Unfaithful (The Complete Trilogy)

by Clancy, Joanne

  “Did you tell her?” Jackie asked, coming straight to the point.

  “Absolutely not!” Penelope insisted. “I do think that he needs to be punished for his actions; cheating on his wife and treating Shona and I and God knows who else, like toys, that he can pick up and play with and throw away when he's done with us. However, I promised Shona that I wouldn't say or do anything for a while and I keep my promises. She was going to come up with some master plan for us to get our revenge on Mark, but clearly, that's going to be delayed for a while. I can't believe that Rebecca is pregnant!” She suddenly ran out of steam, and sat there on the sofa, looking positively deflated.

  “It's quite the awkward situation you two have gotten yourselves into, isn't it?” Jackie said, unable to keep the slight tone of condescension out of her voice.

  Shona looked at her sister sharply, “now is not the time for a lecture, Jackie, ok? You're not exactly holier than thou yourself, or have you conveniently forgotten that little fact?”

  Jackie had the good grace to shut up. Penelope looked at her in interest. “So what have you been up to then?” she asked, “I could do with hearing about someone else's misadventures for a change. I'm getting a bit bored of feeling like the naughtiest girl in the school lately.”

  “She's been cheating on her husband,” Shona volunteered the information before Jackie could even pause for breath.

  “Thanks for that Shona,” Jackie snapped at her sister.

  “We're all being honest here,” Shona replied smoothly.

  “I don't know Penelope. What if she knows Colm? No offence, Penelope,” Jackie said quickly. “None taken,” Penelope retorted, “and don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I'm sure we don't mix in the same circles anyway.” She gave Jackie a disparaging look.

  “How is your affair progressing?” Shona asked her sister. She really felt like putting her sanctimonious sister in her place, it wasn't often that she got the opportunity. Jackie was usually so squeaky clean.

  “I'm ending it, tomorrow night, actually. We've arranged to meet for a drink and I'm going to finish with him then,” Jackie answered, looking shamefaced.

  “Good,” Shona said shortly.

  “Anyone want a coffee?” Jackie asked, changing the subject.

  “Yeah, good idea, my head is starting to ache,” Shona agreed.

  “Do you want a hand?” Penelope offered.

  “No, thanks, I can manage,” Jackie called over her shoulder as she headed towards the kitchen. She closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief, glad of some time alone. The tension in the sitting room was palpable. She busied herself arranging cups and coffee and tried to calm her racing mind. She was dreading her meeting with Sean or Mark or whatever his real name was, but she knew it had to be done and she was determined to do it, she wanted to do it. The fact that she and her sister were more than likely sleeping with the same man made her skin crawl. She shuddered at the thought.

  She wished she could spend the rest of the night hiding alone in the kitchen. She really didn't want to go back into the sitting room with the other two women. The stress and tension emanating from them was palpable and was making her feel more nervous and anxious.

  Eventually, she made her way back, rattling coffee cups and biscuits on a tray. There was a deadly silence in the room when she entered. Jackie felt like she'd stepped into a war zone. Shona looked absolutely livid and Penelope was determinedly not making eye contact, even when she handed her the coffee cup. Shona's face was snow white, usually a sign that she was extremely angry about something.

  “What is this?” she hissed at her sister, flinging her phone at Jackie, narrowly missing hitting the side of her head. Jackie managed to dodge it just in time.

  “Shona. Calm down!” Penelope insisted. “You're jumping to conclusions.”

  “Fine, let's hear her explanation then,” Shona spat.

  “What the hell is going on?” Jackie exclaimed, trying to regain her composure.

  “You tell me!” Shona yelled.

  “Stop talking in riddles, Shona,” Penelope said in exasperation.

  “Here, read that,” Shona picked up Jackie's mobile phone from the floor and thrust it at her. Jackie took the phone, her hands were shaking. She opened her text messages and began to read the most recent text. It was from Sean, saying that he wouldn't be able to meet the following night as his friend had been rushed to hospital and was seriously ill. “So?” Jackie asked, hoping her expression wouldn't give her away.

