‘I see the Forest Grove rumour mill is working well,’ Melissa said sarcastically. Lewis smiled but didn’t look up from his phone.
Charlie’s face hardened slightly. ‘I can lend you Kitty Fletcher’s book on managing childhood anger issues? Of course, I’ve never had to use it for my two, but I got it as part of a Kitty Fletcher bundle on Amazon. It might come in handy for you?’
Melissa thought about telling her where to shove her book, but she didn’t need to give all the mums something new to talk about.
‘Sure,’ she said. She went to close the window but Charlie put her hand over the top, her long gel nails glistening in the sun. ‘We’re all here if you need us, Melissa. It’s clear you’re finding it tough. Just know we have your back. Us mums need to stick together, don’t we?’
Melissa closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
Calm down, Melissa, think of the kids.
She opened her eyes and smiled. ‘Thanks, Charlie.’ Then she closed the window.
‘Why d’you let her talk to you like that, Mum?’ Lewis asked her.
‘We don’t want any more drama, do we?’
‘You should have told her to stick that book where the sun don’t shine.’
Melissa smiled. ‘I did think about it, trust me.’
‘But you didn’t do it, did you?’
Melissa turned to him. ‘That’s because I think before I do anything stupid, Lewis. We need these people on our side.’
‘Do we, though?’
‘You don’t understand the way Forest Grove works.’
‘Yeah I do. People like her and Andrea Cooper are twats, that’s how it works.’
‘Lewis!’
‘They are. Why should we always try to keep them happy?’
‘It’s hard to explain, Lewis. One day when you’re a parent, you’ll get it.’
‘Maddy does alright and her mum doesn’t put up with all them lot,’ he said, jutting his chin towards Charlie, who was now chatting to some other mums, showing them her nails.
Melissa opened her mouth then closed it, unsure of what to say. He was right. Why did she put up with it?
She took a deep breath, staring at the school. ‘Right, I’d better go and get Lilly. You stay here, okay?’
She jumped out and walked towards the school gates. Some of the parents who were there looked up, watching as she passed, some nodding at her. Melissa noticed Samantha Perks, the receptionist at her physiotherapy centre, standing alone as she checked her phone. She made a beeline for her. Samantha was a safe bet. She hated gossip and had sent Melissa a series of lovely texts since hearing what had happened with Patrick. Even better, she didn’t get on with Andrea and her cronies after her daughter Caitlin had a run-in with Carter.
‘Hey, you,’ Samantha said when Melissa got to her. She gave Melissa a quick hug. ‘How are you? How’s Patrick?’
‘We’re okay, and Patrick’s hanging in there.’
‘You’re so brave.’
‘Everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t feel it.’
‘Well, you look it to me! Are the kids back at school, then?’
‘Just the twins. They insisted.’
‘Good, they need the distraction.’ She bit her lip. ‘I hope Lilly wasn’t too upset about the part?’
‘Why would she be upset about it?’
Samantha’s expression faltered. ‘Oh, of course you’re right, the Baroness role is just as good!’
‘Baroness?’
‘Yes, that’s the role Lilly got, right?’
‘No, she got the lead.’
Samantha swallowed, looking embarrassed. ‘I don’t think so. Caitlin got the part of Maria von Trapp.’
Melissa blinked rapidly, confused. Maybe she’d misheard Lilly when she told her she got the part. But she was so sure Lilly said she’d got the role of Maria von Trapp!
Why would Lilly lie?
‘God, I feel awful now,’ Samantha said.
‘No, no, it’s fine, really,’ Melissa said, peering towards the doors to the school. ‘Honestly. It’s the last thing on our minds. What great news for Caitlin, though!’
Samantha couldn’t help but smile. ‘Isn’t it? You know how shy she is. But she adores acting.’
‘Good on her, really. I’m delighted for you.’
‘Thank you. I was a bit worried she might not have a chance, what with all that stuff with Carter Cooper a few months back.’
‘Why would that stop Caitlin getting the part?’
Samantha sighed, peering towards where Andrea usually stood with Charlie and a couple of other mums. ‘You know what Andrea’s like, finger in every pie. I was worried she’d do something to jeopardise Caitlin’s chances. Oh, here they are!’
