The Other Woman's Club

‘I’m guessing you’ve heard about Louisa Barrett.’ Jane gave Annie a knowing look as she wheeled her shopping trolley alongside hers. 

‘Who?’ Annie knew who Jane was talking about; all the school gate gang were gossiping about her. 

‘Louisa Barrett. You know her. Bleached blonde hair halfway down her back. She lives three doors down from you, in the house with the pebbledash that needs a coat of paint.’

Jane pulled a box of sugar-rich breakfast cereal from a nearby shelf and threw it into her trolley. No wonder her two boys were always so hyperactive, thought Annie.

‘Oh yes, I know her. She has the little girl with the really dark hair and big blue eyes, Lilly. She’s in Barny’s class.’

‘Yes, poor little kid. Imagine your dad leaving home when you’re only six years old.’

Annie refused to encourage Jane, even though she was obviously desperate to tell all. Jane was an older mum, probably in her late 40s, and Annie respected how she managed to cope with twin boys of 8 while holding down a job as a freelance hairdresser, but she didn’t like the way she gossiped and got such pleasure from it. She often joined Annie at the supermarket on a Thursday when they’d dropped the kids off at school, and she usually had gossip to share. On this occasion, Annie wasn’t willing to play along. This gossip was too close to home.

‘Apparently, she is having an affair. Her husband came home early from work one day and caught her with Joe Middleton — the man who owns the DIY store on Brenton Close. Handsome if you like them a little rugged. Married himself with two young girls. I wonder how Louisa feels about breaking that family up as well as her own.’

‘I need some toiletries,’ said Annie. ‘Don’t wait for me, I need to browse. I’ll see you later at the school gates.’

Annie did a quick U-turn and headed down the aisle the way they had just come.

‘Annie? Everything okay?’ called Jane, but Annie kept going, almost clipping the side of an elderly couple’s trolley as she took a sharp right, heading for aisle 8 where the toiletries were, even though she didn’t actually need any.

She wondered if Jane knew her story, if that’s why she’d taken such pleasure in relating the gossip about Louisa to her. Seven years ago, Annie had been the centre of local gossip when she’d been the other woman. She’d been single at the time and not a parent with the school gates gang to contend with, but the gossip had still spread. She’d lived in a flat above the fishmongers in Benton Close. Dan the man she’d fallen for had lived next door with his wife. He'd been older than her by a good six years and done all the running, complimenting her every time they passed on the landing that connected their flats, gradually engaging her in conversation, then flirting. For a girl in her early twenties, living away from home for the first time, it had been quite overwhelming, especially as he was so handsome. But she still regretted letting anything happen. 

It hadn’t been more than a few stolen kisses, but Dan’s wife had seen them together in the local park and guessed something was going on. She’d confronted Annie and Annie had crumbled, admitting she had feelings for Dan, apologising profusely.

Dan had been furious with her, told her she needed to move so that he and his wife could make a go of patching things up. Annie had moved back in with her parents, who soon learnt of the reason for her sudden return and shown their disapproval.

As Annie pushed her trolley toward the checkouts, she relived the whole sorry experience, cringing inside at the memory and feeling sympathy for Louisa, who would be suffering the same judgment as she had all those years ago.

***

Louisa was waiting at the school gates, standing a little way from the other parents. As Annie approached, she took a deep breath, walked by Jane and her cohorts, and over to Louisa.

‘Hi Louisa, how are you?’

‘What?’ Louisa looked startled; her blue eyes had been miles away. ‘Oh hi Annie, I’m okay. Thanks for asking.’

‘I wondered if you fancied grabbing a coffee.’

‘Really?’ Louisa glanced towards the other parents, many of whom were staring in their direction.

‘Yeah, I think we might have a lot in common.’

‘Oh?’ Now Louisa looked surprised. ‘You and Oliver aren’t having problems, are you? That is your husband’s name, isn’t it?’

Annie smiled. “No, Oliver and I are fine, but I went through something similar to you a few years back, before Oliver and I were together. Seems like another life now, but hearing about your recent trouble brought it all back.’

Louisa released a humourless laugh. ‘I’m still the centre of gossip then.’

‘Oh, not really. Jane just mentioned…’

‘She’s an awful person,’ said Louisa.

Annie floundered for an appropriate response.

Louisa saved her from having to find one. ‘Coffee sounds good.’

‘Great. Are you free now? You can come back to mine. The kids can play in Barny’s room.’ Barny would probably be appalled at the idea of having to play with a girl from his class for an hour.

Louisa signed. ‘Well, I don’t have anything to rush home for, so yes, that would be great.’