  “It's a bit of a coincidence, don't you think?” Shona snapped, her eyes blazing with temper.

  “I don't understand,” Jackie replied hesitantly.

  “Mark calls me full of guilt because Rebecca's in hospital and your date with lover boy is cancelled because his “friend” is in hospital.”

  “It could easily be a coincidence,” Jackie tried to defend herself.

  “Ok, let's just ask the question directly, shall we?” Penelope interrupted. “Are Sean and Mark the same person?”

  Jackie's face immediately went bright red.

  “That would be a yes, then.” Shona sounded victorious.

  “I'm so sorry, Shona, I didn't know how to tell you,” Jackie pleaded with her sister. “I only found out a few weeks ago that Mark and Sean are the same person. I swear on Emmet and Charlotte's lives that I'm telling the truth.”

  “Why didn't you tell me as soon as you realised?” Shona asked. “I don't understand. What were you thinking? It's beyond sick! Were you getting some sort of a weird kick out of sleeping with my man?”

  “Hardly! I was horrified when I realised that there was a possibility that Mark and Sean are the same, that's why I'm breaking up with him, among other reasons, of course.” Jackie's voice trailed off. She looked completely deflated. Her face had gone from bright red to snow white in a matter of seconds. She looked drained. She suddenly swayed slightly.

  “Shona, that's enough,” Penelope looked sharply at Shona. “Jackie, sit down, you look like you might faint.” She took Jackie's arm gently and helped her to the couch.

  “I'm fine, honestly, I think I must have had too much to drink, that's all,” Jackie insisted. “Here, drink your tea,” Penelope said, passing her the hot cup after she'd stirred another heaped spoon of sugar into her cup. “This will steady your nerves.”

  The three women sat there on the couch, slightly squashed, drinking their cups of tea. Jackie and Shona had no energy left for anymore arguing.

  “Look,” Penelope eventually broke the heavy silence that had descended upon them. “There's no point fighting amongst ourselves. Mark is the person at fault here. He's the married man. He led us all astray. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he knew that you two were sisters. He probably enjoyed it. Men like Mark McNamara are just egomaniacs; they use and abuse women to boost their own sense of power. We need to punish him.”

  “We're hardly squeaky clean ourselves, are we?” Jackie ventured. “I'm married too and I was having an affair. Does this mean that I'm an egomaniac and need to be punished?”

  Penelope laughed uneasily. “We'll make an exception in your case,” she said.

  “I feel sorry for Rebecca,” Shona sighed, finally starting to calm down. “I can't believe the poor woman is pregnant!”

  “I know, it is terrible,” Penelope agreed. “It's even worse that she knows her husband has been cheating on her,” Jackie said, “I can't imagine what must be going through her mind.”

  “There's no way she's going to stay with him now,” Penelope said. “I'd say it's only a matter of weeks before she files for a divorce from him or at the very least a separation. I reckon we visit her and tell her exactly what Mr. Perfect has been up to.”

  “I don't think that's a very good idea in her condition.” Jackie looked nervous again.

  “Why, are you worried she might spill the beans to your husband?” Shona sneered.

  “Yes, actually, I am,” Jackie retorted. “I love Colm, I know I do.
Sean, I mean Mark, was just a bit of fun.”

  “How would you feel if Colm cheated on you for a bit of fun?” Shona asked.

  “Oh shut up, Shona, there's none of us innocent in this situation,” Penelope ordered.

  Chapter 27

  “Oh, Laura, I've had enough,” Rebecca sighed. She'd gone to visit her old friend from school, Laura, who was now a full-time housewife, but used to be a solicitor, specialising in family and divorce law. “I can't do it anymore. We've been for marriage counselling. I've tried to forget his affair, well the one affair he's actually admitted to me, but it's impossible. If he's late coming home in the evening, I'm wondering where he is and who he's with. When he's says he's out of the office on business, I can't help thinking that he's off with someone else. It's just not going to work, I realise that now. I've tried to forgive and forget, but I simply can't do it.”

