Save Her, page 21
Eventually, a large, dark-skinned lady with an unpleasant expression, dressed in a blue security guard uniform ambled over to Flora, dragging her feet. ‘Come with me, please.’ She sounded exhausted by life.
Flora was searched and her bag was sent through a scanner. The security guard watched the screen that showed an X-ray of the contents of her bag. Flora was captivated, this was a fancy scanner and all the colours were inverted, she couldn’t recognise a single item in her bag in the patterns of bright reds, blues and yellows. Before she could ask any questions, the lady turned and shoved a clipboard into her hands. ‘Sign here.’
Flora barely had time to finish her signature before the clipboard was snatched from her hands and a visitor’s badge replaced it. Flora smiled brightly at the woman and thanked her, but the woman simply turned and trudged back to her seat in the corner.
Flora paused outside Sam’s office. The door was slightly ajar, and she could hear voices inside. Taking advantage of this she took several deep breaths, trying to hold her nerve. She felt wretched, knowing she was betraying Sophie’s trust. But she had made up her mind: she could not carry on like this anymore. She couldn’t sleep. She was cancelling classes. Her whole life was turned upside down.
It was too much to bear and she needed the support of her husband, someone she trusted to help her. Sam was her husband. She had to trust in that. Look at the way he had supported her since the note in her bag. He had come home early as soon as she had told him about the brick through the window. And there was his anger on her behalf and how protective he had been. He’d even told his mother to leave when she’d turned up unannounced to see him. Yes, this was more serious, but she loved him, and she knew that he loved her. It was time to put that love to the test, even if it might ruin her best friend’s life. She loved Sam with her whole heart, and she owed it to their marriage to give him the opportunity to be the man she knew he was. Sophie did not know him the way that she did. Her instinct told her that she could trust him and that he would help them.
Flora raised her hand to the door, intending to knock before she talked herself out of it. But stopped when she heard her name. The door was ajar. Turning her head, she moved closer to the gap.
‘Flora is my wife. She deserves the truth. How can you expect me to keep this a secret much longer? This has been going on for too long.’
Flora’s palms began to sweat. What was he talking about?
She was surprised to hear Greg’s burly voice answer him. Sophie had told her Greg was away. ‘And I am your brother. Where does your loyalty lie? I’m asking you to keep this a secret.’
‘But it’s not right. Those bruises.’ A banging made her jump. It sounded like Sam had hit the table or thrown something. She had never heard him sound so angry. ‘You can’t treat people that way and get away with it.’
‘Sam, you don’t know the whole story. Look, I’m begging you. Don’t tell Flora. Please. Just stay quiet and stay out of it.’
‘But Flora will never forgive me if she finds out I knew all along. Even worse, that I didn’t do anything about it.’
‘Please. Just let me handle this my way.’
Sam released a heavy sigh. ‘Fine. I’m not condoning anything. But fine.’
Flora turned and ran down the corridor, stopping at a huge terracotta plant pot. She threw up, vomit splattering the roots of the tree and the wall behind it. A bespectacled man in a pin-stripe suit threw her a disgusted look as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She wanted to scream at him. You’d be sick too if you realised your entire marriage was a sham.
Sam knows. She ran down the stairs trying to escape the knowledge. Sam knows. The words echoed in her mind. Her heart ached. The man she thought she knew had never really existed. He was a figment of her imagination. It was like she had been told he had died. He may as well have. Just minutes ago, she had been reminding herself that at his core, Sam was a decent human being. But she was a fool. Sophie had seen him for what he was. He’ll never choose you, Flora. In the end, his family will always come first. From what she had heard, Sam had seen Sophie’s bruises. How could he see that and stand idly by?
She walked through the foyer in a daze, unable to see the world around her, lost in her grief that the marriage she had been desperate to save was not actually worth saving. She felt a flicker of guilt as she realised that they could have left and escaped by now, but her reluctance to leave Sam, to find a way out that did not ruin her marriage had prolonged Sophie’s suffering. She shuddered to think what Greg had been doing to Sophie over the last few days. How could I have been so selfish? she wondered. In a way, she was just as bad as Sam. She knew Sophie was being harmed, physically and mentally and she had done nothing about it. Nothing apart from consider how it was going to impact her life and how she could salvage her marriage.
Flora was at her car before she even realised that she had left the building. Her mind was flooded with images of Sophie’s bruises interspersed with images of Sam and Greg laughing together, all the Cavendishes together, laughing at Sophie lying broken on the floor. She wiped furiously at the tears streaming down her face. I need to stop being so weak. Now it’s time for action. Sophie had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. It was time to honour that and do what she should have done when Sophie first told her the truth.
She thought resolutely, I’m going to save Sophie from the Cavendish scum. I’m going to save her. After all, we’ve only ever needed each other.
48
The fury in Flora’s eyes took Sophie’s breath away. It was the second time she had been in her house that week and it felt strange. Sophie lay back in her bed and watched Flora pace up and down, her hair whipping around each time she turned on her heel and marched ferociously back up the other side of the room. Her brown eyes were alight with rage, her hands waved as she ranted. It was a side to Flora she did not often see, and she loved it. Finally. Finally, it was happening. The rose-tinted spectacles had been ripped off. Flora was finally seeing the Cavendish family for who they were. Including Sam.
