The Marriage by K.L. Slater (any book recommendations TXT) 📕

eighteen. Six months ago, Bridget and Tom secretly married in a special ceremony at HMP Nottingham, and now Jesse’s killer is her husband.

How can a grieving mother travel so far from that place of devastation years earlier? How is it possible to fall in love with the man who ended your son’s life so callously?

‘Tom was a big part of it,’ Bridget told the Daily Mail. ‘We both entered the restorative justice programme at the prison and it was impossible not to be touched by his honesty, his remorse and, more than anything, his need for me, as Jesse’s mum, to forgive him. Over time, we grew closer and fell in love. We never planned to get married, but it was a natural step to making a completely fresh start together when he was released.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ Jill raged, suddenly snapping back to life. ‘It’s making Tom sound so … so guilty! It wasn’t like that. He didn’t mean to kill Jesse, he—’

‘Jill, listen,’ Audrey said gently. ‘There’s more.’

Billinghurst is now a quiet man of twenty-eight. Does the age gap between the couple bother him?

‘As far as I’m concerned, age is just a number. I’ve never felt as close to anyone as I do to Bridget. She’s such a generous, forgiving soul. I’ll be forever grateful to her for giving me the chance to make amends. All I want now is to spend the rest of my life trying to redeem myself for the enormous loss I caused her.’

Bridget and Tom have bought a smart new home in an affluent area of Nottinghamshire.

So what about the future? What are the couple’s immediate plans?

Bridget told us, ‘Tom will soon take up a key position in my Young Men Matter charity. He’ll be talking to groups of people about his own redemption and how he discovered the power of admitting his guilt – to himself as well as to me, Jesse’s mother.’

Tom added, ‘I’ll be speaking to young people about the need to look at their own families and what they’re told growing up, how they’re raised. I never realised at the time, but my own upbringing contributed to my lack of empathy and failure to see beyond my own wants and needs.’

‘I want to help Tom heal from his damaging childhood,’ Bridget added. ‘It’s time for him to shine without the shadow of domineering family members to dim his light.’

Audrey pressed a tissue into her friend’s hand and Jill looked surprised, as if she didn’t realise her cheeks were wet with tears.

‘It’s so painful to see you suffer like this, Jill, but I had to let you know when I saw it. I knew it would kill you to hear it from someone else, or if you’d stumbled on the article yourself.’

‘I don’t know what to say.’ Jill dabbed at her eyes. ‘Have I really been such a terrible mother all these years?’

‘No! This article is utter crap. It’s clickbait, a lurid story designed to attract people to the news website.’

‘So Tom didn’t actually say those things about me … about us?’

Audrey tucked her wavy chestnut hair behind her ears. ‘Who knows? They probably twisted his words, exaggerated them, but I think you should speak to him about it.’

‘And say what, exactly? You don’t know the gory details yet but … Friday night was not what you’d call a success. I said some things I don’t regret but I haven’t heard from Tom yet.’ She sat up a little straighter. ‘I’m glad you told me though.’

Audrey grabbed Jill’s hand. ‘My heart’s breaking for you. You’ve given up everything to keep things stable and prepare for Tom coming home. I feel so angry with him for doing this. I feel like going over there and—’

‘No, no. You mustn’t do that, Audrey. This is not your fight.’

Audrey’s eyes flashed. ‘I can’t believe they’d be so heartless, giving an interview like that without a thought for your feelings. What happened on Friday? What did you say?’

Jill closed her eyes as if she were trying to shut out the memory of the evening. ‘It’s a long story and I’ve got such a thumping head. Suffice to say, I’m even more convinced she’s not genuine, Audrey. The house is covered in photographs of Jesse as a kid and Tom has been cut out of most of them.’

‘What?’

Jill nodded. ‘She’s playing some kind of sick game, pretending to be the devoted wife when it’s clear that underneath, she still blames Tom. I’ll tell you in detail once I get rid of this hangover.’

‘Are you going to tell Robert about the interview, or do you want me to have a word with him?’

‘I’m not sure he’s talking to me after how I showed him up at the party, either,’ Jill said miserably. ‘Put it out of your mind for now.’

‘I think you should do the same,’ Audrey said. ‘I’ll make us a drink.’

Jill followed her into the kitchen and Audrey glanced at her white knuckles. Her fists were coiled so tightly her fingernails must have been digging into her palms. There was no chance of Audrey putting it out of her mind. In setting up this article and the things she’d said in it, Bridget Wilson had basically declared war on Tom’s family.

Audrey felt sick at the hidden betrayals Jill didn’t even know about yet. She pushed the thought away as fast as it came into her head.

Jill would hate her when she found out what she’d done but Audrey was too far in to change her mind now.

Thirty Ellis

On Monday morning, from a sheltered spot at the far side of the playground, Ellis watched the new boy at break time.

He’d joined the school last week and he was in Year 4, a year below Ellis, who was now a Year 5 pupil. Next year he’d be going to the big comp in the next town. Compared to him, this new boy was a little kid.

His