‘First and foremost,’ she says, ‘this film is going to matter to women. It’s a call to women everywhere to stand up for justice. How much would it suck if, of all things, gossip about a man derailed that? I don’t think any of us should feel good about letting go of a film like Medea over something like that. How does doing another superhero film shift the conversation? Really? So that’s the first thing. Secondly, tell her that Sharon’s nobody’s fool and nobody’s little woman either and she’s still on the film. Emilia can sit behind that if she needs to. She’s not going to throw a great female director under the bus over an unproven rumour. That wouldn’t be very sisterly now, would it?’

‘Sharon’s definitely still on it?’

‘One hundred per cent.’

‘OK, that’s good. Because if Sharon bails then Emilia will too. You get that, right?’

‘Yes, I get that.’

‘OK, that’s solid. And can I tell Emilia that you’re looking at ways to potentially remove the project from Matthew and Kingfisher?’

She pauses. ‘We can try to position it like it was never really one of his things in the first place, but I’m not taking the film away.’

‘All right. So you’re going down if he goes down, huh?’

‘What?’

‘If you’re not cutting ties, you’re staying tied to him. It’s admirable, man. A true fucking friend, for sure. He’d better write you the biggest fucking Christmas bonus of his life.’

‘I owe him a lot.’

Scott must pay. Someone must pay.

‘OK. Cool. I think we’re done here. Great talking with you, cowgirl. Go get ’em!’

‘Bye, Sam. Send Emilia my love.’

With perfect timing, she has reached Matthew’s front door. This time, she rings the doorbell and waits.

Chapter 19

‘Instant?’ Antonia says. ‘Hope that’s all right?’ She fills the kettle to the top. ‘There’s been no time to do a proper shop. People, lawyers, in and out. I don’t know where I am any more.’

Becky is now fairly certain that the morning Antonia whirlwinded into the office she was confronting Matthew about his indiscretions with Amber. It’s only now, as Becky recalls how much rage and determination were set in the creases of Antonia’s face, that she thinks maybe this was less shock than the signs of a woman who’d had enough. How had she found out? Had Matthew said something to her? What had he told her? But then why burst into the office to confront him? Is that not the action of a woman who has been given the awful truth by a third party and then rushes to confirm it?