so much else in her life and she was just wasting it. Wallowing in self-pity, she had become a fucking nightmare − and she hadn’t been all that easy to start with, temperament-wise.
‘Actually, Cain, she can stay here. I’ve already asked her and she’s over the moon.’
He bit back the retort he wanted to make, because in some ways Dolly moving in would make things easier for him in the long run.
‘Shouldn’t you have discussed that with me, love?’
Caroline pulled herself from the bed and padded to the bathroom quickly.
‘Now why would I do that, Cain? Since when have I had to have your fucking permission to do anything pertaining to this house and our lives? It will make my life easier having her here. Little Mike is a handful and I need to grieve.’
He could hear her taking her Valium − he hated the sound of that pill jar opening. She was eating them like sweets and they zonked her out. She needed a swift kick up the jacksie, but no one was going to do that any time in the near future. Everyone around her allowed her to do what she wanted, even at the expense of living their own lives. She moaned constantly, but she had always been a complainer. Caroline dripped negativity; it seeped out of her pores and it infected everyone around her. When he thought back now at how she manipulated every situation, he was amazed that he had never comprehended it before.
He made his way downstairs where Dolly was already giving Michael his breakfast. He was a handsome boy, and he smiled widely at his dad as he walked into the kitchen.
‘I’ve got boiled eggs, Dad.’
Cain kissed him on the top of his head. It would be hard to leave his little lad; he loved him with all his heart.
‘Lucky boy.’
Dolly, in a flowery dressing gown, was making a pot of tea and, smiling kindly, she said, ‘Sit down, I’ll do you a bit of egg and bacon.’ She placed a mug of tea in front of him and he sipped it gratefully.
‘So, I hear you’re moving in then.’
Dolly turned to face him, the smile gone. ‘I think it’s for the best, don’t you?’
The air was loaded with tension suddenly and he realised that she knew about Jenny.
‘She will go fucking ballistic when she finds out and, if you value your life or that girl’s life, you had better make sure she don’t get her hands on either of you. Pregnant or not pregnant, Caroline will hammer the fuck out of her.’
Michael was looking over his father’s shoulder and, as he shouted, ‘Dad!’, Cain felt the full force of his wife’s fist hit the side of his head. She was strong and he felt himself lifted out of his seat. As he crashed heavily to the kitchen floor, she was on him. Little Michael was wailing, Dolly was screaming and Caroline was almost incoherent with rage. She was straddling him now, tearing the hair from his head, and he had to use every ounce of his considerable strength to buck her off him.
After a while he managed to hold her down and, when she finally stopped struggling, he relaxed his hold a little. She spat into his face, a huge globule of spit. It smelled of minty toothpaste and he left it there, not willing to loosen his hold on her any further. Caroline could fight like a man and she was angry enough now to be capable of anything.
‘Who is it, Cain? Do I know her?’
He looked down into his wife’s wild eyes, and said gently, ‘I’m so sorry, mate.’ He meant every word he said and it pained her even more to know that.
‘And it’s pregnant, is it? How many months?’
‘Nearly seven. Honestly, Caroline, I never meant for any of this to happen.’
She snorted nastily. ‘You really want this bird so much?’
He nodded.
Suddenly it was as if the fight left her body and she slumped on to the floor. There were no tears in her eyes, no emotion in her voice, as she said wearily, ‘You better go to her then.’
The only time he smiled that day was when he went into the offices in Soho and Johnny Mac, taking in his black eye and
‘Actually, Cain, she can stay here. I’ve already asked her and she’s over the moon.’
He bit back the retort he wanted to make, because in some ways Dolly moving in would make things easier for him in the long run.
‘Shouldn’t you have discussed that with me, love?’
Caroline pulled herself from the bed and padded to the bathroom quickly.
‘Now why would I do that, Cain? Since when have I had to have your fucking permission to do anything pertaining to this house and our lives? It will make my life easier having her here. Little Mike is a handful and I need to grieve.’
He could hear her taking her Valium − he hated the sound of that pill jar opening. She was eating them like sweets and they zonked her out. She needed a swift kick up the jacksie, but no one was going to do that any time in the near future. Everyone around her allowed her to do what she wanted, even at the expense of living their own lives. She moaned constantly, but she had always been a complainer. Caroline dripped negativity; it seeped out of her pores and it infected everyone around her. When he thought back now at how she manipulated every situation, he was amazed that he had never comprehended it before.
He made his way downstairs where Dolly was already giving Michael his breakfast. He was a handsome boy, and he smiled widely at his dad as he walked into the kitchen.
‘I’ve got boiled eggs, Dad.’
Cain kissed him on the top of his head. It would be hard to leave his little lad; he loved him with all his heart.
‘Lucky boy.’
Dolly, in a flowery dressing gown, was making a pot of tea and, smiling kindly, she said, ‘Sit down, I’ll do you a bit of egg and bacon.’ She placed a mug of tea in front of him and he sipped it gratefully.
‘So, I hear you’re moving in then.’
Dolly turned to face him, the smile gone. ‘I think it’s for the best, don’t you?’
The air was loaded with tension suddenly and he realised that she knew about Jenny.
‘She will go fucking ballistic when she finds out and, if you value your life or that girl’s life, you had better make sure she don’t get her hands on either of you. Pregnant or not pregnant, Caroline will hammer the fuck out of her.’
Michael was looking over his father’s shoulder and, as he shouted, ‘Dad!’, Cain felt the full force of his wife’s fist hit the side of his head. She was strong and he felt himself lifted out of his seat. As he crashed heavily to the kitchen floor, she was on him. Little Michael was wailing, Dolly was screaming and Caroline was almost incoherent with rage. She was straddling him now, tearing the hair from his head, and he had to use every ounce of his considerable strength to buck her off him.
After a while he managed to hold her down and, when she finally stopped struggling, he relaxed his hold a little. She spat into his face, a huge globule of spit. It smelled of minty toothpaste and he left it there, not willing to loosen his hold on her any further. Caroline could fight like a man and she was angry enough now to be capable of anything.
‘Who is it, Cain? Do I know her?’
He looked down into his wife’s wild eyes, and said gently, ‘I’m so sorry, mate.’ He meant every word he said and it pained her even more to know that.
‘And it’s pregnant, is it? How many months?’
‘Nearly seven. Honestly, Caroline, I never meant for any of this to happen.’
She snorted nastily. ‘You really want this bird so much?’
He nodded.
Suddenly it was as if the fight left her body and she slumped on to the floor. There were no tears in her eyes, no emotion in her voice, as she said wearily, ‘You better go to her then.’
The only time he smiled that day was when he went into the offices in Soho and Johnny Mac, taking in his black eye and
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