Low lighting and heavy drapes held the evening at bay. Valerie Trent sat across from her new client, Anita Wallace, who was devoid of makeup, her hair chopped short, her shoulders hunched.
”Anita can you tell me why you are here?”
“My husband died six months and five days ago and I keep thinking I killed him”
”Did you?”
Her eyes filled with anguish. ” I don’t know, he tripped over my foot as I scrambled away from him and he went over the cliff to his death.”
”Do you want to tell me about your husband?”
“Dan didn’t want to share me with anyone else. We were happy together. Having Isobel and Luke close together changed things. His mother, who came every day to help care for them, complained about everything I did, then Dan joined in saying I was a useless wife.’
”What happened on the day of his death?”
Tears welled up. ”That morning Dan told me that we needed to talk alone, a walk by the coast. I wasn’t keen. I hate heights but I went. As we walked he told me he was divorcing me, was keeping my house and the children. I was incapable of being a wife and mother. His mother would bring them up correctly.”
Anita sobbed. Leaving her to let out all that emotion, Valerie watched as slowly she quietened down.
”Do you want to continue Anita?”
‘I don’t know what came over me. I shouted at him, telling him that no way was he having my family home or children, that I would fight him all the way through the courts. Glowering, he walked towards me, backing me towards the cliff edge, shouting that it would be better if I met with an accident. Then I dived to the side, scrambling away from the edge. He twisted round, his foot caught on my leg, and he stumbled over the edge and met his death. Honestly, I only wanted to get away.’
”It must have been traumatic for you. What happened after?”
‘His mother kicked up a fuss, telling police Dan was planning on divorcing me, which actually backed up my story. The case was closed but the guilt won’t go away I have driven myself demented returning time and again to see how I could do anything differently.”
Valerie stroked Anita’s hand looking compassionately into her eyes.
”You need to let it go. You will always have that doubt but deep down I think you know your husband caused the accident. You have your children ?”
Nodding, a slight smile crossed her face.
”Thank you. Is it OK for me to continue to come and see you?”
”My dear, I am a therapist. I will be here for you for as long as you need me. Now go home to your children, they are your future. Having taken the first step in coming to see me, you have begun your journey to recovery.”
