Chapters (48)
- Cover
- THEFEUD
- Dedication
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
‘Let Mummy have a rest. Nanny’s going to cook some of her special crinkled chips,’ Joyce said, leading the kids into the kitchen.
Stanley sat in his armchair. He needed to have a chat with Jessica in private. ‘You’ve got to leave him, Jess. I mean, if he’s done what he’s done to his son, it proves that he’s capable of anything. It’s not like it’s a one-off. He nearly strangled you the other night, love. The man’s a fucking monster.’
Jessica looked down at her hands and said nothing. Punishing her husband was one thing; leaving him was another.
Her dad carried on talking. ‘You’ve got to put the kids first, Jess, and if their safety is at risk, you’ve no option but to leave him.’
Jessica felt her eyes welling up. ‘I need to make this decision myself, Dad. I’ll stay here for a few days, get me head straight and then I’ll decide what to do.’
Stanley shook his head. ‘If you stay with Eddie, you’re a fool, Jess. He’s obviously an animal and you’d be far better off without him in your life.’
Pleased that the twins had run back into the room and ended such an awkward conversation, Jessica went outside to talk to her mum. ‘Dad reckons Eddie’s dangerous. He said I’ve got no choice other than to leave him.’
‘Don’t take no notice of that silly old bastard. What does he know, eh? Look, what Eddie did this weekend was wrong, very wrong, but you can’t just walk away from an otherwise happy marriage because of two stupid mistakes. You said yourself, he was drunk both times. Lay the law down to him. The ball’s in your court, Jess. Tell him you’ll only come home if he promises not to drink Scotch in front of you and the kids any more.’
Jessica sighed. She had so much on her mind, she felt as if her head was about to burst. ‘I really don’t know what came over him, Mum. He’s usually such a good husband and father, and I’ve never seen him as drunk as he was yesterday. There was some bloke at the party that he’s had this feud with over the years. Eddie hates this O’Hara fella. I think he was the one that scarred his face and I just don’t think Eddie could handle seeing him again.’
Joyce smiled. ‘There’s your answer, then. It was a oneoff, Jess. Play hard to get, make him sweat for a few days before you go back home, but you must go back, dear. Look at your lovely house, you don’t want to lose that and your nice lifestyle, do you now?’