Page 4 of Be My Traitor

She deserved the happy ever after I could never give her.

Chapter 3

Milly

“Are you sure you don’t want to come out for that drink?” Nigel asked, seeing the expression on my face when I saw Lucas coming out of the Academy. “You look like you could do with one.”

“How many times do I have to say no?” I snapped. I instantly regretted it when I saw the wounded look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Nige. I didn’t mean it.”

“It’s okay.” He shrugged and looked away. “You’re right. I do keep asking when I should respect the word no. I’ll do better in future.”

He turned to leave and I put out a hand to stop him. “No, please keep asking,” I told him. “Maybe one day I’ll be in a position to say yes. It’s just that life is… complicated.”

“Isn’t it always?” Nigel laughed and I felt a little better seeing him relax again.

“Yeah, but you’re not the one with a history with our new head.” I could feel my cheeks reddening as the penny dropped for Nigel.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” I tried to keep my tone nonchalant. “It was a long time ago and nothing serious, but even so. It’s weird seeing him again after all this time. I just want to go home and hug my daughter, you know?”

“I completely get it.” Nigel stroked my arm reassuringly. “But you know where I am if you ever need to talk, okay?”

“I do. Thanks, Nige.”

Amber and I had a regular Friday night tradition. When I got home from work, the two of us would go into the kitchen and make dinner together. Sometimes it would be pizza, making faces out of the toppings. Other times it would be a stew, Amber handing me the ingredients to top. It was something we both looked forward to, that time together priceless.

There would be no cooking tonight, though. I was in no mood to deal with anything and I was so distracted I’d probably chop a finger off while preparing the dinner. Tonight called for girl talk and wine.

I pulled up outside my house, one of a number in the Knight family grounds. I lived in a small settlement which my parents had built especially for me and my siblings. When Amber was born, they’d extended my house, so I had plenty of space for her and the nanny as well as an office for me to work on the family business when I wasn’t teaching. One day, I’d move into the mansion when it was time for me to take over, but that day was a long way off and I loved my home. It was the one place where I could relax and be myself without worrying about who I needed to impress.

“Claire! Amber! I’m home!”

I put my car keys in the bowl I kept on the table by the door and dropped my bag next to it.

“Mummy!” Amber came rushing out to meet me. I picked her up and swung her round in a big hug before dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You’re late.” She pouted.

“I know, baby. And I’m sorry. I had an important meeting.”

“I’mimportant.” Amber played with my necklace, refusing to meet me in the eye.

“Yes, you are. The most important person in the whole wide world.”

“Hi, Milly.” Claire walked out of the kitchen to meet me. “Amber’s been a bit tetchy today. Apparently she got into a disagreement with one of the other children at nursery and refused to apologise.”

“That’s because it wasn’t my fault!” Amber protested. “Damien tipped his water over my painting so I hit him.”

“You know you shouldn’t hit,” I reproached her.

“Damien shouldn’t have spilt water over my picture,” Amber said. “I was making it for you.”

“You can always make me another painting,” I told her. “And I bet it’ll be even more beautiful.”

“Amber and I were getting things together for dinner,” Claire told me. “She wanted to have shepherd’s pie, so we’ve been cutting shapes out of potato to put on the top.”

“It’s going to look so cool!” Amber beamed.

“I’m sorry, sweetie.” I felt awful letting her down, but the last thing I felt like doing was making a shepherd’s pie. “We’ve got to go and see Auntie Ivy. I thought we could have dinner with her. We can finish off making the pie tomorrow.”

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