Melissa followed her gaze to see pupils spilling out of the school. She quickly spotted Lilly, with Maddy and a couple of other friends. Lilly’s face lit up when she saw Melissa and she skipped towards her, her caramel locks lifting in the air behind her. She really was quite beautiful. Charlie whispered something behind her hand to another mum as she watched Lilly give Melissa a hug.
‘You came to walk me home,’ Lilly said. ‘How sweet!’
‘She was probably already here for Lewis, Lils,’ Maddy said in a low voice.
Lilly rolled her eyes. ‘That boy needs to control his temper.’
‘Carter needs to stop being a dick, more like,’ Maddy said.
‘Is Lewis here, then?’ Lilly asked, looking around her.
‘In the car. Do you want a lift home, Maddy?’
Maddy peered towards the forest, a furrow in her brow. ‘That’s okay, I’m going to Dad’s tonight. Thanks, though.’
Melissa looked down at the magazine in her hand. ‘Latest edition of The Grovian?’ she asked.
‘Yep, hot off the presses,’ Maddy replied with a proud smile. She lifted the magazine to her pierced nostrils and breathed in the scent. ‘Still has that just-printed smell, lush. Here, have a copy,’ Maddy said, handing Melissa one.
Melissa smiled. Maddy and Grace were so alike. ‘Thanks.’
Then the smile disappeared from her face. There was an ad for the book fair on the back page – an ad that used the exact same font and border as the posters Melissa had found in the forest. She looked at Maddy. Could she be responsible for the posters? But why on earth would she do that?
She thought back to the look of hate in Maddy’s eyes as she’d glared at Patrick in that New Year’s Eve photo. If Maddy was behind the posters, could the I know refer to something she knew about Patrick? But why use a picture of the whole family, why not just one of Patrick?
‘I’ll WhatsApp you later,’ Maddy said to Lilly. She turned to Melissa. ‘See ya.’
Melissa forced herself to smile. ‘Bye, Maddy.’
She watched as Maddy headed in the direction of Ryan’s lodge. No, she just couldn’t imagine Maddy doing something like that. There would have to be a serious reason for her to. There must be another explanation.
Lilly linked her arm through her mother’s as they walked towards the car park. She seemed to be in such a jovial mood, considering what had happened to Patrick. Other people seemed to notice it too, parents frowning as they took in Lilly’s smile.
‘Darling,’ Melissa said carefully as they got to a quiet part of the path. ‘You didn’t tell me Caitlin Perks got the lead role in the play.’
She felt Lilly tense. ‘Oh, didn’t I?’
‘No. In fact, I’m pretty sure you said you got the part of Maria von Trapp.’
Lilly shrugged. ‘I might have told a little white lie. I just didn’t want to add to all the sadness.’
Melissa made Lilly stop, looking her daughter in the eye. She was still smiling, but her smile looked brittle. ‘But darling, the role of Baroness is just as fantastic. You didn’t need to lie.’
‘Just a little white lie,’ Lilly said, waving at a friend. ‘Honestly, Mum, it’s no big deal. I just didn’t want to have to give you more shitty news after everything
with . . . with Dad.’ A brief hint of pain appeared beneath her mask. ‘Especially Nan and Grandad, they really had their hopes pinned on me getting the part. I didn’t want to let them down.’
‘That’s very kind, Lils.’ She stroked her daughter’s soft face. ‘But I’d prefer you to tell the truth.’
Lilly laughed. ‘Oh, Mum, who cares? It’s just a school play. Come on, let’s go see my naughty brother.’
She strode off towards the car as Melissa followed. Behind her, she heard Charlie raise her voice. ‘So weird the way Lilly Byatt is acting like she doesn’t have a care in the world.’
‘Kids can be like that though, Charlie,’ the other mum with her said. ‘Pretending like everything’s okay when it isn’t.’
‘Well, I’ve always found Lilly Byatt a bit fake.’
Melissa’s eyes widened. Charlie was calling Lilly fake, when she was the one who posted those godawful semi-clad pictures on Instagram?
No, she’d had enough of this.
