‘Um, well…’ What can I tell them? We think Senior Management is going to shut us down, and we’ll all be unemployed, but not to worry, I’m starting up a small business with our boss! No idea what you’ll do, sorry! I choose my words carefully.

‘Harri hasn’t told me anything, but I think Hudson might be in trouble. And I’ve seen Lily and Katie coming in and out of the Panache offices, and they never turn up when things are going well.’

Tabitha takes her headphones off. I didn’t realise she was listening. ‘Mackenzie’s dad is George Whittaker-Chambers. He’s on trial in America and being investigated by the FBI for securities fraud. So it’s probably to do with that. I can’t believe none of you knew.’ She rolls her eyes and puts her headphones back on.

There is a long pause. I daren’t say what I’m thinking out loud because I’m frightened of sounding stupid. So I look over Louise’s shoulder. Sure enough, she’s on Wikipedia, reading the page about Securities Fraud.

I pick up my phone to see what I can find online—I decide I don’t want to use my work computer to search for stories about my boss’s boss, even though it seems silly to worry when she’s the one going to actual prison. Then a name appears on my screen and I gasp. I blink. I feel sick. I don’t know whether to shriek with joy or burst into tears. Jen. Jen who has ignored every single frantic, craven, beseeching message of apology that I have sent her since I went to Devon. I was starting to wonder whether she had blocked my number.

Her message makes no reference to any of that.

OMG Imogen heard about your boss. Just saw her on the news. Is she going to jail? Have you lost ur job? Leanne says they’ll shut down The Know AND Panache. So sad. Call me ☺xx

And for a pathetic second, I nearly do. I’m on the brink of ringing her, weeping, begging her to take me back, just because she has finally deigned to get in touch.

It’s funny that she has been discussing this with Leanne before she tried to talk to me. It’s funny, really, that she has any kind of relationship with Leanne, a woman who used to abuse me for fun.

Funniest of all is the fact that a long time ago, Jen was my cheerleader. But now, I only hear from her when things appear to be going badly. I know she can see me when I do well. But she chooses to ignore it. As soon as disaster seems to be looming, she wants to be back in my life. She will share my grief, but she wants no part in my joy.