The Other Woman(60)

‘We won’t be going anywhere until you’re through this,’ said Adam.

‘What?’ I heard myself ask.

Adam turned to look at me, an exasperated expression on his face.

‘Don’t be silly.’ She smiled and squeezed his hand. ‘There’s nothing you can do. The pair of you must go on your honeymoon. Everything must carry on as planned.’

‘But what about treatment?’ he asked.

‘I’m having chemotherapy, starting on Monday. I put it off until after the wedding, in case my hair fell out.’ She gave a half-hearted laugh. ‘I need to be looking my best.’

She looked at me and smiled pitifully. I locked eyes with her, daring her to show me a glimmer of guilt, a snatch of remorse for what she’d just done. But there was nothing but a self-satisfied glow, emanating from deep within her.





28

Unsurprisingly, after Pammie’s earth-shattering news, dinner had come to a premature end, and both Adam and James had insisted on taking her home and making sure she was settled.

Mum had come home with me, whilst Dad went back with Stuart and Laura.

‘I’ll make us a cup of tea,’ said Mum, busying herself in the kitchen as I sat numbly on the sofa. ‘It’ll make us feel better.’

Will it? I don’t know why us Brits always think it will.

She was still in shock at Pammie’s announcement; so was I, but for an entirely different reason.

She brought two steaming mugs into the living room, and set them on the coffee table. ‘Well,’ she said. ‘I can’t quite get my head around it, can you?’

I shook my head. ‘It does seem rather unbelievable, doesn’t it?’

If she noticed the intonation in my voice, she didn’t mention it. She pulled out a tissue from the sleeve of her navy jacket, which she’d bought especially for this evening, and blew her nose. ‘It’s just so difficult to comprehend. One minute you think you’re fine, and the next, you’re being given news like that. It just doesn’t bear thinking about, what’s going through Pammie’s head right now.’ She bowed her head. ‘Poor Pammie.’

I looked at my mum, my proud mum, who had only ever had mine and Stuart’s best interests at heart, who had looked after my dad, who had put her own career as a nurse on hold to care for us all, and who had excitedly got her hair blow-dried for tonight. And then I thought of Pammie, who was so consumed by jealousy that she had set out to destroy me for her own warped amusement.

This wasn’t right. Pammie could do her worst to me, but to do this to my mum? I wasn’t prepared to let that happen.

I moved up the sofa to sit next to her and took hold of her trembling hands in mine.

‘Mum, I’ve got something to tell you. Something that I really need you to listen to.’

Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she looked up at me, the worry and fear of what I might be going to say etched on her face. ‘What? What is it?’ she said.

‘Pammie doesn’t have cancer.’

‘What? What do you mean?’ she asked, shaking her head in confusion. ‘She’s just told us she has.’

‘I know what she said, but she’s lying.’

‘Oh, Emily,’ she gasped, as a hand flew up to her mouth. ‘How could you say such a thing?’

‘Mum, please listen. I don’t want you to say a word until I’ve finished, and then you can say whatever you want. Okay?’

I told her everything. I started at the very beginning, from Boxing Day, right through to what she did with Charlotte at my hen weekend. Mum sat there open-mouthed, unable to articulate whatever it was she wanted to say. She kept trying, but the words wouldn’t form.

By the time I’d finished, I was sobbing, and she held me to her, rocking me back and forth. ‘I had no idea,’ she cried. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Because I knew you’d worry about it,’ I said. ‘I’m only telling you now because I can’t bear to see you like this.’

‘So Pammie brought Charlotte to the hen party?’ she asked incredulously. ‘Even after everything I told her?’

I nodded. ‘Yep.’

‘If I’d have had any idea what was going on, I would never— What about those poor boys? Who would do that to their own children?’

‘I’ll look after Adam,’ I said.

‘Will you tell him?’ she asked. ‘Will you tell him what you know? Are you sure you’ve got this right, Em? It’s one hell of an accusation to be throwing around, and if you’re wrong . . .’

‘I’ll handle Adam in my own time,’ I said. ‘Let’s get the wedding over and done with and then I’ll work something out. I’ve tried to tell him, but he just can’t see it. She can do no wrong in his eyes. Something will happen, though. If I give her enough rope, she’ll hang herself.’

‘Are you sure you should be going ahead with the wedding, if you’re not sure . . . ?’ she said.

‘I love Adam with all my heart, and I can’t wait to be his wife. I’m not marrying his mother, she’s just something I’m going to have to find a way to deal with.’

‘I’m so sorry, Em . . .’

‘I’ll work it out,’ I assured her. ‘And besides, Charlotte and I are talking again, so it’s not all bad.’