Flora had gone to talk to Sam. That was all Sophie knew so far. Flora’s anger had so far stopped her from saying anything that made sense.
‘They were just in there, talking about it. Bold as brass.’
‘You’re talking in riddles, Flo.’
But Flora wasn’t listening. ‘It was disgusting. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe Sam would do this. How could he? I thought I knew him. But I didn’t know anything.’ She came to a stop at the foot of the bed, tears glistening in her chestnut eyes. But for once, they were tears of anger. ‘You were right all along, Sophie. We have to leave. This family – Sam, Greg, Alistair, Cecelia – they’re evil. We have to get away from them.’
‘Are you sure?’ Would Flora still feel the same once she had had time to calm down?
‘Of course I’m sure.’ Flora stared at her, incredulous. ‘I just heard Sam admitting that he knew what Greg has been doing to you; and promising to keep quiet.’ Flora snatched Sophie’s hairbrush off the dressing table and threw it at the wall with all her strength. She turned to Sophie and came to kneel next to the bed, taking her hands. ‘I am so sorry for not being a better friend. I should have just listened to you. I should know by now to trust you. That you know what’s best.’ Flora looked determined. ‘You’ve always looked after me but now it is time for me to look after you, to put you first like I should have done all along.’
Sophie couldn’t speak. She was overcome with emotion.
‘We need to make a plan. Decide our next move. I can’t stay here any longer and neither can you.’
Sophie smiled at Flora. She had been planning their getaway for ages. It was just going to be easier now that Flora was a willing participant. ‘Well, I kind of already have a plan. Like I said, it was something that helped me through, you know, everything. We have to be really clever about this, though.’ Sophie looked at Flora, trying to convey how serious this was. They could not just up and leave in the night. It would take strategic planning to make it so Greg and Sam didn’t come looking for them. ‘Can you imagine, both wives disappear in the night. That would make them look so bad. They wouldn’t allow it. They’d stop at nothing to bring us back.’
Flora looked sceptical.
‘Flora, don’t look at me like that. I keep telling you, reputation is everything to these people. They wouldn’t be able to look any of their friends and colleagues in the eye if it got out that we had vanished. The rumours could destroy them.’
‘All right. So, what do we need to do?’
Sophie stroked Flora’s cheek. ‘You’re not going to like it.’
‘What?’ She grimaced.
‘I know it’s going to be hard. But we are going to have to pretend that nothing has happened. Act normal until I get everything ready.’
Flora looked sick. ‘I can’t. There’s no way.’
‘You have to, Flora.’
Flora sat back on her heels, horrified. ‘Sophie, Sam is going to know in an instant. I am a useless liar. He’s going to realise when I can’t stand him touching me.’ Flora looked repulsed at the thought.
Sophie got off the bed and knelt in front of Flora. ‘We don’t have a choice, Flora. If Greg or Alistair finds out what we are planning, they would not hesitate to act. You have to realise, they think their money makes them invincible. If they find out, I’m scared what they might do.’
The penny seemed to drop and Flora, pale as a ghost nodded. ‘Okay.’
They clung to each other as though they sensed the gravity of the moment. This was the moment their lives would change forever.
49
‘Hi, this is Sophie. Sorry I can’t take your call right now. Leave a message.’ Flora disconnected the call and threw the mobile onto the passenger seat. She’d been to her house; she’d been to Sophie’s house and she could not find her anywhere. She’d driven past Sophie’s hairdressers and beauty salon but there was no sign of her, and she would not answer her phone. Sophie always answered her phone.
She had woken up with a pit of dread in her stomach that morning. She had not wanted to leave Sophie. Every instinct was telling her to pack their stuff and leave. But Sophie was resolute. After another sleepless night, Flora didn’t think she could wait any longer. Flora had stood over Sam as he slept soundly, alternating between crying for the loss of her marriage and wanting to smother him with a pillow, overwhelmed by fury. Her nerves were shot. She couldn’t think about anything else.
With difficulty, she had called Charlotte and told her that she was experiencing a family emergency and would not be working for the foreseeable future. She asked Charlotte to run the sessions if she felt comfortable or cancel them. It was up to her. Charlotte didn’t say much but that was a blessing: Flora would not have absorbed it if she had. Her entire world was imploding and the only thing on her mind was abandoning it before it cost her everything.
The fear was crippling her. She wanted to talk to Sophie. But couldn’t find her anywhere. What if Greg had done something to her? Had Greg found a way to silence Sophie once and for all? Flora’s hands were shaking as she took the exit that would lead her back to the Cavendish headquarters. The only place she had left to check was Sophie’s office. If she wasn’t there then Flora would be left with no choice but to grab the bull by the horns. She would confront Greg if she had to.
The smashed vase lay on the floor, pieces scattered everywhere. Flora watched as droplets of water that used to give life to the flowers in the vase made their way down the magnolia walls. The violence of throwing the vase at the wall had shocked her. It was like all the pent-up emotions she’d had minutes ago had smashed into pieces along with the blue vase. Greg didn’t speak either. In fact, he looked pale and sweaty, his eyes darting to the corridor as people gazed in curiously. Meek Flora who always hid behind Sophie had surprised them both.
