TO paraphrase Dickens, these past 12 months have been the best and worst of times for Kate Cassidy.
Last May, she was excitedly planning road trips with the love of her life, Liam Payne – and, crucially, talking marriage and babies. In short, she had never been happier.
Three months later, on October 16th 2024, her world imploded following his death, aged just 31. She has barely slept since, and her entire life has been upended as she battles grief in the public eye.
Now she has been left with nothing after Liam died without a will, meaning his £24mn fortune will go to his young son, Bear.
Legally, however, she still has a claim to some of his money – and under UK law, has six months in which to apply. More on this later.
In February, I sat down with shell-shocked, heartbroken Kate for her first ever interview.
Off camera, she told me they hadn't gotten secretly engaged.
But on camera – and indeed chatting off the record afterwards – tearful Kate made it clear she had mapped out her entire life with Liam.
Indeed, having met him shortly after graduating from college – our equivalent of university – she had forsaken her career to support Liam in his.
She was waitressing in Charleston when they met – still figuring out her longterm job plans – and gave that up to travel the globe with her boyfriend, kickstarting her influencing career.
She cooked and looked after Liam – and latterly their beloved rescue dog, Nala – whilst he payed her a reported allowance of around £20,000 a month.
It worked for them – and as Kate told me: "It's nobody's business except for me and Liam."
Now 26, Kate has effectively forfeited three years of her potential corporate life.
She told me: "Liam showed me this fairytale and the world, and I showed him this sense of normality in life.
'Nobody's business'
"So you know when people come and point a finger at me saying you took an allowance, at the end of the day it's nobody's business. I couldn't possibly have a 9 to 5 job, and I never asked him for money.
"At the end of the day the only two people that really know how strong it was, was us."
Kate has gone on to show love letters between the pair.
In one scribbled note, the One Direction star wrote: "Me and Kate to marry within a year and 2gether 4ever 444".
"444" was a reference to their "angel number" – a sign of stability and protection.
Kate has since had the number tattooed onto her hand, as well as Liam's initials.
Intriguingly, Liam's best pal and some-time manager Roger Nores has verified the notion the couple would have married.
He revealed that during that fatal Argentinian trip, Liam asked him to be best man. Tragically, he died just three days later. Roger never got to make his speech.
Of their plans, Kate told me: "We always spoke about our future together, marriage. You know, kids like down the line."
Such a hat-trick of "evidence" would, technically, be enough for a legal claim for Kate.
In rare cases in US law, a former partner may assert a claim if there was a legally binding agreement – a promissory note, such as the ones Liam penned, would count.
And under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act, she could claim "reasonable financial provision" from the estate if she claim she was financially dependant on him.
However, as things stand, Bear will inherit everything, with his ex wife Cheryl Tweedy safeguarding his fortune.
It was never about money for Kate
A close friend
Kate expressed her admiration for the Girls Aloud star before our interview started, saying the pair had spoken and that "Cheryl has been lovely".
Respectfully, she did not wish to discuss her in our interview, knowing the singer would not want to be discussed.
While some pals firmly believe she is entitled to Liam's money – having been cut off financially from the day that he died, and effectively evicted from her home – I'm told Kate is not contemplating any such move at this stage.
A close friend tells me: "It was never about money for Kate.
"She loved Liam through thick and thin, and she wouldn't have it any other than Bear being the main beneficiary from his father's will."
Instead poor Kate is left with nothing – nothing but love notes, photos, voice notes and precious, precious memories.
Alas, memories, as she will find out, won't pay the rent.
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