The Fallout
‘A fizzing, unputdownable, gripping read’ Sunday Times bestseller, Elizabeth Day ‘The perfect page-turner’ Sunday Times bestseller, Susan Lewis At the school gates, there’s no such thing as yesterday’s news... When Liza’s little boy has an accident at the local health club – a mother’s worst nightmare – it’s all anyone can talk about. Was nobody watching him? Where was his mother? Who’s to blame? The rumours, the finger-pointing, the whispers – they’re everywhere. And Liza’s best friend, Sarah, desperately needs it to stop. Because Sarah was there when it happened. It was all her fault. And if she’s caught out on the lie, everything will fall apart... ‘Secrets, lies, suspicion and betrayal: THE FALLOUT has it all – and then some’ T M Logan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Holiday
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THE FALLOUT
Rebecca Thornton
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
Copyright © Rebecca Thornton 2019
Jacket design by Claire Ward © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019
Jacket photograph © Johnny Ring (women on bench); Shutterstock.com (all other images)
Rebecca Thornton asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008373122
Ebook Edition © December 2019 ISBN: 9780008373146
Version: 2019-11-14
For Walter and Dom
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
Five Years Later
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
Liza
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
Gav
SARAH
LIZA
SARAH
LIZA
One Year Later
Acknowledgements
About the Author
About the Publisher
2 September 2014
WhatsApp group: NCT West London Ladies
Members: Victoria, Liza, Sarah, Miranda, Ella, Camilla
Victoria: Hi guys. We are absolutely delighted to announce that Otto Arthur Stuart-Brown was born yesterday to a very proud Mummy and Daddy. Hit the September baby mark. Phew! Weighed 6 pounds and 5 oz. We are totally in love. Oxytocin, ladies! It’s the stuff of dreams.
Camilla: Lovely news, Victoria. Elodie was born too, yesterday. Whopper at 9.9 oz.
Miranda: Ah congrats everyone. I’m still waiting for my little bundle to arrive.
Sarah: Me too
Liza: Me three
Victoria: Oh you ladies will be absolutely fine. Just remember. Breathe, let nature work its magic. Nothing to be worried about. And remember – they’re sensations. NOT contractions.
Liza: How was it? We’re all dying to hear.
Victoria: Good thanks! Bit tricky trying to type with one hand whilst I feed. Just enrolling him into schools!
Miranda: Oh god. Schools? Really? Do you think I’ve missed my chance already? Where did you put him down?
Victoria: @Miranda – I’ll ping you separately. Yes. I’d get on it. Got to do it now ladies, or you’ll miss the boat!
Ella: Typing …
WhatsApp group: Renegades
Members: Liza, Sarah
Liza: @Miranda, I’ll ping you separately – in our newly-named WhatsApp group. SMUG MUMS.
Sarah: Hahaha I know!
Liza: Shit I thought I sent that to the wrong group.
Sarah: I’m so tired I think I might die.
Liza: You’re tired now? Wait till you get this fucker out. THEN YOU’LL KNOW THE MEANING OF TIREDNESS. Joking.
Sarah: Oh god. Wtf is with that school thing btw? Is she for real?
Liza: Yup. She’s been banging on about it since the first step she took into our NCT class. Thank god you were there. And normal.
Sarah: I’d have to sell a kidney first. Not that they’d be worth much at the mo.
Liza: Me too.
Sarah: £6k a term or something for the one she’s been talking about. PS Ella keeps typing then dropping off.
Liza: Sure she’s fine. We would have heard by now if not. Think she’s just … not into socialising too much.
Sarah: *with us*
Liza: Yup.
Sarah: haha.
Liza: Coffee later?
Sarah: Mella’s? Half an hour?
Liza: See you there. I’m bringing plastic bags to sit on.
Sarah: Ping me if you hear anything from Ella before then? So weird she hasn’t been in touch. I’ve WhatsApped her separately but nothing – she’s read it though.
Liza: Yeah will let you know. Although she’d have pinged you before me anyway. She’s a bit of a mystery that one.
Sarah: She is indeed. Do you think we did anything to offend her? She’s posting on Facebook. Just seen pics of her and Christian from this morning!
Liza: Weird. Must be us then. Something someone said, or did. Like I said, Ella Bradby is a total mystery.