  “I don't blame you one little bit,” Laura empathised. “Mark was lucky that you were willing to give him a second chance, after what he did to you. He betrayed you in the worst possible way. All those years you devoted to him and he goes and throws it all away for a dalliance with his secretary, such a pathetic cliché. I love Luca with all my heart, but if he cheated on me, I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive him. Maybe, a one night stand is forgivable, but to continually cheat is a completely different matter; that's cold and calculated. He thought about what he was doing. He knew what he was doing, but he didn't care and he did exactly what he wanted to do, regardless of the consequences and now he has to pay the price. Anyway, once the trust is gone, it's gone. Mark has nobody to blame but himself.”

  “I don't know how to tell him that I want a divorce,” Rebecca continued. “He's been trying so hard to make it work. He's been attentive and kind and very caring. He caters to my every whim and craving and Lord knows I haven't been the easiest person to live with recently. He's so looking forward to the baby too.”

  “Well, nobody's saying that he can't be involved in the baby's life, but there's no way that you should have to suffer in a relationship that is clearly over, especially not for Mark's sake,” Laura advised. “You'll be financially secure too.”

  “I'm so glad we signed pre-nuptial agreements before we were married,” Rebecca sighed, “my father wouldn't give me a minute's peace until I said we'd signed the agreements. I'm so happy now that he was so insistent all those years ago.”

  “Well, you are the sole owner of M & R Photography. The whole business is in your name, in fairness, it was your inheritance that paid for most of it.”

  “True,” Rebecca said flatly.

  “The house is technically half his too, but now that you're pregnant it will be yours and the baby's,” Laura interjected.

  “I'm sure Mark will move out without too much fuss,” Rebecca agreed.

  “You'd be very surprised at how messy relationships can become when the D word is mentioned,” Laura said doubtfully, “I've seen civilised couples turn into monsters overnight.” “Well, I've made up mind,” Rebecca said firmly, “I want a divorce and that's final. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long to be legally separated first.”

  “Well, if you can find proof of his affair that would certainly expedite matters,” Laura replied thoughtfully.

  “I doubt very much that his mistress is going to want to do me any favours,” Rebecca said scornfully.

  “You never know,” Laura said, “she might have a pang of conscience. Do you have any way of contacting her?”

  “No, I don't think so,” Rebecca hesitated. “I met her once at the office, but I don't have any contact details for her.”

  “What's her last name and I'll see if I can track her down. It might be worth talking to her. What do you have to lose?”

  “Oh, I don't know,” Rebecca muttered.

  “Have a look around Mark's papers and see if you can find any details for Shona and let me know if you find anything, ok?” Laura said.

  “I'll think about it,” Rebecca hesitated. “Anyway, I'd better make a move.” she slowly got to her feet. “Chris said he's coming home for the weekend and it's been quite a while since I've seen him. He's so busy with his new friends at college and if he's not at college he's off surfing.”

  “He sounds like he's having a ball,” Laura smiled.

  “I'm glad,” Rebecca smiled, “but I'm dreading having to tell him that his dad and I are getting divorced.”

  “It won't be easy for him, but he's a good kid,” Laura said encouragingly, “he'll understand. Anyway, he's busy living his own life. You have to live your life too, Rebecca, and you owe it to yourself. You deserve better than Mark.”

  “I know,” Rebecca agreed, “but it's going to be a lot easier said than done. It'll be a wrench. Mark has been a big part of my life for so many years now. It's going to be strange not having him in my life anymore, but I can't live with myself the way things are at the moment.

  I can't look at myself in the mirror without feeling that I'm letting myself down badly by staying with him. This sad, unhappy face looks back at me and I find it hard to believe that it's my own face I'm looking at in the mirror. I'll tell Mark this weekend and Chris too. I just want it to be over and done with now. I'm tired of agonising about it.”

  “Well, let me know if you need anything.” Laura helped Rebecca into her coat.

