The Marriage Betrayal

A totally gripping and heart-stopping psychological thriller full of twists

Shalini Boland

Books by Shalini Boland

The Couple Upstairs

My Little Girl

The Wife

One of Us Is Lying

The Other Daughter

The Marriage Betrayal

The Girl from the Sea

The Best Friend

The Perfect Family

The Silent Sister

The Millionaire’s Wife

The Child Next Door

The Secret Mother

Available in Audio

The Secret Mother (available in the UK and US)

The Child Next Door (available in the UK and US)

The Silent Sister (available in the UK and US)

The Perfect Family (available in the UK and US)

The Marriage Betrayal (available in the UK and US)

The Other Daughter (available in the UK and US)

One of Us Is Lying (available in the UK and US)

The Wife (available in the UK and US)

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Epilogue

The Secret Mother

Hear more from Shalini

Books by Shalini Boland

A Letter from Shalini

The Couple Upstairs

My Little Girl

The Wife

One of Us Is Lying

The Other Daughter

The Marriage Betrayal

The Girl from the Sea

The Best Friend

The Millionaire’s Wife

The Child Next Door

The Silent Sister

Acknowledgements

*

For Natasha Harding, an editor in a million

Prologue

She picks her way up the steep path as watery moonlight splashes down between the trees. Echoing strains of music and laughter floating up on the warm night air. The whispered hush and sigh of the waves in tune with her disappointment. She wishes she’d had more courage this evening. Why hadn’t she been brave enough to speak to him? All that build-up to tonight… for nothing.

Her long strides turn into angry stomps. She’ll be fifteen next week; she’s not a child any more. So why does she feel so hopelessly young? So pathetically immature? The path narrows, and she ducks to avoid an overhanging branch. Blinks back frustrated tears and pushes her hair out of her eyes. She takes a breath, the familiar scent of sea salt and pine needles going some way to dampen her annoyance with herself.

A snapping twig makes her stop and cock her head to the side. She knows it’s probably just a wild animal out hunting. Nevertheless, her breath hitches and her heart pumps a little harder. She’s watched all the scary movies with her friends. She’s seen the vampires and the zombies and the evil spirits that suck out teenage girls’ souls. But it’s the dark human characters who scare her the most. The ones who really do exist.

Still frozen in place, she wills herself to move once more. Lengthens her strides and quickens her pace. Not quite running. But almost.

Another cracking twig, a shuffle from behind. Sweat prickles on her back. Thoughts of soft lips and missed opportunities are pushed from her mind. Now, all she wants to do is reach the top of the cliff and race along the road. To get home and slam the door closed behind her. For her mum and dad to be angry that she’s late back. For them to be furious that she walked home alone. For her to reassure them that she’s fine. To roll her eyes and say, It’s okay, nothing happened.

But now there’s no mistaking the footsteps coming up the cliff path behind her. She reaches the stone steps and takes them two at a time, her wedge heels making a dull scrape and thud. The panic wanting to tear itself from her lips. She’s only halfway up, and she won’t be able to outrun whoever it is – not in these shoes. But there’s no time to undo the straps and take them off.

Whoever it is, they’re getting closer. She daren’t turn around.

She times her next step wrong.

She trips.

Falls.

A hand reaches out to clasp her bare ankle.

She screams into the darkness.