The Other Woman (ePub)

Matthew's brother has been killed in a plane crash and Matthew is confronted with accepting, or rejecting, the management of the family company founded by his grandfather. It is a small specialist company with a handful of employees but they'll all lose their jobs and the firm will close if he doesn't take over. On an annual company outing, Kate one of the employees, talks to him about what is at stake and Matthew is encouraged to take on the task even though he knows nothing about operational processes or how the company functions. It means he needs to give up his present job of managing a trust in London, and leave friends and his girlfriend Celia, to move to the small community near the company. It also means a completely different kind of lifestyle. Celia doesn't understand his decision and doesn't want him to ignore his London activities; she doesn't want him to walk away from her. Eventually a weekend visit to his new home by Celia doesn't go well; she can't imagine being 'buried in the countryside'. Celia shows that she doesn't want to lose him but Matthew is perplexed and shocked when he notes that Celia always seems to bury any frustrations in excessive amounts of alcohol. When he realizes his feelings do not go deep enough and never have and that his life-aims have changed, he breaks with Celia during a phone call. With a bad conscious he dashes to her to explain personally but finds her drunk and unmanageable. He copes with the help of her friend and next day Matthew contacts Celia's father to suggest that he should arrange some therapy for Celia before it's too late. Matthew discovers he's become increasingly involved with local happenings and has never felt better. He only wishes he could persuade Kate to give him a chance. Kate doesn't know that he is free, and although she realizes she is in love with him, she decides she must reject any advances – there is Celia, and perhaps other women in his life in London; or so she thinks. All appears to be lost between them but that's when both mothers, of Kate and Matthew, join forces to devise a plan. Will their efforts for these star-crossed lovers pay-off?