Aftermath Read online

  Was it possible that by having two loving women in his life that he was ironically making life better for everyone? Both Kerry and Hope admitted that their relationship with their husband was very happy. Maybe the negatives of one relationship were alleviated by the positives of the other relationship.

  Chapter 14

  Hope was lying on the couch, listening to the CD of ocean waves that her mother had given her. It was supposed to relax her so Hope had decided to give it a try. She knew it was important that she make an effort to remain as calm and relaxed as possible for her own sake as well her baby’s. Unfortunately, it wasn’t proving to be an easy task. Her mind constantly raced which she knew wasn’t good for her blood pressure. She couldn’t help it. She tormented herself over and over again with her husband’s heartfelt words of how much he longed for a family of his own. How could he have faked such a thing? She remembered his face and the years of hurt that still lurked behind his eyes.

  Maybe there really was nothing left between her husband and the other woman. Maybe he’d planned on leaving Kerry and divorcing her but he hadn’t wanted to hurt her. She replayed the many different scenarios in her mind, trying to find an explanation for what he’d done.

  The phone rang, shaking her from her reverie.

  “Yes,” she answered wearily.

  “Hi Hope, I’m sorry for disturbing you.” It was Isabel Murray.

  “Don’t worry. I wasn’t doing much anyway. What is it?” she asked, noticing the slight edge to the other woman’s voice.

  “We need to talk,” Isabel continued. “Could you come to the station as soon as possible please? I’ve asked Kerry to come too.”

  Kerry Darcy walked as fast as she could along the busy streets which were thronged with weekend shoppers. She hadn’t wanted to park at the police station, preferring instead to park in town and walk the short distance to the station. The walk would give her time to clear her head. What could the police woman possibly want to talk to her about so soon after their last meeting? Why was Hope going to be there too? What was the reason for the mystery? Isabel had refused to tell her on the phone, insisting that she come into the station as soon as possible. Kerry was intrigued and nervous.

  There was a loved-up couple strolling in front of her, holding hands and completely wrapped up in each other. Conor and I were like that once too, she thought miserably. Nobody else mattered when we were together. It had been a long time since they’d been to the city centre. Over the past few years Conor had been more insistent that they socialise outside the city. Now she knew why; he obviously hadn’t wanted to run the risk of bumping into his other wife or their friends. They’d existed in their own little bubble for years and Kerry had never realised how limited their social circle was.

  She walked as fast as she could along the busy street and made her way to the waiting room, wondering if Hope would already be there, but there was no sign of her yet. Thank God, Kerry was relieved. She wasn’t in the mood for another one on one confrontation with the other woman.

  “Hi Kerry, thanks for coming in on such short notice,” Isabel suddenly appeared in the waiting room. Hope was right behind her.

  “Hi,” Kerry said shortly, acknowledging her and taking in her ever-expanding bump. Seeing her and knowing that she was pregnant with her husband’s baby hurt her to the very core. She bit her lip and made a valiant effort not to break down and cry.

  “Hi,” Hope responded tightly.

  They both looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.

  “Take a seat,” Isabel gestured at the chair beside Kerry.

  “I’d rather stand, thank you,” Hope replied curtly.

  “Why did you call us to come in so urgently?” Kerry asked, wanting to get the meeting over and done with.

  Isabel looked from one to the other and paused for a moment, as if she was trying to find the right words. She took a deep breath before replying. “We’ve found him. We’ve found your husband.”

  ###

  Books by Joanne Clancy

  Redemption, the third book in The Secrets & Lies Trilogy, will be available before Christmas.

  Secrets and Lies

  The first book in The Secrets and Lies Trilogy

  By Joanne Clancy

  Synopsis:

  Kerry Darcy has loved Conor, her childhood sweetheart, for more than twenty years. They’ve built their dream home together, raised a happy family and are still madly in love.

  Hope Kennedy seems to have it all; a fabulous job, a luxurious apartment and best of all she’s married to her soulmate, Niall.

  Two very different women, two perfect husbands; but what happens when their lives horribly collide?

