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Back What I Never Told you
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Dawn Goodwin
  3. WHAT I NEVER TOLD YOU
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Dedication
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. Acknowledgements
  55. About the Author
  56. An Invitation from the Publisher

“Then she was fired when your parents found out, lost her job, her income, everything, without so much as a thank you from you or your parents for all the years of service.”

“Where is she now? Is she ok?”

Diana looked like she was about to cry. “She has dementia. Most days she doesn’t know who I am, but she talks about you all the time. Calls me Helen more often than not. She thought I was you when she told me about the photos, told me how she had kept them a secret for you all this time, said it was time you had them. I’ve cared for her for the last few years when everyone else abandoned her and all she can talk about is you. Someone who probably hasn’t thought about her in years. All she talks about is how your parents never loved you, but she did. How she wished you had been her real daughter.”

“So why bring it up now? Why go to all of this trouble to torment me?”

“Because I can’t care for her any longer. I have to move her into a home, but I can’t afford it.”

“So you what? Hoped to blackmail Hugh, then decided to try it with me?”

“Hugh wasn’t supposed to be involved. I left the photo for you – I thought that was your office, not his. Then he was involved, so I made the best of it.”

A thin trail of blood ran from her wound, past the corner of her eye, and she wiped at it, smudging it so that it left a smear.

“Hugh thought someone from his school was setting him up! He turned to online gambling to raise the money you asked for! He’s a wreck, thought his career was over. Gave you all of his savings. That’s on you!” Helen spat the words at her.

“Whatever, I don’t care.”

Helen’s phone began to ring, but she ignored it.

“So it’s about money after all, not the truth or the people involved. Just money.”

“That might not mean much to you, since you have so much of it, but it means a lot to me. And now that I have been left for dead by your precious stepdaughter, I will finish the lot of you off. You’re all as toxic as each other, only caring about yourselves.”

“Leave Lydia alone. She has done nothing to you.”

“Oh, come on Helen, she tried to kill me.”

Helen’s phone rang again, then stopped. Then pinged. Helen finally looked at it. A text from Mills.

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!