She turned and marched up to Charlie, crossing her arms as she stood in front of her. ‘What was that you just said about my daughter, Charlie?’
A flush spread up Charlie’s heavily powdered cheeks. ‘Well, I – she – it—’
‘Spit it out,’ Melissa said.
‘Mum, stop it,’ Lilly said, pulling at Melissa’s arm, trying to drag her away. But Melissa really had had enough. Lewis was right, she shouldn’t put up with people talking about her family like this. So what if it rocked the boat? She wasn’t this fragile thing people kept going on about. The way the kids walked on eggshells around her, Lewis not wanting to upset her, Lilly not wanting to tell her the truth about the role in case it made Melissa worse.
She thought of what Daphne had said to her the day before. Yes, she was stronger than they all thought. Stronger than she thought, especially when it came to her children.
‘No, Lilly. I want to hear what Charlie said.’
Charlie looked around her at her friends, who all looked as embarrassed as Lilly. Then she took a deep breath, jutting her chin up. ‘I just think it’s a bit strange, that’s all. The way you’re all acting like your husband isn’t lying in hospital. I mean, come on, the twins being at school already?’ she said, gesturing to Lilly’s uniform. Lilly stood stock-still, looking like she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Other parents walked around them to get to their cars, some stopping to watch.
‘It was their decision,’ Melissa said, trying to keep her voice strong. ‘And frankly, it has nothing to do with you.’
‘Really?’ Charlie said, putting her hand on her hip as she looked Melissa up and down. ‘This is our village, Melissa. We have every right to be concerned about what happened last Thursday.’
‘That’s no excuse to have a go at my kids!’
Charlie’s mouth dropped open. ‘I did not have a go at your kids.’
‘You called Lilly fake!’
‘Mum!’ Lilly whined. She shook her head in embarrassment as some of her friends walked past, whispering.
‘That’s more about your parenting, to be honest, Melissa,’ Charlie snapped.
Melissa narrowed her eyes at Charlie. ‘Excuse me?’
‘I mean, look at Lewis with his temper,’ Charlie said. ‘Then Grace just walking off into the woods like that. And now Lilly, acting like all is right with the world. You have to wonder what goes on behind closed doors.’
‘Charlie!’ the mum with her said. ‘I’m so sorry, Melissa.’
‘How dare you?’ Melissa said to Charlie. ‘You’re essentially kicking us when we’re down. Nice one, Charlie. I didn’t think you could get any more shallow, but this has just proved it,’ Melissa spat, buoyed by the clear support she was getting from other mums. She took Lilly’s hand. ‘Come on, let’s head home.’
‘I’m not the one kissing my ex in the woods while my husband lies in hospital fighting for his life!’ Charlie called out after her.
Melissa froze. People’s eyes widened, some whispering behind their hands to each other. Melissa felt a sudden ball of fury whip up inside. She turned around and went to run up to Charlie, but then she caught sight of Maddy standing on the path, Lilly’s distinctive phone in her hand.
‘I just saw Mr Quinn, he said you left it in class,’ Maddy said to Lilly in a trembling voice. ‘I – I came back to give it to you.’ She marched up to Lilly and shoved it into her hands, her cheeks red. Her eyes then slipped to Melissa. She’d clearly heard what Charlie had said about Melissa and her father.
‘Maddy, it’s just—’ Melissa started. But Maddy ignored her, rushing towards the woods.
‘Nice one, Charlie,’ Melissa hissed. She went to run after Maddy, but Lilly held her back.
‘Please, Mum, let’s just go home.’
Melissa closed her eyes, then she nodded. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Chapter Thirty
Tuesday 23rd April, 2019
9 p.m.
So that’s it confirmed, then. Mum and Ryan are having an affair or whatever it is they’ve been up to. Mum sat us down when she got back from school, telling us the rumours going around the village weren’t true. But I’ve learnt not to trust what people say lately, even Mum. Now she’s gone to the hospital to see Dad, probably feeling like crap, and I don’t know how I feel. Kinda sick, to be honest. Shouldn’t it make me feel better, though? It proves all the stuff leading up to last Thursday . . . all the stuff that made me do what I did to Dad. And that means what I did was right because it confirms I stopped something even worse happening.
