Cruel to Be Kind: Part 3 of 3: Saying no can save a child’s life

Cruel to Be Kind: Part 3 of 3: Saying no can save a child’s life
Cathy Glass

Cruel To Be Kind is the true story of Max, aged 6. He is fostered by Cathy while his mother is in hospital with complications from type 2 diabetes.Cruel To Be Kind is the true story of Max, aged 6. He is fostered by Cathy while his mother is in hospital with complications from type 2 diabetes. Fostering Max gets off to a bad start when his mother, Caz, complains and threatens Cathy even before Max has moved in. Cathy and her family are shocked when they first meet Max. But his social worker isn’t the only one in denial; his whole family are too.

(#u42fb88e4-c748-5719-a4ed-e9bdbe1aaea2)

Copyright (#u42fb88e4-c748-5719-a4ed-e9bdbe1aaea2)

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.

HarperElement

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published by HarperElement 2017

FIRST EDITION

© Cathy Glass 2017

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017

Cover photograph © Iwona Podlasińska/Arcangel Images (boy, posed by a model)

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Find out about HarperCollins and the environment at

www.harpercollins.co.uk/green (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/green)

Source ISBN: 9780008252007

Ebook Edition © September 2017 ISBN: 9780008252069

Version: 2017-10-10

Contents

Cover (#u0696fe1b-63a7-5d48-b592-099e3a810941)

Title Page (#ufabe1179-bd71-5001-88b1-52900346a9b4)

Copyright (#u6311c7eb-80e4-5e2c-ba5a-08b8fd20bd84)

Chapter Seventeen: Abused Child (#u939f3a86-9e71-569a-8664-8ac8729055fd)

Chapter Eighteen: Reporting Concerns (#u5957b729-de2f-509c-a388-1e637b82c7b9)

Chapter Nineteen: When Will I See Mummy Again? (#u7340fda0-58ca-5c7f-8b11-28c723e91abd)

Chapter Twenty: Comfort Eating (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-One: Unexpected Turn of Events (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Sea Otters Hold Hands (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Three: Very Poorly (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Tell Max I Love Him (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Bittersweet (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Tragedy (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Cruel to be Kind (#litres_trial_promo)

Suggested topics for reading-group discussion (#litres_trial_promo)

Exclusive sample chapter … (#litres_trial_promo)

Cathy Glass (#litres_trial_promo)

If you loved this book … (#litres_trial_promo)

Moving Memoirs eNewsletter (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen

Abused Child (#u42fb88e4-c748-5719-a4ed-e9bdbe1aaea2)

Their front door was opened unusually by Caz. Leaning heavily on her crutches, her mobility apparently no better than the last time I’d seen her, she was clearly in a lot of discomfort. ‘Hi, Mum,’ Max said, offering up the box of fruit.

‘Put them in the kitchen, will you?’ she said. ‘I haven’t got any hands free.’

‘How are you?’ I asked. Max disappeared into the darkness of the hall.

‘Not good,’ Caz said, grimacing.