Page 28 of Matrimonial Merger

Her worries became clear as Chandler’s mother barged up.

“I hope you rot in hell, you conniving little whore!” She shouted at me. “This was all because of you and your meddling?—”

“No. You donotget to speak to her like that,” Mum insisted. “You are embarrassing yourself.”

“She had an axe to grind. She is so satisfied!” Chandler’s mother pointed her finger at me, almost hitting Mum in the process.

“Excuse me, but do I need to throw hands or are you going to shut the fuck up?” Chloe clapped back, ignoringallsocial decorum. Her righteous indignation was what gave Elise Markham fits and made Cal proud.

“Is there an issue?” The Crown prosecutor stepped forward, his wig still atop his head. “Or will you please step aside, ma’am.”

“I am allowed to have opinions!” She sobbed. “My son isn’t guilty! He did nothing wrong! This is all this mob mentality. She called him a rapist! He is no such thing.”

“He wasn’t tried for rape, so I did no such thing,” I insisted, annoyed.

“But he was,” Chloe said. “And I will say that with my full chest.”

“That is libel!”

“It’s slander,” I corrected her. “And if it’s true, it’s not defamation.”

Frustrated with my legal clap back, she threw a small sachet of tissues at her husband and stormed out. Following close behind was Natasha, the woman he’d left in the lurch. Her parents were prominent Tories but were nowhere to be found. As the party deserted Chandler, I worried they deserted this girl, too. She wasn’t even twenty-five. She was a baby. And now she washavinga baby.

“I… I do not know what to say,” she said, stopping.

“Then move along!” Delanie barked.

Natasha appeared remorseful, so I spoke up. “It’s fine, Lanie.”

“I’m… I don’t mean to cause trouble,” Natasha said. “What we did was wrong. And what he did… was unforgivable. I do love him, but… what he did hurt you. I am sorry.”

Without thinking, I took her hand, tears welling. In the most maternal way, I said, “You, too, were a victim, Natasha. He did the same thing to me. I hope someday you can find peace with your child. She didn’t do this. He did.”

“But it was me?—”

I cut her off. “It was you that woke me up, honestly. You gave me the strength to leave him. Please do not think that I blame you, sweetheart. That isn’t it.”

Tears ran down her face. She gave a small, weak smile and nodded. “You are kinder than you should be. I am dreadfully sorry. At the very least, just know that it will pain me to know how I enabled him. And I will sit with that. All I wanted to do was make a difference and?—”

“You were sucked in. I get it. I was there. He was my boss once. Natasha, you are so young. Please, go on with your life. Do something for women and we will call it even,” I said. “And if you haven’t hired a family law attorney, please do. Do you know the name of my barrister?”

She nodded. “God, do I ever!”

“Ring her when you get home. Tell you that I sent you.”

She cocked her head.

“You need her. She will gladly take you on.”

Natasha nodded again. “Thank you. I don’t deserve this.”

As she departed Mum stared at me, mouth agape.

“What?” I asked. “She’s a child. I won’t curse her. What she did hurt me, but I won’t blame her for his sins. I hope she leaves.”

“Leaves and gets her bag,” Chloe snickered.

“It was the greatest act of parental kindness I have seen from you,” Mum agreed. “Daddy would be so proud of your compassion and strength, Daphne. Now, I am desperate for supper. Can we please take ourselves somewhere with food?”

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