Page 80 of The Truth Will Out

She tore off the resignation letter and popped it into an envelope which she addressed to DCI Armstrong.

Now she had one more letter she needed to write—to Rhys. As far as she was concerned, once the trust had been broken between them, she couldn’t see a way back. Although she admitted that he wasn’t to blame for anything that had happened at Pendle House, the fact remains that he had neglected to tell her about that part of his past, and that was what really hurt her the most. He had led her to believe that there were no skeletons in his closet, which had turned out to be a major lie. How could she ever trust him again? It was like livingwith Chris all over again. The lies and deceit didn’t belong in a relationship.

Crystal was going to be livid to hear the news that the wedding was off, butc’est la vie.Hopefully, in time, her sister would be able to forgive her and understand her reasons for calling it off.

She didn’t care if Rhys understood or not, as harsh as that sounded. People needed to show their partners respect in all aspects of their life. Trust and loyalty in Sam’s eyes were everything in a marriage, and without that…

Tears dripped onto the sheet of paper as she said her final farewell to Rhys. She had booked a cottage in Pooley Bridge for a few days. That would give him time to pack up his things and move out.

Doreen was going to be flabbergasted by her decision. Sam hoped that, in time, her elderly neighbour would understand.

She ended the note with a kiss, more out of habit than anything else, and put it in the envelope. Then, after a much-needed hug from Tilly, she got back on the road and drove to Rhys’s office. Coward that she was, she handed the letter to Brenda.

Confused, Brenda took it and asked if Sam was all right.

“I will be. It was nice knowing you.”

She left the office and returned to the car. This time she headed towards the station, where she dropped the letter off at reception, then drove home. She packed a small suitcase, gathered all of Tilly’s bits together and drove to the cottage.

The owner welcomed her and showed her around the property. Katherine left her to enjoy her stay. Sam rested her head against the door, wondering whether she had in fact, done the right thing.

“No regrets, girl. You’ve got this. It’s time for you to get on with your life. Just you, the open road and your little dog, Tilly, by your side.”

THE END