ML Roberts - The Wife – Part Three - In Sickness and In Health

Raising my eyes to the ceiling I wonder if Michael really has got work to do. I doubt he does. It’s his go-to excuse when he doesn’t want to talk – he has work to do.

Sighing quietly, I head out into the hallway, stopping at the foot of the stairs. I turn around, look at his jacket hanging on the hook by the door, and without hesitation, without any hint of guilt, I rifle through the pockets, finding nothing more than a receipt for his newspaper and his glasses case. But that means nothing. It’s easy to cover your tracks when you’re doing something you don’t want anyone to find out about. I should know. Which is why I don’t trust him. I know the signs, I’ve been playing this game for a while now, and I’m good at it. Is he?

I go into our room, check my reflection in the mirror. I look okay. Not too tired. You could even describe my complexion as slightly glowing, and that’s all down to Liam. Sex and time away from this charade fills me with a renewed energy, something that keeps me going until I need to keep running on empty. And I briefly wonder if this was how I looked before everything happened. Did my complexion ever glow back then?

A sudden noise from outside on the landing jolts me from that thought; makes me spin around. Even when I’m not alone in this house my nerves are on edge. It’ll be nothing more than a beam creaking, but for the briefest of moments I’m wracked with memories I won’t ever forget. The fear. The noise. The blood …

My phone vibrating in my pocket drags me back from those memories and I quickly take it out. There’s an alert flashing up on the screen; Michael’s making a call, to a number I recognize as Bill Franklin’s, a member of his faculty. Another work call, but I’ll still listen to it, later. When he’s asleep.

Sliding my phone back into my pocket I look up at the wall facing our bed, at the picture hanging on it. Me and Michael on our wedding day. Sunshine, happiness, laughter, that’s what I remember about that day. A darkness hides the sun now. I can’t remember the last time I felt true happiness. I’m happy, for a few brief minutes, when I’m alone with Liam. It’s a kind-of happy, anyway. Something that masks the sadness, for a while.

‘Ellie?’

I turn to face him. He looks tired as he stands in the doorway, his reading glasses in one hand, his other pressing down on the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, his head down, eyes closed. ‘I thought you were working.’

‘I am. I just need something from the car. I left some papers in there.’

I turn back to look at the picture on the wall; let a couple of beats pass before I turn to face Michael again. ‘How is work?’

He slowly raises his head, and I fix my eyes on his. I look right at him, wait for him to tell me about Cardiff, because he just forgot, right? He forgot to tell me he was going away.

‘Work’s fine. I just have a lot to catch up on, that’s all.’

‘Your students keeping you busy, are they?’

He narrows his eyes, that familiar, weary expression taking over his face. ‘Where is this going, Ellie?’

I leave another beat or two before I answer him. He’s defensive. That means I’ve touched a nerve. ‘It’s just a question, Michael.’

You won’t be able to keep her a secret for much longer, Michael. Your car was outside her house, you were in there, with her, I know you were. It’s only a matter of time now, before I find that cast-iron proof I need. It’s only a matter of time …

‘I need to go fetch those papers from the car.’

He’s shutting me down, as he does so often these days. He’s ending it, before I start asking more questions. Before I start pushing him, he’s putting a stop to it. And I’m too tired to fight it tonight. But I will fight it.

I want my life back.

I want Michael back.

I don’t want this …

It’s a busy day at the spa. We have a, thankfully very well-behaved, hen party spending the day with us today; there are also a couple of clients with birthdays and an anniversary treat, amongst many others. My new business has really taken off. The spa has appeared in lots of features in the local press and a regional news programme filmed a lovely piece on us for TV that went out a few nights ago, which has brought a lot of new business in. I’m happy, at work. It’s a necessary distraction.

I’ve been busy today making sure we have everything set up for a meeting tomorrow about expanding into the wedding venue side of things, but my staff seem to be doing an amazing job of keeping this place running. And I need that, because there are times when I can’t focus. When I’m somewhere else, not concentrating on work. When I’m wondering where my husband is.

I still have lunch most days in the Spanish restaurant, even though I’ve all but convinced myself Michael probably hasn’t been in there again. The tracker has never put him there, but I still go. Just to be sure. Just in case.

My phone signals an alert and I pull it from my pocket, look down at the screen. It’s a text, from Liam. He’s coming to the university this afternoon to set up another run of guest lectures, and he wants to see me. Do I want to see him ? Today?

I stop outside the pool room – a huge glass-walled extension we had built onto the back of the building that looks out over the grounds and gardens. It houses the swimming pool, two hot-tubs and a sauna. Most of the loungers that surround the large oval pool are occupied by guests this morning, decked out in white robes drinking mocktails and prosecco while they relax after treatments, looking forward to lunch. It’s a sight that makes me happy, seeing another venture slowly become a success; a reminder that, in spite of everything that’s happened, I haven’t let any of it affect my work.

I turn around and lean back against the glass as I call Liam back.

‘Hey.’

‘Can you get away?’ he asks, and for a second I just let the sound of his voice fill my head.

‘I don’t know. I’m busy today. Come and see me here, at the spa.’

‘You sound like you’re summoning me.’

Maybe I am. He’s going to come anyway. ‘I can’t leave here, Liam. If you want to see me …’

‘I’m on my way.’

I end the call, slide my phone back into my pocket, and I can’t keep the smile off my face. I like having sex with him, here, in my office. I think it’s the danger, I get off on it. I like that feeling of possibly being caught, even though I know we won’t be. But Liam isn’t putting us in danger. My distraction is harmless. Michael’s isn’t.

Michael. I haven’t checked his whereabouts for a while now, so I pull out my phone to see where he is. I check the tracker. He’s at work. Or he’s in his building, anyway. He’s at the university. But that means nothing. She

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