I remember it as if it were a foggy night in the old village of Whitby, when my sister, Ethel, leaned close and whispered, Write a statement to the constabulary and keep quiet, lest you draw any unwanted attention! Hell be brought in soon, and hell have to prove that your disappearance isnt his doing.
What if they arrest him? I asked, my voice trembling.
Then let him rattle his chains! Ethel snapped, her eyes flashing. He must pay for his betrayal!
Its a small comfort that we sent Peter to Sandhurst, I sighed, the weight of my words hanging heavy. Otherwise I would have never managed to leave
Listen, Harriet, Ethel declared, a fierce grin breaking through. If we hadnt plotted our revenge, youd still be stuck in a life you never chose!
Your husband, Arthur, was never a model of piety, and you saw that plain as day. Had he not thrown you out onto the street with empty pockets, he would have even stripped you of parental rights!
Do you really think hell go that far? I whispered, fear curling in my stomach.
Ethels confidence was ironclad. Hell do it, no doubt. Its only logical.
Why? I pressed.
Because it makes sense, she answered with a smirk. Hes already turned his back on you. Youre not number one in his life; youre merely a housewife with no trade or education. Hes already found a replacement, and soon a new lady will take your place as his foremost priority.
And thanks to Peters posting at Sandhurst, his new lover will never even glimpse his former life. He may still return on weekends, which will give you a chance to see your son, but if you lose any parental rights, you wont even cross his new loves path.
Its a tangled web, I muttered, shaking my head.
Nothing tangled, Ethel waved off, just plain logic. When we finally make him pay for his treachery, his last nerves will fray, and youll reclaim your tarnished honour, even demanding alimony or a share of his estate.
Im not after his property, I dropped my head. Its just it hurts. All those years and he
Dont lose heart, Ethel encouraged. Well exact vengeance and punish him, then sit on our laurels. For now, keep your head down. Theyll be looking for yousearch notices, flyers, the whole lot.
Ethels eyes widened as she spoke. A scandal! A uproar! If anyone recognises you in a shop or on the street, our plan will crumble like a house of cards.
I understand, I said, detached.
Ill go to him, give him a piece of my mind if he isnt already in the dock, Ethel promised.
Two weeks later she returned with news: Arthur had been released on bail, a promise not to leave the country. No body had been found, and no charge could be laid.
Im amazed at his composure, Ethel mused, swaying her head. I should pay him a visit, test his nerves.
Is that wise? I hesitated.
Better now, before his new paramour settles into your bed, she replied, assured.
When she came back, she recounted the encounter. I confronted him, asked where hed taken you. He denied everything. I told him Id expose his treachery to the police, that he had eliminated you to keep you from his new lady.
He turned pale, stammering that it would be best for both if I reappeared so we could sort out a divorce.
Thats all it is, I sighed bitterly. Hes merely found a substitute.
Enough of this whining! Ethel warned sharply. Well twist his mind until he drives his new lover away, remembering how much fun hes having now.
Will I ever return to him? Can things be as they once were? I asked, hope flickering.
If youve no pride left, dont even think of it, Ethel replied, shaking her head. Never forgive a traitor; destroy them. Were already pressing the authorities, extracting statements, verifying facts. Hes being shaken so hard you cant imagine. Hes paying with his nerves, that wretched betrayer!
Indeed, I answered, let him pay.
But you must stay put for now, Ethel warned.
For how long?
At least a month. In that time theyll drive him either to madness or a nervous breakdown.
After that, youll march in white, lay his sins bare, and hell be forced to hand over whatever he canproperty, maintenance, even rights to our son. Hell give everything just to leave us alone.
What does a woman do, locked in a flat with no exit? I thought, I reflected, I reasoned.
Arthurs infidelity struck like a thunderbolt, unforeseen. Yet, thank heavens for Ethel, who saved me from hysteria and devised this cunning plan of retribution.
