Page 93 of Hot to Go

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Hello Mr Shaw,

You don’t know me but my name is Paul and I got your email address from the school website. I am Suzie Callaghan’s husband. I think we may have met briefly at the bus when I went to pick up Suzie this evening. I could see that you were surprised to see me there tonight and I thought it was important you know the truth about her.

The fact is that eight months ago, Suzie left me. We lived in Brighton and we were very happy together. We have a house, we’ve been married for less than two years and we were talking about having children. All I know is that she just left, she ran away from our life and disappeared. I don’t think a sane or nice person does that. Have you met her cousins yet? They’ve had something to do with it, I’m sure, and they’ve blocked all my attempts to get in touch with her. Now, she’s sent me divorce papers and I have no idea what to do. I am broken without her. I’ve been at the doctors’ because of the effects on my physical and mental health. Maybe the warning signs were there. She never changed her name to mine. She was just using me. I don’t know someone who just leaves like that without facing their problems. My family were so worried about her. She’s completely ghosted us.

I thought it was important you know this information to see what sort of person she is. Why did she run away? Sometimes I worry it’s because of money or something she did at her school but that’s not how you treat people. I guess she didn’t tell you I existed because you looked shocked when I called her my wife. Think why she did that. Seriously, if you two are involved in any way then I would reconsider it. What other lies has Suzie told you? I’m learning that she’s not a good person – selfish, manipulative and just thinking about herself. Give her a wide berth.

I am sorry to tell you like this.

Paul Glass

TWENTY-ONE

Suzie

There’s something very calming about a school when it’s empty and there’s not the noise and clamour of all the children. The buildings feel large and spacious, like you’re walking through a museum or a grand hall when there’s no one about, and it’s nice to feel the scope of the place without someone chucking their lunch through the crowd. I don’t know why I’ve gravitated here. I needed the space but I also just needed to do stuff, do something. I’ve not been sleeping since we got back on Monday night; my thoughts are plagued by Charlie and what he thinks of me. I got my phone fixed yesterday and I did text but he’s just left me on read, making me think he wants some space from the situation. Either way, being in this strange limbo makes me feel incredibly lost. I had someone incredibly special and he’s just floated away from me. I don’t know what the right thing to do is, and my heart can’t quite take the pain of it.

I’m trying to work but I can’t seem to sit still at my desk, so I get up to see who else may be around, meandering over to thestaffroom. I notice it’s empty bar one person who’s commandeered a table and is sorting and guillotining a range of handouts. I recognise her as a maths teacher, the one the kids were talking about on the trip. The one who may have copped off with another teacher by the bike sheds. She sees me and puts a hand to the air.

‘Ah, another sucker in over half term…’ she says, taking a sip from her coffee cup. ‘I’ve just boiled the kettle in case you need it.’

I smile and go over to her desk to admire her paperwork. ‘Well, it was this or sorting my sock drawer. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Suzie Callaghan by the way.’

‘Zoe Swift from Maths,’ she tells me. She seems nice, warm and I like her big earrings, the effortless way in which she carries herself.

‘Beth’s cousin? French Suzie?’ she suddenly says, excitedly.

‘You guess correctly…’

‘Then it’s a pleasure. I adore any Callaghan. My kids occasionally look after Beth’s boys.’ And just like that, I already am a big fan of Zoe Swift. ‘You’re the one who saved the Seville trip by all accounts,’ she adds.

‘Saves feels like too grand a term for it but, yes, I went on the trip,’ I add.

‘Don’t downplay your contribution. You saved it.’ She waits for a moment. ‘Oh…and you were the rockpool person.’

‘You saw the video?’ I say in horror.

‘My daughter did and she doesn’t even go to this school,’ she says, pulling a face. ‘There was a male teacher there too. Didn’t he fall as well?’

Who knows, Zoe? I have a feeling we both fell for each other in Seville. I know I did.

‘He did. But we didn’t get eaten by sharks, so it’s all good.’

She laughs. ‘That’s good to hear. Terrible when those school trips end in shark attacks, so much paperwork.’

For ten in the morning that is quite funny so I clink my mug against hers.

‘If you’re that Mrs Swift from Maths, the kids had stories about you,’ I tell her cheekily.

‘Don’t believe any of them. I did not have sex in a cupboard.’

‘That’s not the story I heard,’ I tell her, laughing. ‘What’s your partner’s name?’

‘Jack,’ she says with a twinkle in her eye.

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