  The terrible force of chaos ensues; a force that takes its fateful hold on time and place. It ruptures the present, warps the future, replacing order with confusion, confidence with trepidation and control with powerlessness. Lives are ended for some, changed forever for others and a most significant chain of events is about to unfold with catastrophic results.

  The Wedding Day

  By Joanne Clancy

  Sometimes, getting lost is the best way to find yourself.

  Nicole Baxter thinks she has the perfect life all mapped out. She is steadily climbing the corporate ladder as an intrepid journalist and she's about to marry the love of her life, Dr. Paul Schofield. Everything is working out exactly as she planned. Life can't get any better.

  Nicole's carefully planned life is unceremoniously turned upside down when she gets jilted at the altar by the so-called love of her life.

  She must learn to live and love all over again and decides to open her heart and mind to new people and possibilities.

  She begins to realise that life is about finding her passion and with the help of her sister and some new friends she sees that getting lost was the best way to find herself.

  Reviews for The Wedding Day:

  This is a magical book, compressed into a magical area of Ireland, and set in one of my favourite cities, Cork, in the deep south west of that magical country.

  It spans the emotional lives of two people and their families and friends, and starts with an emotional disaster and ends with reconciliation and love. Using a deliberately small palette, Joanne Clancy has delineated a story which can go round the world, with implications and connections to anywhere in the world.

  So if you are fascinated by the myriad strands of human emotion, love and despair, hatred and disappointment, turning back to human warmth, buy this book. ~ John Walker, Amazon

  I really loved this book. The setting and characters were great. The story line was perfect. First time I read this author and will read her other books. Pick this book up today. ~ Arod, Amazon

  Unfaithfully Yours

  By Joanne Clancy

  Four scorned women, one adulterous man and the price he has to pay for their revenge. "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned/ Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." By William Congreve in The Mourning Bride of 1697.

  Shona Morgan is in love with a married man. She finally realises that her married lover, Mark McNamara, is never going to leave his wife for her. Heartbroken, she resolves to break up with him and try to move on with her life.

  Jackie Fitzpatrick seems to have it all; a loving husband and two beautiful children. However, she can’t escape the sneaking feeling that there’s more to life and embarks on an illicit affair, but at what cost?

  Penelope Garrett has had enough of being treated badly by the men in her life and is determined to seek revenge when her latest boyfriend lets her down.

  Rebecca McNamara thinks she has the perfect marriage but when she discovers her husband’s dark secrets her idyllic life comes crashing down around her.

  Four scorned women, one adulterous man and the price he has to pay for their revenge. Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.

  Reviews for Unfaithfully Yours:

  I loved this book, I can't say it e
nough! The whole book is well written and has you entwined from the beginning. The lives of all these women are so different, but one man brings them together. Then they get sweet revenge, and Mark never saw it coming! While Rebecca, Shona, and Penelope form a bond through the rough times. The one question I'm left with is does Colm ever find out about the affair? Another book maybe??

  The perfect ratio of love, sex and storyline, I highly recommend this book. ~ Katy, Amazon

  I love discovering authors that are new to me and then thoroughly relishing their books and this one is no exception. First off the bat, I related whole heartily to the strong women and the way they handled the sorry affair (pun intended). Good twist by the way as I didn't see that one coming but I won't spoil it and reveal which of those involved I mean, seeing as you'll have to read it to find out. It was set in Dublin which is one of my favorite places on earth and being half-Irish, well, I have family members who live there and they are just as feisty and full of life and learning as the ladies in this story. It all worked for me, from the beginning to the end and I left the novel with a satisfied nod and what more can you ask from a book? I will be reading more from Joanne Clancy in the future that's for sure. ~ Maureen Reil, Amazon

  Unforgettable Embrace

  By Joanne Clancy

  Unforgettable Embrace is a story of a woman’s journey in self-discovery with many unexpected and often hilarious encounters along the way.

  Rachel’s life has become a boring and monotonous routine. Life is just not what she expected it to be, so she decides to make some drastic but exciting changes.