  “I will, thanks for listening,” Rebecca kissed the other woman on the cheek and wrapped her scarf around her neck. She pulled her hat tightly down around her ears and walked into the cold night air.

  “Are you sure you'll be ok getting home?” Laura asked in concern.

  “I'll be fine. I'm just going to walk to the supermarket to pick up a few things for tonight's dinner and then I'll get a taxi home from there.”

  “Ok, dear, take care.”

  Rebecca huddled deep into her warm winter coat. It had been an anniversary present from Mark a few years previously. She'd had her eye on it for weeks and had tried it on dreamily in the shop, but the price was a touch too exorbitant for her usual tastes.

  Mark had watched her face one day when they'd been window shopping in town and had surprised her with the coat, all wrapped up in delicate layers of tissue paper. She'd been thrilled. Even now, it was still her favourite coat.

  The cold wind whipped her scarf around her face as she made her way briskly to the supermarket. She could see the bright welcoming lights of the shopping centre up ahead. She was longing to be inside its comforting atmosphere, where she could lose herself in the anonymity of the other busy shoppers.

  The heat hit her cold face as the automatic doors to the shopping centre opened wide to greet her. She took a few moments to adjust her eyes from the darkness outside to the almost blindingly bright lights inside.

  The shopping centre was quite busy for that time of the evening. Probably the last of the office workers popping in for a shopping pick me up on their home from work, Rebecca mused.

  She wandered into Debenhams, the large department store. She spent a happy time browsing through the baby section. She picked up and cradled some teeny tiny baby booties and felt her heart swell with love for her unborn baby.

  She patted her tummy gently and thought of the little bundle that was growing inside. Why does life have to be so bittersweet sometimes, she sighed to herself.

  There were times during the past few months when she'd wished she'd never discovered Mark's affair. She longed for the comfort of her old life and wished that she could have stayed in her oblivious bubble, but she knew that was the coward's option. She had to be true to herself and what’s more she wanted to do the right thing for herself and her baby.

  She meandered around the shop; wandering through the kitchen section, the bathroom department and the clothing department. She couldn't resist treating herself to a new fleece and cotton pyjamas and oversized bed socks. It's amazing how quickly a pregnant woman forgets about high fashion to focus on comfort, she smiled to herself. Fleece pyjamas, baggy tracksuits and hug
e underwear were her favourite fashion items these days.

  She walked by the beauty section and was immediately assailed by a perfume assistant who wanted to spray her with the latest scent by Dior. She'd sprayed Rebecca before she'd even had a chance to decline and within seconds, Rebecca could feel the familiar nausea building.

  She hurried to the bathrooms but thankfully the nausea had passed by the time she got there. She walked outside and decided to get a drink of sparkling water in the cafe which always calmed her upset stomach.

  Rebecca paid for her sparkling water and walked to the empty window seat. She enjoyed nothing more than people-watching and the cafe was situated on the second floor, which lead to perfect viewing of the late-night shoppers below.

  She slowly sipped her water and relished the soothing fizz of the bubbles in her mouth. Her stomach was beginning to calm down again and return to normal. She was even contemplating indulging her new craving of lemon cheesecake which she couldn't get enough of lately. It was probably the main reason that her waistline had expanded so quickly during the past month. She had gained seven pounds in four weeks, much to her horror when she had been weighed by her nurse the previous week, but her nurse had insisted that it was normal at her stage in pregnancy.

  She finished her sparkling water and rummaged around in her handbag for her purse. Then she got up and wobbled to the dessert counter, leaving her coat on her chair to prevent another customer from claiming her spot.

  She'd noticed that she was wobbling quite remarkably when she walked these days; one of the latest developments of her pregnancy. Mark had taken to calling her “duckie” which she found quite funny and couldn’t help smiling at the nickname.

  The waitress kindly offered to bring her cake and ginger tea to her table for her, probably noticing how awkwardly she was moving. She sat down heavily, noticing that two women were sitting at the table directly in front of her, which had previously been empty.