“It’s only just started, Cora. You think I’ll let the two of you carry on at work? You think you can just divorce me and start an affair with some lesbian and there won’t be repercussions? For her either?”

God. He was going to threaten her job and Frazer’s. What about the programme? Cora bit the bullet, knew what to say, twisted the truth even tighter. “There’s nothing going on with Frazer.” There wasn’t, not anymore. And there was no way she’d let her stupid decisions ruin Frazer’s career. “Nothing.”

“But you want there to be.”

The bitterness that clouded his voice was so strong, Cora could almost taste it in the air. She shook her head, but knew her denial was weak, the words catching in her throat. There was no way she could force a lie of that magnitude out of her mouth. Let him think it had been a crush on her part, because the hint at threatening Frazer’s and her job was enough to make her hold the secret of the affair close, hidden from his sight.

“Get out, Cora. This isn’t your house anymore.”

She’d known that for a while, and here was Alec, finally catching up.

“I need my things.”

His eyes flashed. His lips pressed into a thin line. “You have ten minutes. I’ll be downstairs. Lisa needs to get out too.”

When he walked out, it was with his head held high. She sidestepped to let him pass her and walk through the doorway. Away.

But he paused next to her, their shoulders almost brushing.

Cora had to physically stop herself from stepping away from the heat of him, the touch of him. She could hear his breathing, laboured, like it always was when he was angry.

“You will regret this, Cora.” The hissing anger there left no room for doubt that this time, he was using those words as a threat. Yet still, he didn’t raise his voice. “Your family will be ashamed. You will be ashamed. You’ll end up sad and alone. What do you think you can really be without me?”

For a second, he lingered, watching her face, she knew, for any kind of reaction. She gave him nothing.

Finally, he walked away.

Trembling, Cora grabbed the last of her clothes. She took photos in frames that were hers, that were of her family, her friends. She raided their bathroom, cramming everything in and half sitting on the case to zip it closed. It thumped on each step as she dragged it down the stairs. A wide-eyed Lisa was waiting in the hallway. She saw Alec only from the corner of her eye in the kitchen.

“Got everything?” Lisa asked.

Cora nodded.

“Are you sure? Take a minute.” Lisa squeezed her arm, and Cora resisted the urge to melt into the touch, to any gesture of comfort.

“I have everything I need.”