  A significant event occurs during a friend’s hen weekend, the seriousness of which won’t be unveiled until later.

  Tense moments arise that are suddenly and brutally made to look miniscule compared to the serious events, that unknown to Rachel, have already taken place, in which she is unwittingly but dangerously involved.

  Reviews for Unforgettable Embrace:

  I was actually saving this for a business trip that started with a 559 am flight, but I finished packing the Sunday before and decided to start reading early. The story is thoroughly enjoyable to this point, as I had no preconceptions on what to expect. My daughter was napping and the hubby was at the movies so I've demolished 110 pages in less than two hours. :)

  Polished it off on my flight and started the next book (Unfaithfully Yours). I encourage anyone to pick this up and read it, lazy weekend, beach/pool side read, rainy day, two & half hour flight... just read it!

  There were times I applauded Rachel's attitude and drive to do something completely out of her comfort zone. There were other times I wanted her sister to smack some sense into the pea-brain I felt she had! (my sister would have been black & blue - if I had one).

  The ending was something I did not see coming - but I didn't read the synopsis before I started the book, so I really enjoyed it.

  Thank you for a fantastic read! ~ Woot, Amazon

  This is the perfect book for a lazy Sunday-I read it on Mother’s Day. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it.

  Unforgettable Embrace by Joanne Clancy is the story of Rachel, a 30-ish Cork woman who doesn't lie around weeping when she breaks off her 14-year relationship with her childhood sweetheart; instead she takes a year off her life, to travel around Ireland to find herself.

  I felt that I could hear the Irish brogue throughout the book, and I loved that. Being of Irish descent, I enjoyed the different manner of speaking and could appreciate the landscape of Ireland.

  There is quite a bit happening in this piece, from Rachel's breakup to her road trip to finding new love to happiness to unexpected danger at the last minute. I won't give away the details, since everyone deserves a chance to read for themselves. Just know that it's twisty and curvy--just like life.

  If you love intense description, this is definitely the book for you. This was a very enjoyable read. I definitely recommend! ~ Coccotoro, Amazon

  My Love

  By Joanne Clancy

  Is there such a thing as love at first sight? Can love be measured?

  My Love by Joanne Clancy is a collection of essays about life, love and dating.

  The book discusses different definitions of love, from coming to terms with the reality of love to the importance of giving and generosity and thoughts on the death of a loved one.

  The book has ideas on how to woo a woman and how to make a man fall in love. The importance of humour in a dating relationship and how to work on a happy balance while dating is also discussed.

  There is a section on first date tips and internet dating.

  The last part of the book deals with how to realise when a relationship is over and when it is time to move on with your life. There are some helpful tips on how to start over and how to prepare for dating by dating yourself.

  My Love is a beautiful collection of love and life experiences.

  Reviews for My Love:

  It was amazing. I wasn't sure what I was expecting going into this book since it's called "My Love". I thought it would be about mushy love stories I think originally. It's not at all. I hate to say it is a book for women, but I feel most of my female friends would enjoy reading this book. It was insightful and inspiring at times. The beginning was a good lead into what the book would be about and helps set the tone for the book. I sat down and read this book on breaks and lunches at work and when I got home I sat down and finished it. I got a few pointers to take away from this book about myself, and I can honestly say I am taking some of this stuff to heart and going to try to apply it to my life.

  I am looking forward to eventually reading more of Joanne's work and hopefully that will be soon. ~ Ashley, Amazon

  About the Author

  Joanne Clancy is a writer from County Cork, Ireland. She is an avid reader, a self-confessed Kindle addict and a tea fiend!

  Joanne is the author of The Wedding Day, Unfaithfully Yours, Unforgettable Embrace, My Love and the Secrets & Lies trilogy.

  She is currently working on Redemption, the third book in the Secrets & Lies Trilogy, which will be released in September 2012.

  You can purchase Joanne Clancy's books on Amazon, read about Joanne on her website or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/joanneclancy

  Website: http://www.joanneclancy.com

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoanneC_2009

  Facebook: http://facebook.com/joanneclancyauthor

  Table of Contents

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