Mia jerked her head sharply, pinning her with a wild look. ‘Bullshit.’ Her voice was still quiet, but savage. ‘This isn’t the beginning for us. We’ve been living in this nightmare for years already. Brady never knew his father before the accident – he only got the monster. They all did! Hunter and Taylor were too little to remember him before. All they’ll remember of him are the rages and the depressions. That’s the legacy of what he did. He took their father from them – not once, but twice!’

Clover frowned. ‘Mia . . . who are we talking about?’

Mia blinked back at her, as though confused by the question. ‘Kit Foley!’ she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘Who else? He’s the architect of this. Everything that has happened to us . . . all of this . . . can be traced back to what he did that day. We know it. He knows it. And he got away with it.’

Clover’s mouth opened to protest, to offer words of encouragement, but what could she possibly say? Knowing what she knew of Foley’s latest adventures, it was undeniable that his life was on the up again. It was true – he had got away with it.

‘We’re the ones left living with the fallout. My boys are growing up without their father. I’ve lost my soulmate. And we have nothing. No money.’ Mia gave a small sound of despair, hiding her face in her hands suddenly. ‘. . . Oh. Did I tell you? The latest kick in the teeth?’

Clover shook her head, mute, dreading to think what other calamity could have befallen her friend.

Mia drew in a deep, slow breath. ‘The life insurance is invalidated because it was a suicide.’

‘Oh god, Mia.’ Clover hadn’t even got as far as thinking about what came after Cory’s death.

Mia rubbed the heels of her hands against her eyes, exhausted, agitated, defeated. Neither one spoke for several minutes. Mia had no husband. And now no money. ‘I’ve sold the house.’

‘Already?’

‘What other choice did I have? We’re out in five days.’

‘But so soon?’ Clover was shocked. Then she remembered. ‘Oh. That developer?’

Mia nodded. ‘He’s emailed me every three months since the accident. Regular as clockwork. Did we want to sell? Like all this was inevitable.’ Her voice cracked on the last word, as she looked back at Clover with questioning eyes. Had it been? Had there really never been any hope for her husband?

Clover took her hand and squeezed it hard.