Page 91 of The First Mistake

Beth raises her eyebrows questioningly at Alice.

‘Not today,’ says Alice emphatically, her eyes flashing a warning look to Beth.

‘Perhaps another time,’ says Beth to her daughter.

‘Aww, that’s so unfair. Why can’t I go to Olivia’s then?’

‘Because you have to wait to be invited,’ says Beth patiently. ‘I assume we’re still invited to Olivia’s party on Sunday?’ She’s looking at Alice, who for a split second has no idea what she’s talking about.

‘What?’

‘Olivia’s party? Is Millie still allowed to come?’

The penny drops as Alice remembers the twenty invitations Olivia had excitedly taken into school two weeks ago. ‘Um, I don’t know ...’ she stutters. ‘I’m not sure there’ll be ...’ She pulls herself up. Of course Olivia’s birthday celebrations will go ahead. Just because her father is having an affair doesn’t mean that their lives have to be put on hold. But still Alice’s heart beats double-time at the thought of a house full of nine-year-olds, their pushy parents and her unfaithful husband. She almost groans out loud at the added complication of Beth and Millie being thrown into the mix.

‘Please say I can still come,’ says Millie tearfully, whilst tugging on Alice’s skirt.

‘Come on, let’s go ...’ starts Beth, pulling the child away.

‘Of course,’ says Alice, forcing herself to look at Millie. The little girl’s eyes are filled to the brim and just as she sticks her bottom lip out, a big fat tear runs down her cheek. The jolt that Alice had expected to feel when she looked at her doesn’t come and she crouches down to Millie’s height.

Is that you in there, Tom?She looks into Millie’s eyes, searching for a sign, anything to prove that her beloved husband, the man she thought would never betray her, would do what Beth’s suggesting.

‘Of course you can come,’ Alice says to Millie. ‘Olivia wouldn’t have it any other way.’

The little girl’s dismay instantly turns into a grin and she instinctively throws her arms around Alice and kisses her cheek. ‘Thank you,’ she squeals.

Alice avoids eye contact with Beth as she returns to full height.

‘When are you free to ... you know ...?’ asks Beth quietly.

‘Mum, can I go and sit in the car?’ asks Sophia, obviously assuming that the two mums are going to have a long chat, like they usually do.

‘Yep, sure,’ says Alice, fishing for the keys in her bag.

‘Hi Millie-Moo,’ says Sophia, as she affectionately ruffles Millie’s hair. The little girl laughs and Alice feels like she’s stopped breathing.

It’s only then that the full implications of what Tom has done hit her. She’s spent the past week wallowing in self-pity at the realization that her first marriage was a sham. She’d swung from wanting Beth dead to being glad that Tom was no longer alive in her efforts to process what had happened, but at no point did she remember appreciating that she and Sophia might be half-sisters.

‘We need to sort this out,’ says Beth, as if reading her mind. ‘We can’t carry on, in this state of limbo.’

Alice feels like she might crumple to the floor, but steels herself, refusing to give in.

‘I’m not going to do it here and I’m not going to do it at Livvy’s, I mean Olivia’s, birthday party.’ She sees Beth baulk at the self-correction, as if noting that she’s no longer in the inner circle who know Olivia well enough to call her Livvy. Alice presses on, keen to convey thatshe’llbe the one calling the shots. ‘We’ll arrange something for next week, once we’ve both had a chance to work out what this all means and the consequences that come with you having had an affair with my husband.’

Alice couldn’t help herself.

‘Mrs Davies, Mrs Davies,’ calls out Miss Watts, making her way towards Alice.

Alice fixes on a smile. ‘Hi.’

‘Could I have a word please?’ She looks to Beth. ‘Perhaps in my office would be best.’

‘Yes, yes of course,’ says Alice as she begins to follow her inside, not knowing what to do with Olivia.

‘I’ll keep an eye on her,’ says Beth, sensing her predicament. ‘The girls can have a play.’

It was all that was needed to force Alice’s decision. She caught hold of Olivia’s hand and marched her inside.

---