Chapter 3 The broken heel

Victoria read Lena’s message until the words blurred. He says it’s over. She checked the clock. 4:12 p.m. The hotel was a twenty-minute drive away. Lena had left less than five minutes ago. Victoria grabbed her coat and ran. She didn’t stop to change her shoes or wipe the coffee stain from her blouse. She snatched her car keys from the hall table, missed them, and sent them skittering across the floor. On the second try, her fingers closed around them. Outside, rain had slicked the pavement. Victoria hurried to her car, slid behind the wheel, and fumbled the key into the ignition. Her hand shook so badly she missed the slot twice. “Come on.” The engine caught. She pulled away from the kerb and cut around a delivery van, earning a furious blast of its horn. She barely heard it over her pounding heart. She wasn’t going to let Lena reach Daniel. She wasn’t going to watch that kiss happen again. The hotel stood on a busy street beside a café with a red awning. Victoria turned sharply into a space across from it and braked hard. The seat belt dug into her shoulder. She spotted Lena through the café window. Lena sat at a small table near the front, phone in hand, one untouched coffee beside her. Her cream coat hung over the chair. Victoria’s stomach tightened. She got out and crossed the pavement, weaving around pedestrians. Through the glass, Lena glanced up and caught sight of her. Her expression shifted from surprise to alarm. Victoria pushed into the café. Lena stood. “What are you doing here?” “Stopping you.” “From what?” “Going to meet Daniel.” Lena’s face went pale, then angry. “You can’t just follow me.” “I didn’t follow you. I know where you’re going.” “How?” Victoria hesitated. The truth pressed against her teeth: Because I watched you kiss him tomorrow. She swallowed it back. “Does it matter?” “Yes.” Lena grabbed her coat and phone. “You’re frightening me.” “Good. Maybe you’ll listen.” A couple at the next table stopped talking. Victoria lowered her voice, but she couldn’t lower the fury burning through her. “Don’t go to that hotel.” “I have to talk to him.” “You can talk to him somewhere else.” “He said he’s ending it.” “He told me he’s leaving me.” Lena flinched. Victoria’s throat tightened. She hated the way Lena’s reaction confirmed it. She hated that part of her still wanted Lena to deny everything, to say there had been a mistake. “Then why are you meeting him?” Victoria demanded. “Because I want to hear it from him.” “You’ve heard enough.” “No, I haven’t.” Lena snatched her coat from the chair. “Move.” Victoria stepped in front of her. Lena tried to pass; Victoria caught her sleeve. “Let go.” “Not until you promise you’re not going.” Lena jerked her arm free. “You don’t own me.” “I know. But he’s my husband.” “Then ask him why he’s doing this. Don’t punish me for answering his call.” Victoria’s hand curled into a fist. She forced it open. “He’ll say whatever he needs to keep you there.” “You don’t know that.” “I do.” Lena gave her a long, hurt look. “You’ve never looked at me like I’m something you need to stop.” Victoria couldn’t answer. She could see the hotel room so clearly: the lamplight, Daniel’s hand in Lena’s hair, Lena leaning into him. The image crowded out everything else. Lena shoved past her. Victoria followed, shoulder clipping a chair. It scraped loudly across the floor. Someone muttered, “Careful.” Outside, Lena headed for the hotel. Her heels clicked against the wet paving stones. Victoria hurried after her. “Lena!” “Stop!” “I’m trying to protect you.” “From what? The fact that your husband wants me?” Victoria grabbed at her coat. Lena twisted away. The movement knocked one of Lena’s heels against the raised edge of the kerb. It bent awkwardly. Lena staggered but stayed upright, catching herself on a parking sign. Victoria reached for her. “Wait—” “Don’t touch me!” Lena yanked her foot free. The heel snapped with a sharp crack. For a heartbeat, neither woman moved. Lena stared down at the broken shoe. “You did that.” “I didn’t—” “You grabbed me!” “I was trying to stop you!” Lena’s face crumpled with anger. She kicked the broken heel off and flung it onto the pavement. “You’re unbelievable.” “Lena, don’t walk in the road.” But Lena was already moving, one shoe on and one stockinged foot exposed. She limped past Victoria, eyes bright with tears. A bus rumbled along the street, spraying water into the gutter. Victoria caught Lena’s elbow. Lena spun and shoved her hard in the chest. “Get away from me!” Victoria stumbled backward, hit the café window with her shoulder, and gasped. Pain shot down her arm. Lena turned away again. Her bare stocking dragged along the slick kerb. She looked over her shoulder, still furious, and stepped off the pavement. A car horn blared. Victoria’s breath caught. “Lena!” Lena twisted towards the sound. Her heel slid on the wet road. She fell hard, hands striking the asphalt. The bus driver leaned on the horn. The vehicle swerved, its front wheels jerking towards Lena. Victoria lunged off the pavement. The bus’s tyres screamed against the road. Its headlamps flooded the street, turning Lena’s pale face white with terror. Victoria stretched for her hand. Lena reached back. The bus kept coming.