Tiff sighed as she watched the photos scrolling. ‘I don’t know. The whole thing is pretty messed up if you ask me. Either he’s acting with both of you, acting with one of you, or he actually loves you both. Whichever it is, he’s not worth another minute of your time. Keep remembering that when you met him, he was married. He introduced himself to you under a fake name and he slept with you that night. It could have ended there and you’d never have known he wasn’t really Scott Hastings, but he kept the lie going. Remember that all those texts and the occasional FaceTime conversation at very specific times weren’t from hotel rooms. They could have been from his bedroom in the home he shared with his wife while she was watching telly in the lounge. He was having sex with you and he was having sex with her. He has to have been. Twins don’t appear out of nowhere. I know you want answers, but you’re not going to get them, Jem. If he did respond to you, is there anything he could possibly say to make this messed up shit better? Of course there isn’t! Walk away knowing that you did nothing wrong but he set out to deceive both you and his wife from the outset. That’s not a person you want or need in your life.’

I closed my laptop and placed it on the coffee table with shaky hands.

‘I’m sorry.’ Tiff affectionately patted my leg. ‘I’m worried about you.’

‘I know.’ I couldn’t bring myself to look at her.

‘I don’t mean to lecture you.’

‘I know.’

‘Tell me about your mum, instead. How’s she doing?’

Tiff had upset me and I wanted to walk out the room, but I knew it was only because she cared. And she was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it. Truth hurts.