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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 stand aside to let him pass. The knife behind my back feels solid in my hand. The only solid in the shifting sand. I’m tired – too tired to play this game any more. But a rational part of me clings on through the fog and the rage. The mother who, if she does this, will feel her children’s pain as surely as her own, holds on to my waning sanity. I need to let him go. This is not the last chapter, I am sure of it.

‘Will you still love her when you know all of her, as you imagine you know me?’ My voice is strained, bordering on hysteria. I’m fighting hard to keep it at bay.

Pausing at the top of the stairs, Jason glances at me – a sorrowful glance, which pierces my heart like a sharp stab of the blade I am mentally wrestling with. ‘I do know her, Karla,’ he says sadly.

I doubt that, I think, as he descends. I doubt that very much indeed.

I follow him as I hear the front door open. Will myself not to lose control, to fall, as I dread that I eventually will. My name is Karla. Meaning: womanly; strength. I’ve googled it. I will stay strong.

One

KARLA

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

My mother’s tipsy, I notice, as she leaps up with her ‘girlfriends’, gyrating excitedly and belting out the lyrics to ‘There Goes My First Love’ as she weaves through the tables towards the dance floor. The sharp-suited tribute band is good, emulating the smart moves and honeyed harmonies of The Drifters perfectly. My father’s excelled himself, money being no object when it comes to celebrating his own first love’s sixtieth birthday. Idly, I wonder whether he’s been straying again. He usually splashes money around like it’s going out of fashion when he has. I have no idea why Mum puts up with him. Largely, she ignores him. I imagine the only reason she’s here is because he sent out the invitations to her sixtieth birthday party before actually telling her she was having one.

Glancing towards the bar, I see he’s making a beeline for Jason, who’s being served and therefore has no chance of avoiding being cornered. Seeing my father reach to shake his hand, regardless of Jason holding a glass in each of his, I shove my chair back and head across the room to rescue my husband from what’s bound to be a work-related grilling, meaning he will be agitated for the rest of the evening. And who could blame him? It’s a birthday party, for goodness’ sake. Does my father have to be so formal with him?