Still feel like crap, though, because it proves, yet again, what a lie we’ve all been living. We’re a fake family. This whole village is FAKE. The motto makes me laugh:
Welcome to Forest Grove, Utopia of the Woods
Home to Strong Branches and Deep Roots
I googled utopia: ‘an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its citizens’. I like the way it says ‘nearly perfect’. A little hint of something big and something bad that stops a utopia from being 100% perfect; that stops Forest Grove from being 100% perfect.
That stops my family from being 100% perfect.
We did a good job pretending, though, that’s why everyone’s so shocked about what happened with Dad and all this stuff about Mum and Ryan. Like the morning before I stabbed Dad, the way my parents were with each other. All smiley in the sun. Pretending like we’re just a normal family. A happy family. A family that doesn’t have any secrets or any lies.
It’s like Maddy says, when things are too good to be true, they usually are. When things are really too good to be true, then you have to watch your back and the backs of those you love.
I catch my sister’s eye. She looks scared. I give her a reassuring smile. I hope she sees the message in it: we’re going to be okay. I’m going to make sure we’ll all be okay.
So why does it all feel so wrong? Why do I feel like I’m spiralling down a rabbit hole?
Chapter Thirty-One
Forest Grove Facebook Chit Chat Group
Tuesday 23rd April, 2019
9.05 p.m.
Pauline Sharpe
Absolutely disgusted with the vandalisation of the cameras in the forest! Those cameras hold precious footage for the kids’ wildlife project. My husband and I found two of them smashed up on the ground early this morning. Does anyone else know who owns them? Is it the council? How can I report it?
Belinda Bell
What in God’s name is going on with Forest Grove lately? First the incident at the Byatts’ house, now this?
Jackie Shillingford
Pauline, contact Ryan Day, the forest ranger. He owns them. He’s not on Facebook but google him, he has a website with a number you can call.
Graham Cane
Or ask Melissa to ask him . . .
Rebecca Feine
What’s that supposed to mean?
Belinda Bell
Didn’t you hear about the fight be
tween Graham’s daughter and Melissa earlier? Supposedly, Melissa was seen kissing Ryan Day in the forest.
Rebecca Feine
Pure speculation. Charlie shouldn’t have mentioned it. I was there picking the grandkids up and heard about it after.
Graham Cane
Well, Melissa was rather aggressive with her when she asked a very innocent question about the twins being back at school.
Belinda Bell
It is rather soon for them to have gone back . . .
Pauline Sharpe
Clearly too soon for Lewis. I heard he got into some trouble on the football pitch. Andrea Cooper, wasn’t it your son who was the brunt of an unprovoked attack?
Andrea Cooper
I don’t really want to comment on Facebook. All I’m saying is I’ve just come back from a very eventful trip to A & E.
Rebecca Feine
What happened?
Andrea Cooper
Put it this way, I won’t be letting Carter anywhere near the Byatt children any more. That’s all I’m going to say.
Andrew Blake
Didn’t Lewis Byatt beat the crap out of Harvey Piper too a year back, Eamon Piper?
Eamon Piper
He did indeed . . . not right in the head, that kid.
Kitty Fletcher
What an awful thing to say, Eamon. Mental illness must not be mocked.
Rebecca Feine
Oh, for God’s sake, he’s just a kid. Kids get in fights, doesn’t make them mentally ill. Anyway, didn’t you get suspended from Forest Grove rugby team for hacking down Sandra’s boy a few years ago, Graham Cane? And I very much doubt Melissa was aggressive with your daughter, sounds completely unlike her.
Graham Cane
Oh, come on, that was rugby! And I didn’t get suspended, you daft woman. The Byatt boy is a different matter altogether, full of rage, that one. Always getting himself in trouble. Mark my words, it’ll be him behind the vandalism, and you need to wonder where he got it from. My bets are on Melissa, the way she was with my girl earlier.
Peter Mileham
Come on, guys, this is all a bit unfair. Lewis is a good kid and Melissa doesn’t have a bad bone in her body.
Wall of Silence Page 19