‘How could you?’ I get to my feet, shaky now the shock has set in. ‘Rupert was supposed to be your friend, but you did all of this. Sneaking into the house, making me think that someone had been there. Sending me vile messages and Lola… oh my God, you did that to Lola.’
‘I fucking hate cats. And so does Rupert, believe it or not.’ Sadie smirks as she pulls out a packet of cigarettes and lights one, blowing the smoke in my face.
‘And you sent that video message. What were you going to do, delete it so that when I showed Rupert it was gone, and I look mad?’
‘Clever girl. Who do you think Rupert is going to believe when you run to him and tell him that Sadie is the big, bad wolf? Me – his oldest friend? Or you? Some little tart he’s married to but barely knows. Who’s been accusing people of all sorts of things practically from day one? Calm down, Emily, you’ll only be making a fool of yourself. Although, I suppose that’s the best way for things to go.’
‘He’ll believe me.’
‘No, Emily, he won’t. I’ve made sure of that, haven’t I? Don’t you realize that you’ve fucked everything up by appearing on the scene?’
‘You wanted Rupert for yourself.’ Realization dawns as I watch the hatred settle on her face. She never liked me. All those times that she ‘let me in’ it was all fake. ‘You wanted Rupert all for yourself. What did you do? Drive Caro to it?’ I can’t resist taunting her a little. ‘You drove Caro to it, and then your plan backfired?’
Sadie is silent for a moment, shock written all over her face. ‘What kind of person do you think I am? Of course, I had nothing to do with Caro dying, you sick bitch. But when Rupert was all alone, I knew it was our chance to be together. It should have been me all along – it would have been if I hadn’t introduced him to Caro at university.’
‘That’s what you told Rupert, that night of your Easter party, wasn’t it? And he rejected you.’
‘I told him he needed to sort himself out after the memorial. I meant it was time to move on, with me. I was always the right one for him, and I thought after Caro died, he would see sense, finally. I didn’t mean for him to settle down with some…’ Her mouth twists as she spits the words at me.
‘Some… what?’ Fury makes me bold. ‘You wanted me to think I was going mad – you wanted Rupert to think I was going mad. That way, Rupert would leave me of his own accord, and then you could step in, and no one would think badly of you, they’d all be relieved that Rupert had someone who could take proper care of him.’ I let out a harsh bark of laughter. ‘I think you might have severely underestimated me, Sadie.’
Sadie blinks, and takes another drag on her cigarette. ‘The way you underestimated me, you mean? Oh, thank you Sadie, for including me, thank you for being so kind to me, Sadie. You’re pathetic. And now Rupert thinks you’re bonkers, he’ll be glad to be rid of you.’
‘I doubt that very much,’ I say, as I hold up my phone, the screen showing that our entire conversation has been recorded.
Chapter Thirty
Sadie sits shell-shocked at the table, as I scoop up my bag and turn to face her.
‘I think it’s best if Rupert doesn’t see you for a while,’ I say.
‘All you have to do is leave,’ Sadie says finally, quietly from where she sits at the kitchen table. ‘That’s all I ever wanted to do was to make you leave. You’re like a cuckoo, forcing your way into the nest.’
‘I’m not the cuckoo, Sadie,’ I say, ‘you need to look a lot closer to home for that. Don’t contact Rupert – don’t call him, don’t try to see him. I’m warning you.’
Without waiting for her to reply, I slam my way out before she can get to her feet. Once away from the house I start to run, heart racing, my feet slamming against the pavement sending shooting pains into my knees. I wait until I am around the corner before I stick my arm out and hail a passing cab. I give the driver the address of Rupert’s office and slump back in the seat, my breath coming in painful gasps. I am sure that Sadie will be on the phone to Rupert before I’ve even made it to the end of the road, but it doesn’t matter, I have the recording.
We pull up outside Rupert’s building and I pay the driver, before taking a deep breath and approaching the glass-fronted space where my husband spends every day. A receptionist is on the phone as I enter, and she holds up one finger in my direction as I walk up to the desk.
‘Rupert Milligan, please,’ I say, as an older gentleman passes by, giving me a quick double take before he gets into the lift. There is something familiar about him and it’s only as I take my own place in the lift up to Rupert’s floor that I realize it is Michael Osbourne, Caro’s father and the owner of the large construction company Rupert works for. I offer him a tiny smile, the back of my neck prickling uncomfortably, and I am relieved when I step out of the lift and he stays on.
Rupert is sitting at his desk, engrossed in whatever is on his screen when I tap lightly on the door to his office. He glances up, irritation on his face at being interrupted before he realizes it is me.
‘Emily—’ His tone is cautious, and he peers behind me as if expecting someone else to be there. ‘What are you doing here? Is everything OK?’
It seems
