Free The Desperate Wife’s Survival Plan by Alison Sherlock Page B

asked Caroline.
    ‘There’s a conference coming up that includes an overnight stay at a hotel.’ Samantha’s eyes went dreamy. ‘I’m gonna see how things progress there.’
    ‘So he’s good-looking?’ asked Julie.
    Samantha nodded. ‘Plus smart and funny.’
    ‘Sounds too good to be true,’ said Caroline.
    ‘Yeah,’ agreed Julie. ‘Why isn’the married if he’s that great?’
    Samantha shrugged her shoulders. ‘I don’t know. Perhaps he is.’
    Caroline frowned. ‘Shouldn’t you find out, before you invest too much time and effort in him?’
    ‘I’ve got to get him hooked first,’ said Samantha, breaking into a smile.
    ‘That Richard sounds like bad news,’ said Julie on the way home.
    Charley struggled to get the car into third gear. ‘Samantha’spretty strong-willed. You’ll never talk her out of it.’
    ‘Well, it’s her heart she’s in danger of breaking.’
    Charley turned the car into Upper Grove, the Mini spluttering all the way. Home. It didn’t feel like it any more. At one time she had imagined the bedrooms filled with a large, noisy family. The memory of her miscarriage before the wedding still remained raw, but Steve had kept urgingher to be patient. Children would come in time, he’d said, and he wanted to concentrate on the business for a few more years. And hadn’t that turned out well? thought Charley, rolling her eyes.
    She pulled into the driveway, noticing a strange car there. The lights were on inside, but there was no sign of anyone about.
    ‘Is it Steve?’ asked Julie.
    ‘I don’t know,’ replied Charley, suddenly fearful.

    What if the bailiffs had come back? There was surely nothing left for them to take. She opened the front door cautiously and crept in, with Julie close behind. The place felt so different these days, unlived in and unloved. It was nothing but an empty box.
    There was the sound of movement upstairs.
    ‘Maybe it’s squatters who think the place is already empty,’ whispered Charley. ‘Should we ringthe police?’
    Julie shook her head. ‘They’ll take too long. Besides, I’ve dealt with enough scumbags over the years to sort out whoever’s up there.’
    So she took the lead, with Charley following. There was movement in the master bedroom so they crept in.
    In hindsight, Charley thought that perhaps she should have made a noise to announce their presence in the house. Then maybe her husband wouldhave received some kind of warning.
    Instead Steve and an unfamiliar woman continued their lovemaking on the bedroom carpet in blissful ignorance.
    Charley wanted to run, but her feet wouldn’t move her away from the shocking scene. She wanted to scream, but found herself unable even to speak.
    ‘You’ll want to get some cream on those knees later,’ said Julie, in a loud voice. ‘That carpet burn’smurder on the skin.’
    Steve’s steady rhythm came to an abrupt halt, but he remained on all fours as he stared in horror over his shoulder at Charley.
    It briefly occurred to her that this was the second naked man she had come across unexpectedly within the past twelve hours. It was just a shame she was married to this particular one.

Chapter Sixteen
    ‘ I’VE GOT A cup of tea for you,’ came a shout through the bedroom door.
    Charley rolled over to face the window. She hadn’t slept, hadn’t eaten. Hadn’t spoken to anyone.
    She glanced at her mobile but there were no messages. It was ten o’clock. It had been over twelve hours since she had found Steve with another woman. Twelve hours since she had picked up the last of her boxesand brought them to her parents’ house. Twelve hours since the end of her marriage.
    Steve had rung every hour until she finally switched off the phone at three o’clock in the morning. She listened to his apologies. Listened as he told her that he hadn’t known what he was doing. That he was scared after the bankruptcy. That he wasn’t thinking straight.
    Charley listened in silence to his