If only the world consisted of just the three of them – then she’d be happy.

She’s halfway home when she decides to call Nathan.

‘Shit,’ she says again when there’s no answer. She does a U-turn in the middle of the road. ‘I’m just going to pop to the office.’

Sophia groans, whilst Olivia whoops. ‘I hope Lottie’s there. She always plays with me.’

As Alice pulls into the small car park behind the office building, she calls Nathan again. When he doesn’t pick up, she can only assume he’s somewhere he shouldn’t be. From now on, he’ll always be somewhere he shouldn’t be, at least in her head.