Deep down, I wondered what had driven Arthur to stray.
***
When Arthur proposed marriage, I never hesitated. It mattered not that he hailed from a wealthy lineage; my love for him was complete.
Had he loved me any less, I might have become a mere plaything, a puppet in his hands.
Our union was dismissed as a show, our family called a project, a mere financial arrangementhim the benefactor, me the compliant wife.
But Arthur and I were happy, our son a bright, kind-hearted lad. Our loves altar was adorned with his parents wealth, my domestic skill, and bright prospectsall merely ornaments.
In the beginning, Peter dreamed of a military career and begged his parents to send him to Sandhurst. They warned him of hardships and homesickness, yet he persisted.
Raised on his own, a lad with character! Arthur laughed, nodding. A proud boy, hard to let go.
Yes, Arthur, I sighed. We raised him independent, clever, brave. I never expected hed grow up so fast. I thought hed stay my boy for six more years!
But a boys path is his own, and Arthur and I could only accept the reality.
One dreary afternoon a message arrived from an unknown number: You can ruin Arthurs life! Hes mine now! followed by a grainy, lewd video that barely showed his face, yet enough for me to spiral into hysteria.
My sister Ethel found me that night, drawn by the dim light.
The gods surely send us where were most needed, she murmured, trying to soothe me.
When I showed her the video, her fury ignited. She raged, calling it a sacrilege against family, demanding Arthur leave his wife, divorce, and never return. She warned that they would deny everything, blame me for lacking love, and paint me as the culprit.
What now? I asked, lost. Should I wait for Arthur, sue for divorce, or simply hope it passes?
Ethels resolve hardened. Youll go to my flat now. Ill create a scene as if a fight had erupted, then file a missingperson report. The police will suspect Arthur fled to avoid splitting assets, and theyll come after him.
Will they ever prove anything? I protested.
No, she said. But while they investigate, his nerves will be worn down to zero. Hell crumble at the mere mention of your name.
And whats the point? I could not grasp the scheme fully.
Afterward, hell be forced to settle fairlyno more hidden deals, no more leaving you penniless.
***
I spent two months holed up in Ethels flat, replaying every memory, weighing every motive.
Ethel kept writing to the Crown Prosecution Service, demanding the police search for me, claiming Arthur had vanished. She visited him daily, rattling his nerves.
How does he react? I asked.
Angry, yet helpless. Im his sister, after all, pressing him to look for you. If you didnt hide him, then find him, she replied.
Patience waned, and I finally dressed, applied makeup, and slipped the keys to our old house into my pocket, determined to set the record straight.
How long will you suffer? Ethel hissed. He abandoned you, your son, stole your jewellery, smashed your wedding photo. Hell never return!
Perhaps he was deceived, hypnotised, I muttered.
Enough of the excuses! she snapped. How long will you keep hunting her?
Ill find her, look her in the eye! Our love cannot simply vanish!
Arthur, if she truly wanted to come back, she would have already. She robbed you and fled.
Your pain is palpable, I whispered, feeling her presence beside me. Im not a stranger; I understand your hurt.
You deserve mercy, not vengeance, I heard Ethels voice in my mind.
When I entered the house, I announced loudly, Who are you now?
Ethel sprang to her feet. Im here! Arthur, send her out! No traitor belongs in our home!
Arthur shoved Ethel aside and lunged at me. The argument roared, voices raised, but the stolen jewels lay as hard evidence.
Theres no law against breaking a family, but theft is punishable, Arthur said as officers cuffed Ethel. Youll answer for everything.
May you choke on your own love! Ethel shouted.
True love cannot be extinguished, I said softly, it can only be eclipsed. After the eclipse, the sun returns, bright as ever. Youll never understand that.
Thus the tale of betrayal, stubborn resolve, and a sisters relentless plot lived on, a reminder that in our English countryside, justice may be slow, but it is never entirely beyond reach.