***

At first, they’d just made small talk, sitting on stools at the kitchen island. Maybe they’d been waiting to hear the sounds of contented playing coming from Barney’s bedroom before getting down to the nitty-gritty.

‘So, I guess I should tell you my sorry story,’ said Annie, having drained the last of her coffee from the cup.

‘Sure,’ said Louisa. ‘Shall I pour myself another one?’

‘Oh, let me!’ Annie reached for the cafetière and filled Louisa’s cup. ‘I may take a while.’

Annie recounted her tale of being the other woman, sparing no details as she wanted Louisa to know she had no judgment of her situation. As she finished, she released a long sigh. ‘So you see, I know how it feels. Dan was my version of Joe Middleton.’

A frigid silence followed.

‘Louisa?’

Louisa pushed her coffee cup away from her and stood. ‘So, that’s what the gossips are saying, is it, that I was the one having the affair with a married man? I knew Jane would be spreading malicious lies. She’s always hated me. Just because her husband and I had a chat one morning when he was dropping their boys off. Unlike Jane, I am capable of having an innocent conversation and I’m also capable of have an innocent friendship with a man.’

‘Louisa I didn’t mean…’

‘For the record, yes, Joe Middleton does come to my house quite a bit, and so does his wife. We’ve all been friends since school. Trust Jane to read something scandalous into something completely normal. Joe’s wife is fine with him visiting me without her always being there, because she knows it’s possible for men and women to just be friends! Unlike Jane…and you!’

Louisa stormed from the kitchen, with Annie in close pursuit. ‘Louisa, please…’

Louisa stopped by the front door and turned back. ‘It was Jack, my husband who had the affair. He cheated on me with a colleague of his, a younger woman — a bit like you when you tried to steal Dan away from his poor wife. So, I won’t be joining your little The Other Woman Club, Annie because unlike you I don’t actually agree with breaking up families for the sake of a bit of fun.’

‘It really wasn’t like that,’ protested Annie, but Louisa was already opening the front door and calling to her daughter who came trundling downstairs like an obedient puppy.

Louisa slammed the front door behind her, leaving Annie in stunned silence and feeling dizzy.

***

“Morning, Annie!’ Jane was grinning cheerily, surrounded by her usual coven.

Annie kissed Barney goodbye and waited until he was out of earshot.

‘Everything alright?’ asked Jane.

Annie let rip. ‘No, actually. Thanks to you and your malicious lies I made a complete idiot of myself yesterday. I told Louisa I understood how it felt to be gossiped about as the other woman. But she isn’t the other woman, is she, Jane? It was her husband who had the affair, not her. She’s just friends with Joe Middleton, which I’m sure you know. But a woman having an innocent friendship with a man doesn’t give you anything to feed your gossip-hungry friends with does it!’

Jane sucked in her cheeks and fixed Annie with a terrifying stare. ‘If Louisa is so special, then why don’t you hang out with her from now on? We only chatted to you because we felt sorry for you. You always looked so sad and pathetic, like you had something to feel guilty about. And from what you just said, you did. So, you were the other woman, were you?’

Jane’s gang began to smirk and giggle.

Annie managed to hold back the tears until she had turned the corner into the next road.

***

Annie had been dreading picking Barny up from school. In less than two days she’d managed to turn everyone against her. She kept her head down as she approached the gates, avoiding eye contact with the other parents.

‘Here she is, the other woman.’ 

Annie looked up to see Jane sneering at her, safely surrounded by her usual gang. It was like being back at junior school. Did waiting at the school gates do something to people to make them regress into spiteful school bullies?

“That was all a long time ago,’ said Annie.

Jane took a step towards her. ‘Oh, I know all about it now. The wife of the man you tried to steal still lives round here. You’ll be interested to know he left her for another woman about two years after he dumped you.’

Annie opened her mouth to retaliate, but suddenly felt all the fight drain from her. Tears welled in her eyes. She couldn’t let Barny see her upset.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. ‘Annie, nice to see you.’ 

Jane looked taken aback as Louisa pulled Annie gently away.

Annie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘Louisa, I’m so sorry for what I said…’

Louisa smiled. ‘Forget about it. You were trying to be kind. I’ve had time to think about it now. You were willing to be there for me despite thinking I’d broken up a marriage, and knowing what that bunch of pariahs would feel about you taking my side. I’d say that makes you pretty special.’

Annie laughed as she wiped away the final tears. ‘Thank you.’

‘Mummy!’ Barny came running across the playground with Louisa’s daughter Lilly close behind.

‘Looks like these two want another play date,’ said Louisa. ‘How about we give having coffee another try?’