Page 3 of Sweet as Puck

How could he cheat on Mum?

He was supposed to love Mum, not this woman.

Maybe this was another man, not my dad. Perhaps he was a long-lost brother who looked exactly like my father.

“Dad?” I squeaked, shock raising my voice to a pitch akin to a mouse’s.

He snapped his head up. His eyes locked on mine.

I watched in horror as the emotions flickered across his face as clear as day—shock, shame, then ecstasy.

Danielle cried out, moaning loudly.

Belatedly, I realized I hadn’t even closed the door. There was no hiding it from the others in the adjacent offices.

Did they know?

They had to. My gut sank. Carol had tried to stop me. She knew and she hadn’t said anything.

Realization sank in. This wasn’t the first time Dad had cheated. How many women had there been?

Dad threw his head back and groaned, his whole body shuddering as Danielle’s orgasm pulled him over too.

Bile churned in my belly.

I choked out a cry, and my tears spilled down my cheeks. I dropped the papers. The clipped sheafs landed with a thud on the carpet as I whirled around and dashed out of his office. The door bounced off the wall as I shoved through it, hip-checking it as I ran.

Carol held her hands up and shrugged helplessly. “I’m sorry. I tried to warn you.”

“Don’t talk to me,” I hissed. I bit back a sob and clamped my hand over my mouth.

Tears tracked down my face as I ran, taking the stairs down the two levels to the ground floor. My heart was beating triple time, my breaths shallow and stuttered as I fought to heave in a breath.

The people in the lobby collectively froze when I careened through the door. My sobs echoed in the large space, but I didn’t care. I wanted out. I needed air. I needed my mum.

Like a mirage, she appeared out of nowhere and I collapsed into her arms.

“Cara, honey, what’s going on?” Mum asked as she hugged me tight.

We were in the middle of the stream of people moving in and out of the building. I could feel their eyes on me, their judgement, but I couldn’t stop crying if I tried.

“Dad,” I started, my sobs increasing again until I couldn’t speak. The colour drained from Mum’s face, and I sucked in a shuddery breath, forcing my tears into submission. I shook my head and Mum choked out a cry. “He’s done something terrible.”

Mum swallowed and looked around as if seeking an escape route. I wanted to be able to disappear, to become invisible. Maybe I wasn’t the only one.

She wrapped her arm around my waist and guided me outside, through the underpass crossing the Gold Coast Highway, and into the park on the waterfront. We were almost directly across from the exclusive marina where my bestie, Zali, used to moor her yacht, and the familiarity helped.

Mum picked a park bench that faced the water and was shaded by a pandanus palm. The water glimmered like diamonds under the autumn sun. The breeze cooled my flushed skin.

She interlaced her fingers with mine and squeezed my hand, giving me a moment to collect myself. I didn’t even know whereto start, but there was no way I was hiding this from her. Except how did I break her heart? How could I tell her that her husband was a cheating cheater who cheats?

My phone vibrated. I needed another moment to collect my thoughts anyway, so I pulled it out and checked to see who it was. “Dad” was written on the screen, the red hang-up button screaming at me to press it.

“Answer it, honey. Maybe it was a misunderstanding,” Mum murmured, patting me on the knee with her free hand. She’d know the truth soon enough. I answered and put the phone on speaker.

“Is she gone?” I asked.

Mum pressed her lips together and sucked in a sharp breath.