"I seriously think Nick must be insane," Rosalind said her eyes widening. "He must know you're not going to go back to him after all this time?"
Charlotte gave her a rueful smile. "I'd hope so but..."
Dale waved his hand, cutting her off. "He's playing games, don't engage with him."
"I'm trying not to," she said as she idly pushed her food around the plate. Rosalind had gone to the trouble of making them dinner and her appetite had deserted her. "I've heard it all before, and he'll never change. He might be able to keep his hands to himself nowadays but who knows how long that will last."
"Charlotte?" Dale said hesitantly. "Please don't kid yourself that he's a reformed character."
"I'm not!"
Dale exchanged a concerned look with Rosalind. "I know but it sort of sounds like you have. Losing the baby was obviously a massive shock to his system and a huge wake-up call but in time that will fade. You can never trust him with your wellbeing."
Charlotte sighed putting her fork down. "After Caroline died he never came near me, never raised his voice, never mind his hands."
"But that's cos he's guilty," Ros snapped. "He knows what he did."
"Actually he doesn't," she said remembering Nick's insistence that it was all an unfortunate accident. It very well might have been but it never would have happened if he hadn't manhandled her in the first place. "Look, I'm not going to go back to him, those last few months living with him almost killed me. I was losing my mind."
Dale cleared his throat. "A word of advice, don't let anyone other than Ros and I hear you talking like that."
"For God's sake, Dale, whose side are you on?" Rosalind asked sharply.
"Please don't question me, I've got Charlotte's best interests at heart. Nick isn't going to make this easy for her and he isn't going to play nice. Any talk that implies she's unstable supports his lawyers narrative."
Charlotte closed her eyes while Rosalind argued back. Dale was right however, she'd done herself no favours staying with Nick until she was at breaking point; she'd practically made his case for him.
"I'm beginning to think this is a lost cause," she said when Dale and Ros ceased arguing.
"No it isn't," Dale said but his words lacked certainty. "I'll find a way through this even if I have to get a witness statement from John Lombardo." He laughed ruefully and Rosalind's face heated up.
"John never saw anything," Charlotte admitted. "He just knew something was going on." She closed her eyes remembering John sat by her hospital bed, listening pale-faced to her confession.
"But how did he know?" Dale asked, almost muttering to himself. "He must have seen something, heard something."
"Surely the fact that she ended up in hospital goes against Nick," Rosalind said stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork. "And what about that woman he was seeing, where did she go?"
Charlotte grimaced at the mention of the other woman, of Nick's final betrayal.
A loud, persistent knocking at the door stirred Charlotte from her slumber. The tablets she was taking made her foggy-headed and her limbs were slow to move. Rubbing her eyes, she pulled open the front door where she was faced with a vaguely familiar older woman.
"Can I come in?" the woman asked staring determinedly at her.
Taken aback by the authoritative tone she stepped aside and the woman followed her through to the living room.
"Who are you?" Charlotte asked sitting down and running her fingers through her unbrushed hair. "Do I know you?"
"I'm Professor Shultz, I work with your husband." She frowned as if irked by the lack of recognition.
"Has something happened?" Maybe Nick had had an accident? Could she get that lucky?
"You don't know about me?" Professor Shultz asked her frown deepening. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, Nick's been so tormented."
Charlotte felt her chest tighten, her mouth dry. "Why are you here?"
Professor Shultz sat down and gave her a look that might have been sympathetic or condescending. "I was sorry to hear about your recent difficulties. I do hope you're getting some help." Charlotte looked away. "But the thing is-"
"You're having an affair with Nick right?" She was not willing to sit and listen to some long drawn-out explanation.
Professor Shultz picked an imaginary piece of lint off her skirt. "I wouldn't call it an affair, that sounds so tasteless and temporary. We're together." Charlotte scoffed. "I know this must be hard for you, the timing is awful. I wouldn't want to cause you any more pain."
"So why are you telling me then?" She almost wanted to laugh at the deluded woman in front of her.
"Nick's leaving you, for me." There was a brief pause. "We're having a baby."
Charlotte felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. A baby? She opened her mouth but no words came out.
Professor Shultz rose to her feet. "I'm sorry," she said pointlessly. "I know it's hard but life goes on. Don't make this more difficult for Nick than it has to be."
"Congratulations," Charlotte said dully before staring off into space as Professor Shultz rambled on about the provisions Nick would make for her and Jamie.
"Can't you name her in the petition?" Rosalind asked interrupting her thoughts. "Then you can divorce Nick for adultery."
"I think they'll both deny it."
"But wasn't she pregnant?"
Charlotte winced. "Yeah that's what she said, but either she lost it or she was lying. There's definitely no baby." And thank god there wasn't. For all it would have been irrefutable proof of Nick's affair it would have killed her to see him playing happy families with someone else.
Ros sat with her chin in her hands as if deep in thought. "But after what happened, maybe she'll do the right thing and help you out."
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I doubt it."
"I would, I'd-"
Dale pushed his chair back, the legs scraping on the floor. "I'll go get another bottle, this one is almost empty."
"Shit," Rosalind said watching his retreating form. "I think I've put my foot in it. I thought we'd moved on but I guess I've still gotta walk on eggshells." Her mouth briefly turned down before she plastered a smile back on her face. "But as I was saying, why don't you speak to this woman, appeal to her better nature."
Charlotte snorted. "I don't think she has one. I mean who'd have an affair with a married man under those circumstances? It wasn't like she didn't know I'd just lost a baby."
"People make mistakes," Ros said looking towards the kitchen where Dale was taking his time. "You should try. Even if she won't willingly admit it, you could threaten to name her anyway. Say you'll make a lot of noise and publically shame her."
Charlotte sat back contemplating Ros's words. It could work but she didn't think she could convincingly pull it off. "I don't know, would that have worked with you?" It was below the belt but Rosalind didn't flinch.
"Yes it would, I'd have done anything to keep my affair a secret from Dale." She looked down before clearing her throat. "Look what I've lost. My friends, my self-respect, my marriage is on the line. This woman has a career, presumedly she's well thought of, you should use it against her."
"But that seems so underhand." Nick would go off the deep end if started making waves, and she doubted Dale would approve either.
"I'll help you," Rosalind said with a devilish smile. "You won't have to do it alone, we'll confront her together. Maybe it's time to start playing dirty."
~~~
Thank you for reading, please consider voting.