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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
‘Silent lies are more venomous than cruel truths’
— Ben Oliveira
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
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SARAH
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SARAH
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SARAH
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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