‘Tell me what you’ve done with her.’
‘For the last time, Flora, I don’t know what you are talking about.’
‘Sophie. You’ve got her, haven’t you?’
‘You’ve lost the plot.’
‘I’m not stupid. She told me!’
That stunned Greg. He looked scared and quickly moved over to the door and shut it. Next, he moved to the blinds and twisted the cable, shutting out colleagues who were trying desperately to see what was going on. He turned nervously back to Flora. ‘Sit down,’ he said quietly.
‘Sit down?’ she screamed at him. ‘Sit down? How am I supposed to sit down when you have been beating my best friend black and blue for god knows how long and now she has vanished off the face of the earth.’ Tears coursed down her face and she brushed them away angrily.
Greg walked over to the chair behind his desk and sank into it heavily. He put his head in his hands. Flora stared at him, uncertain what to do next. She had expected anger or sarcasm. Greg looked up at her. She was startled to see tears lining his eyes. She clenched her fists. What did he have to cry about? He had been putting Sophie through hell. Was this his angle, making her feel sorry for him, to try to get her onside? The sounds of ringing of phones and people chatting floated through to them as they stared at each other. She tried to convey that she would not fall for his lies, that he had met his match. Someone had to protect Sophie from him.
‘Flora, you don’t have a clue what’s really going on. You wouldn’t believe me, even if I told you the truth.’ He put his elbows on the desk and his head back into his hands. If she hadn’t seen the damage his anger had done to his best friend’s body, she would have believed that he was the broken man he was portraying. His shoulders had sunk and tears dropped down onto the desk, glistening against the mahogany wood. It was very convincing.
‘I’ve seen the truth with my own eyes. Sophie showed me the bruises and told me all about the beatings.’ Flora was almost spitting with anger. She moved her hands behind her back, feeling compelled to wrap them around his neck and squeeze with all her strength. She took a step towards him. He looked up and she bent over the desk so they were face to face, eye to eye.
‘You think that your money will protect you. Think again. I know what you are. I know that you get your kicks beating up your loving wife when the potatoes aren’t cooked to your exact requirements. I know she follows your sadistic commands because she’s so terrified that next time you will just kill her. Well, let me tell you, I. Will. Bring. You. Down.’
It was hard to breathe and her whole body was quivering. She felt drunk on adrenaline, but also worried she had just made things a whole lot worse for Sophie. What would Greg do to her now he knew she had told Flora? She took a step back, reminded of how violent he could be, worried about what he would do now that she had stood up to him.
But contrary to her fears, his face was bleached of colour and his eyes wide with shock. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, speech failing him. His hands were trembling. He was trying to compose his thoughts, to regain his ability to speak. ‘I feel sorry for you, Flora, I really do. You have absolutely no idea who Sophie really is, what she is capable of.’ His voice was hoarse and quiet.
‘I know exactly who Sophie is. Don’t you dare try and blame her. Is that your defence? Sophie made me do it?’
‘I didn’t do anything, Flora. I am not an abusive husband.’ Greg’s grey eyes bored into her, like he was pleading with her to believe him.
‘Don’t lie. There is no point. I’ve seen the bruises, Greg. All over her, up her back, down her legs. She told me everything.’
‘She’s lying.’
‘You’re pathetic. Oh. My mistake! The bruises just magically appeared by themselves. How silly of me not to realise that Sophie had managed to trip and burn the letter G into her side with cigarettes!’ The urge to punch him hard rose in her.
Greg looked green in the face. ‘She must have done it to herself.’ His gaze was insistent. ‘I know it sounds crazy, but she is crazy. You’ve got to believe me.’
‘You’re an idiot. Do you honestly expect me to believe that?’ Flora began to pace up and down, unable to believe what she was hearing. ‘Sophie is one of the most loyal, brave and amazing people I’ve ever known. Not the sort of person to try and beat herself up. You are going to have to get a better defence than that when it goes to court.’
Greg sank back in his chair ‘What’s the point? You are never going to believe me. You’re too caught up in her spell. You can’t see her for what she really is.’
‘Stop saying that. How dare you try and drag Sophie’s name through the mud when you’ve been threatening her; stopping her from leaving. You would use all the money at your disposal to bring her back or kill her.’
Greg laughed darkly. ‘That’s what she told you? That I was using my money as power over her?’ He stood up and walked to the window. ‘I no longer have any money, Flora.’ He began to laugh hysterically, wiping a tear from his eye.
‘What are you talking about?’ Flora asked, unnerved by his barking laughter.
Greg wiggled the computer mouse on his desk, bringing his computer screen back to life. He tapped a few keys and clicked a few times, then swivelled the screen around so she could see it. He backed away and turned to look back out of the window. On the screen was a list of various accounts and each of them was showing a balance of £0.00. ‘Click on the joint account,’ he ordered.
With a shaky hand, she moved the mouse and clicked on the joint account. The last four transactions on the account showed four separate withdrawals of fifty million pounds. Two hundred million pounds?
