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Back The Marriage Trap: A completely addictive psychological thriller Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. Books by Sheryl Browne
  3. Dedication
  4. KARLA
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Twenty-Four
  29. Twenty-Five
  30. Twenty-Six
  31. Twenty-Seven
  32. Twenty-Eight
  33. Twenty-Nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-One
  36. Thirty-Two
  37. Thirty-Three
  38. Thirty-Four
  39. Thirty-Five
  40. Thirty-Six
  41. Thirty-Seven
  42. Thirty-Eight
  43. Thirty-Nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-One
  46. Forty-Two
  47. Forty-Three
  48. Forty-Four
  49. Forty-Five
  50. Forty-Six
  51. Forty-Seven
  52. Forty-Eight
  53. Epilogue
  54. The Affair
  55. Hear more from Sheryl
  56. Books by Sheryl Browne
  57. A Letter from Sheryl
  58. The Babysitter
  59. The Second Wife
  60. Acknowledgements

The house is still when I finally manage to manoeuvre my key into the lock and let myself in. After negotiating my way along the hall, I drop my holdall in the downstairs toilet until I can stow it away. My need to check on my children more urgent than satisfying the thirst that grips me, I go straight back to the stairs. I have no doubt Jason is looking after them; he will do that above everything else. Above temptation? Not that. Clearly, not that. He’s already succumbed; will continue to succumb to whatever his online woman is offering him. How far might he go to distance himself from his past life? From me, or who he imagines me to be? From his children? I’m pushing him, but surely he must know that I want him to push back. I need him to. I desperately need him to realise he wants to.

Fear tingling my spine – fear of the unknown, of what my future might hold; fear of falling further into an endless abyss on my own – I climb the stairs, willing the floorboards not to creak. I have to open his eyes. I have to make him see the person he’s forgotten exists inside me. I have to make him realise he doesn’t want to lose her.

Finding Holly’s door ajar, I nudge it further open and slip into her bedroom. My breath catches in my throat as I take in the form of my daughter in the pale light of her nightlight. Her pink Build-A-Bear – her childhood comfort toy – clutched to her chest, she is curled into a foetus-like ball, looking lonely and fragile and small.

Oh, sweetheart. My heart squeezing inside me, I wipe a tear from my face, lest it land on my baby girl’s cheek to mingle with those I have no doubt she has silently cried, and lower myself to crouch down beside her. We’ll fix this, my darling. Gently, I brush a strand of her beautiful blonde hair from her eyes, press a light kiss to her temple and ease the duvet up over her. Mummy will make things right, make Daddy stay. I promise you, angel, I will make all of this go away.

I’m tempted to lie down beside my little girl, curl my body around her and never let her go, but I caution myself not to. Holly needs to sleep. I need to check on Josh, who will be as bewildered by all that’s happening as his sister. Easing myself up, I walk quietly to the door, pulling it to behind me, and creep along the landing to Josh’s room.