THE GREAT BETRAYAL (36 page)

In truth I’ve been here since April of 1985.
Twenty-one years
.

The roar of the sea can be heard in the distance as I kneel by his gravestone, in the shadow of the previous night, and in all the coming morning’s glory.

In Loving Memory

Jeffrey Roy Phillips

April 14, 1959 - April 15, 1985

Closing my eyes, I listen to the sea. I can hear it, even above the rapid pounding of my heart.

He’s had this to comfort him all these years
.
This calm, comforting lull.
I’m listening to it now. Soaking it up.

Yes, now I see. He’s been the lucky one. He hasn’t had a care in the world. Nothing to cause him pain. No burdens or regrets to bear until the end of time.

My Lexus sits alone in the parking lot, filled with all the belongings it can hold. My chic clothing. Fine shoes. Treasured gifts. Those soothing and dependable possessions are all I’ve ever
really
had since he left.
They
have never abandoned me.
They
have never betrayed me.

All these years. All these wasted years. Since the spring of 1985, I’ve tried to do the impossible. I’ve tried to stay here with him.

Have you known all along
?
Are you able to see it from where you are
?
Did you know that we were one soul
?
That I died with you that day
?

But, of course, I know the answer. Of course, he’d always known. There have always been
two
people buried here.

The day you died, killed me, too
.

But then I think of my two daughters…
both
of my daughters. And of my husband…Luke.

Unable to think any longer, I decide to lie down beside the granite headstone; I meld into the grass and concrete. Letting the morning dew catch my tears. I try to empty the heavy emotions raging in my heart.

Putting my arms around the headstone, I hold on tight—and I cry myself out. I release all the loss, fear, anxiety, and desperation. The hopelessness and longing. I exhale, releasing it all until I am spent.

It is nearly an hour later before I can let go.

I’m finally letting you go, Jeff
. And now we can
both
rest in peace.

With a mother’s love rich in my heart, I stand up, dusting myself off. I leave one last kiss on the headstone before walking away.

I have a daughter to raise.

A CONVERSATION WITH

MILLENIA BLACK

Q: What was your inspiration for writing
The Great Betrayal
?

A: About ten years ago, an elderly coworker shared a touching personal story with me. It was about being blindsided by the devastating loss of her husband in the middle of the night. He’d awakened suddenly, complaining of chest pains. She drove him to the ER, they wheeled him away…and that was the last time she saw him alive. As she spoke, I felt her pain so acutely that it never really left me. Leslie Phillips was born.

Q: How long did it take you to write this novel?

A: It took about eight months. Considerably less time than my first novel,
The Great Pretender
, which took about two and a half years, stop and go!

Q: Did you always know how
The Great Betrayal
would end?

A: No. I had actually written a good 75 percent of the story with no clue about a resolution! I wasn’t worried, though. I knew it would come to me, because by then the characters were alive enough to show me where they were headed, good or bad.

Q: Have you started work on your next novel?

A: Yes! I love writing about flawed families! The next one is the story of a highly sought-after, world-renowned psychologist who becomes somewhat of a celebrity for her sheer genius. But while she’s enlightening the world, one troubled patient at a time, the very fabric of her own family is ripped to shreds by manipulation. For now, I’m calling it,
The Great Mastermind
. Stay tuned!

Q: Sounds terrific! Thank you so much for your time. Where can readers learn more?

A: For more information, readers may visit my Web site at
www.milleniablack.com
to join my announcement list. They may also request book club chats, enter the contests, read up on the “7 Smoke Signals Your Man Is Living a Double Life,” and more!

QUESTIONS FOR

DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the central characters—Leslie, Luke, Dawn, Grace, Kathryn. What are your thoughts on each of them? Which character did you identify with the most? What were their individual motivations? Discuss each person’s behaviors and judgments throughout the story.

2.
The Great Betrayal
opens with Leslie married to Jeffrey Phillips and pregnant with their first child. As they await their daughter’s arrival, they happily quibble about what her name will be, and anticipate a bright future together. Discuss the impact of Jeffrey’s sudden death on Leslie, short- and long-term. How did it also affect their beloved baby?

3. In your opinion, why did Leslie marry Luke Cavanaugh? In view of her state of mind, was the marriage doomed to failure from the very start? Or did Luke’s indiscretion seal its fate?

4. The prologue opens with the secret rendezvous of a nameless couple whose identity is not revealed until much later in the novel. Whom did you suspect before this mystery couple’s identity was revealed? Considering the nature of their association, what do you think motivated this affair and sustained it for such an extended period of time? What were the consequences?

5. Dawn becomes Leslie’s best (and only) friend. As the years pass, Leslie confides in Dawn more than anyone else. Discuss Dawn’s secret relationship with Luke. In your opinion, what drew these two together in this way?

6. Leslie and Dawn share a special bond in widowhood. Discuss the similarities and the differences in how each woman copes with the loss of her husband.

7. Still in Memphis, Beth and Billy decided to adopt Grace, and kept her true identity a secret—until she begins hearing the truth from strangers. Do you think they made a mistake? When Ingrid finally makes contact with Leslie, what effect does the truth initially have on Grace? Though loyal to her parents, Grace struggles with a need to communicate with Leslie. When do her feelings change, becoming bitter?

8. As Leslie begins reaching out to Grace, she simultaneously begins losing Kathryn. How is Kate affected by her mother’s past? And how does their relationship change once the past is revealed?

9. In your opinion, did Dawn wait too long to move on after Michael’s death? Do you feel the subsequent “relationship” she created with him was healthy?

10. Discuss Dawn’s relationship with the Cavanaughs. Had she grown too dependent on Leslie and Luke over the years? And what of her feelings for Lyle? Do you see their marriage being a successful one?

11. At the end of the story, Leslie visits Jeffrey’s grave. What does she do there? Was a visit such as this one long overdue? Do you think she decides to reconcile with her family? Why or why not? What do you see happening?

12. What scenes in
The Great Betrayal
stand out the most to you? Which is the most memorable? Why?