Page 62 of My Husband’s Wife

Sixty-One

Madison

Two weeks later

Nicole enters Madison’s salon, her hair all tangled down to her waist. Tammy and Orla aren’t due in for a couple of hours.

Camille is looking after Emily; she’s taken them in until Madison can find somewhere to rent.

She never wants to go back to that cottage, even though the police said she can go over to get her things now that they’ve released it as a crime scene.

She’s also since found out that the cottage never belonged to Theo; it was rented.

That’s why he’d never allowed her to knock a wall down or decorate. His whole life was a lie.

She still misses the Theo she knew, even though she now knows she was living with Hugo and that Hugo had murdered his brother years before.

Their poor mother had been confused at everything, and Madison doesn’t believe she’ll ever stop blaming herself for what happened in the past. Erica had expressed a lot of regrets for letting her boys down, but her problems had made it impossible for her to be the parent she wanted to be.

She’ll keep in touch with her, let her know how Emily is doing and maybe send photos.

Madison still can’t believe she was living with a murderer.

She’s ignored several emails from journalists asking to be the first to break her story.

She’s not up for an exposé. She, Nicole and Eva have decided to try as hard as they can to keep out of the public eye for the sake of their children.

She thinks of Emily and she knows that’s the right thing to do.

She also knows that she has a secret of her own, and the last thing she needs is journalists fishing through her past mistakes.

‘I’m glad you came, Nicole. It’s lovely to see you even though I wish we’d met under better circumstances. Sit and tell me what you want.’

‘A very big transformation. I’m thinking shoulder length. Two weeks off the booze so I’m celebrating a new me.’

Madison throws the cape around Nicole’s neck. ‘You’re looking well for it. How’s Aaron?’

‘He’s okay. He’s actually staying with Will for a few days. I know he’s not Aaron’s biological father but he’s been the only father that Aaron has ever known. That counts for a lot. He’s finally come round and Aaron is thrilled to spend time with him.’

‘You’re lucky you have him.’

‘I know.’ Nicole pauses and looks down, stopping Madison from continuing to comb her hair. ‘I have to tell you something.’

Madison frowns and looks at Nicole in the mirror.

‘I sent you a text message, telling you that Theo was a liar and not to marry him. That must have been worrying for you but I wanted to warn you about him, that’s all.

I thought you should know. I tried to warn Eva too, but as usual it came out all wrong.

She thought I’d been sleeping with Zach, instead of taking what I said as a drunken rant about Theo. ’

Madison lets out a long breath. ‘I knew I received that message. It was gone when I went back to look for it.’

‘I messaged Theo after, telling him that I’d messaged you. I couldn’t help myself. I know by doing that I was adding fuel to the fire, but I was happily being reckless in the moment. He must have deleted your message,’ Nicole says.

Madison thinks back to when she was sitting in his office on the couch while he tapped away at his computer. He could have easily deleted the message.

‘I came to the cottage several times to speak to you, tell you what he was like, but when it came to it, I chickened out. I was in the woods one night, trying to psych myself up and you came out with Emily. When you were walking around the shed, you left her asleep but she woke up. I couldn’t help but take a look at her.

She grabbed my hair, and I ran. I’m sorry if I scared you but I couldn’t do it.

He’d threatened to kill me, and if you ran in screaming, telling him I was outside, I don’t know what he’d have done. ’

Madison’s hands are shaking. ‘Sorry, I need a break. Can’t cut your hair with these hands.’ She wipes a tear away. ‘Have you spoken to Eva?’

‘I called her and told her everything. She said she needs time to think so I thought I should at least respect that.’

‘You told her how you and Hugo met?’

‘Yep, warts and all. She was owed the full truth; after all; we are all connected forever now. Our children are half siblings. I don’t know about you, but I want Emily and Caiden to be a part of Aaron’s life.

I feel as though we have a really special family, and I weirdly love you both, and the kids.

I just hope Eva comes round because I miss her. ’

Madison feels fuzzy at the idea of them all being one family, connected by their kids, and she doesn’t want to let them go.

She swallows. The burden of a lie – her lie – runs deep.

Madison thinks back to her ex, the man who kept drawing her back into his life.

Like an addict, she tried to get away but when he came calling, she’d crave him.

It was easy for Camille to tell her to walk away, never speak to him again, but it wasn’t that easy.

Being with Theo had helped her to start moving on.

She thinks back to the night she and Nicole sat in the rain with Buster, waiting to be rescued, and she realises that friendships like theirs are special, which is why she will never tell them that Hugo is not Emily’s father.

She can never tell her ex the truth either because he’d want to be in her life again.

Like an addict, she needs to stay away from him forever.