Anger was rising in his voice, and she could feel the distress flowing off him in waves. She wondered for a moment if she was being too harsh. Memories of how they used to be filled her mind. Happy days out. Laughter, all the little in-jokes that only they understood. Family cuddles on the sofa. All that had gone. Her voice cracked. ‘You did this to yourself, Matt.’ A sob hitched in her throat. ‘Why didn’t you think of the consequences for your family before you agreed to that contract? We could have worked something else out. I know I made mistakes, but ultimately they only put me in danger. Never our children. Never anyone innocent.’

His eyes gleamed, his bottom lip wobbled.

‘Okay. Here’s something to think about. If you tell them everything you’ve done – no lies, no spurious justifications – and they still want contact with you, then I’ll reconsider.’

His face paled even more and she could see his mouth working, grasping for words.

She nodded. ‘That’s right. I think my first suggestion is going to be easier on all of us, don’t you?’

With as much dignity as she could muster, she turned and walked away, sure in her heart that she’d done the right thing. Keeping that information from her children had been a hard decision, but she couldn’t cause them any more hurt. It would make Matt keep his distance and ensure he never took whatever contact she allowed for granted.

She thought of their new living arrangement with Hailey, who’d moved in with them, the easy way they’d all come together as a different sort of family, and knew there was no going back. She had her happy home now – even if it wasn’t the one she’d expected – and she would do whatever it took to protect it. To keep her children safe, she had to be the one in control.

Information is power, she thought as she walked away. And everyone needs an insurance policy, don’t they?

Chapter Forty-One

Seven months later

Sara walked out of the courtroom, blinking in the bright sunlight. It was an imposing building, but she supposed that was the point. You weren’t meant to feel at ease in these places. You were meant to feel small, at the mercy of bigger powers.

After months of waiting, it had been a challenging week, listening to evidence, seeing the videos, but the end result had undoubtedly been the right one. Fiona and Matt had both been convicted of facilitating sexual assault, voyeurism and hiding revenue. They would be sentenced in a few days’ time, but Sara’s solicitor estimated that Matt would probably serve five years with parole, and Fiona a little more. It didn’t seem long enough for the emotional damage and shame they’d caused, all for the sake of money.