Simi searched Jemima’s face, her eyes clouded in bewilderment. Jemima tried to hold her gaze hoping somehow Simi would see the good in her as she always did and not the betrayal.

‘No, Meag. This must be a mistake. Jem?’ Simi whimpered. ‘Or a coincidence? Writers absorb stuff all the time, don’t they? That’s what Shaheena said at the party. I mean, how do you know for sure, Meag?’

Sweet Simi, thought Jemima. She so wanted it to be ‘them against the world’, when the truth was, the enemy had been among them all along. Jemima’s head bowed in shame as Meagan clacked towards her.

‘How do I know?’ said Meagan, hovering, ‘“Package like a clenched fist.”’

Jemima’s stomach lurched. Todd. How could she have overlooked the fact that Todd worked in marketing and might read the book – and recognise that description. She felt herself go light-headed. She’d been so preoccupied with not letting it slip to Meagan and Simi, she’d forgotten to keep her book out of Todd’s hands, too.

‘I don’t understand,’ said Simi, her voice shaking.

Meagan lowered herself into a seat and placed her crutch across her lap.

‘Sit, Simi. It’s my turn to tell a story. Remember when Jemima was whining about how her editor wanted her to sort out Beverly, her frigid flop? Well, she did it by using us, our experiences, our lives, to give her a backstory,’ said Meagan jabbing her fingers into her own chest.

Jemima stared at the floor as Simi listened, horrified.

‘Ever wonder why Jemima always asked questions about our love lives but brushed us off when we asked about hers? I told you she was up to something,’ Meagan said, spitting the words out.

‘How did you find out?’ Simi asked.

‘Ah, ha,’ said Meagan waving a triumphant finger like a TV detective revealing the killer’s fateful error. ‘Jemima did a good job of getting everyone to keep schtum but she forgot one person: Todd. He doesn’t normally read all the new novels but this time he did. So he’s reading away and he says, there’s this character called Rodd who had a—’

‘Package like a clenched fist,’ finished Simi.

Jemima’s entire body collapsed as she realised how foolish she’d been to think that keeping Shaheena quiet and the girls away from Eve was all it would take to stop them finding out.

‘By the way, sweetheart that he is, Todd said he’s okay to be in your book,’ said Meagan smiling archly. ‘I, however, am gonna sue you inside out. You’re gonna be like a chew toy in a dog shelter when I’ve finished with you.’

Meagan eased herself off the sofa and went to stand.

‘Hold on, Meagan. Shouldn’t we let Jemima explain? If she’s only put in details about Todd and he’s fine, that’s okay, isn’t it?’ said Simi.

Jemima stared into the middle distance as Meagan laughed.

‘Darling, Todd isn’t the half of it. She makes Troy look like the archangel Gabriel. She put in stuff about my mum and dad, about Parker, you and Oscar, oh and a lovely little backstory about that time Beverly stalked a guy in college. She didn’t even change his damn name!’