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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

‘I’m not sure he ever really knew me, Mum.’ She looked back at her, after a second, with such agony in her eyes, it tore Diana apart. ‘I’m not sure I do. All of the pieces of me, I mean. I thought, if I could find them, that… Oh, I don’t know… I thought that if he remembered there was more to me, he might learn to love me again.’

Diana swallowed back a hard knot of emotion. She might be wrong, but she was sure that Jason still loved her daughter. If he did feel differently, then it might be too late. But if they were to stand any chance of coming through this, then Diana had to make it safe for him to keep loving her. The consequences for herself would be life-changing, but then, wasn’t that change long overdue? She should have done it years ago. Then she might not have been sitting here, watching her daughter’s life fall apart.

Once the press got hold of it, the consequences for Robert would be catastrophic. Diana had considered that, and she realised she no longer cared. Once, she would have done. She’d made up her mind to be with him; been determined she would support him as a wife, told herself she would grow to love him. But, if his deplorable, misogynistic behaviour hadn’t killed any affection she’d had for him, his lies had. The lies he’d told about the circumstances surrounding Sarah’s death were the worst lies of all. There’d been no need, other than to preserve himself. Diana had realised, then, that that was what Robert was all about: self-preservation above everything else, even his own child.

‘I should go,’ Karla said suddenly, pushing the duvet back and attempting to heave herself off the bed. ‘The children…’

‘Will be perfectly fine with Jason.’ Diana eased her gently back again. ‘Stay here until you’re feeling stronger. Indulge yourself and have a nice hot bath. Meanwhile, I’ll get us something nice to eat. Soup,’ she added, when Karla looked doubtful. ‘You look like a sickly little pigeon. Though a very pretty one.’

Karla managed a small smile at last.

Giving her a warm smile back, Diana tucked up the duvet and walked to the door. She would feel better herself, doing something practical. To which end, she would ring Robert’s receptionist, as she’d promised she would, and give her blessing for her to go ahead and talk to the newspapers. Abbie was a pretty young thing, and Robert, given his predilections, wouldn’t have been able to resist. Diana was well aware of that.

Courgette and tomato soup, she decided, going into the kitchen. Her speciality – wholesome but not overly filling. Karla had lost far too much weight. She needed building up. She needed to fight back, but not like this.