Page 44 of The Girlfriend

T HE MORE TIME THAT PASSED, THE SAFER LAURA FELT. SHE WAS EVEN starting to forget—a day or two would go by and she’d realize she hadn’t even thought about what she’d done. Sometimes, on a particularly good day, she could convince herself it didn’t happen. Distant, like a dream.

And time was continually moving on. Why, if this came out in ten, twenty years, their lives would have all changed so much—new jobs, new girlfriends—she and Daniel would laugh about it.

Maybe. But it would certainly have lost its razor-sharp edge, which was getting dulled with every passing day, even if it wasn’t quite quick enough for Laura.

She’d gone onto the agency website two days after she’d posted the message and seen that Cherry’s profile had been taken down. So she’d risked a call. Asked to speak to her and had been told she no longer worked there. The relief was intoxicating. Even Isabella had noticed a difference in her.

“You look, I don’t know, lighter, happier,” she said at lunch, and took her hand. “You’ve had a hell of a year, can’t imagine what you’ve been through, and now look. He’s back at home, healthy, recovered—no wonder you look so good.”

Laura smiled and allowed Izzy to attribute her new well-being solely to Daniel’s recovery .

“So, can I tempt you to a bit of shopping now to celebrate?”

“Iz, I have a job.”

“Darling, I know.” She waved a regretful hand in the air.

“I just think of all those afternoons wasted. Now you’re in a better place.

. . .” She paused, and Laura looked at her suspiciously.

“He’s early fifties, divorced, all his own hair and his own business.

Does triathlons for fun.” She shuddered.

“I feel like sponsoring the poor lamb just to make it seem worthwhile.”

Laura tapped her on the hand with her teaspoon. “I’ve told you before, Howard and I are fine rattling along, albeit in our own dysfunctional way.”

Isabella snorted. “ He’s all right. Sorry, I’m just protective of you.”

“I sort of need him. I don’t know why, maybe it’s habit.” All this elicited was a sympathetic squeeze of the hand. Knowing she’d pushed it far enough, Isabella changed the subject. “So, what else is new with you?”

“Well, other than the new series with ITV . . .”

“I don’t think I’ve congratulated you on that properly yet. You and Daniel.”

“He’s back at the hospital next week.”

Izzy clapped her hands. “You’re both very busily employed!”

“The good news keeps on coming. Next door’s building work has finished, at last, thank God, so they can finally start the patch-up job on our pool window.”

“This is all brilliant. And here’s a bit of news for you. You know, what’s her name . . . Cherry.”

Laura’s chest tightened.

“Well, you know my friend Angela, the one who still wears the size-six bikini, she’s selling her house. They’re using Highsmith and Brown. Apparently, Cherry’s been fired. So she’s gone for good! I still can’t believe how badly she treated Daniel. I got her very wrong, didn’t I? Sorry, Laura.”

Laura smiled politely. She was just thankful it was all over.

And it was, it was, she reminded herself later.

Not just Cherry, but what had happened to herself.

The person she’d become, whom, looking back, she didn’t recognize.

It was as if someone else had done that thing, and it scared her, the lengths she’d gone to.

Maybe now, knowing that Daniel was going to recover, she wouldn’t have done it.

But hindsight was a wonderful thing, and at the time, all the medical evidence indicated that his days were numbered.

She had genuinely thought she was spending her last few hours with him and she’d been bewildered, heartbroken, and desperate.

She more than likely wasn’t thinking straight.

Something must have flipped in her brain.

It was best she forget and get on, but now that she had her sanity back, she knew something like this must never happen again.