I stumbled back, my face burning. My hands trembled as I touched my skin, realising—Archie had just slapped me.
A stunned silence fell between us.
Archie exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "I can’t do this anymore," he murmured. "I won’t do this anymore. You always play the victim, Wendy. But maybe it’s time you realise—you were never the victim at all."
I stood frozen, tears blurring my vision.
But what truly shattered me—what drove the knife deeper into my chest—was what he did next.
He turned away.
Walked to Claire.
And as I watched, powerless, he reached out—stroking Zac’s head, his touch tender, affectionate.
A family.
Their family.
As if I had never even been part of his life at all.
After that argument, I decided to leave the house and head to the Harvest Café to meet Leon and discuss my divorce from Archie. He had promised to help me erase Wendy Clark’s identity for good.
A large envelope lay on the table in front of him.
"Here," he said, shoving it towards me. "Everything you need is inside."