‘Are you saying this is my fault?’ She looks like she’d happily stab him if she had anything suitable to hand.

‘It’s nobody’s fault, love. I didn’t want to hassle you, so I just made alternative arrangements on a temporary basis.’

‘Alternative arrangements would be sleeping in the spare room because someone is snoring, Luke. This is way bigger than that. Why did you try to make out that Tilly was a fantasist?’

‘Because I was trying to protect you, of course! Look, I know what I did was unorthodox, so I was trying to avoid exactly this situation. You need to think about the baby and what you being stressed could do. As a man, I have certain needs, and I was merely using Tilly to fulfil them while you were out of action, so to speak. I did it for you, in a way.’

‘Can you hear the shit that’s coming out of your mouth?’ Cindy yells suddenly, making us all jump. ‘You didn’t do this for me. You did this because you’re a selfish bastard who can’t keep it in your pants or have a wank like a normal man would. And to think I nearly believed you when you said Tilly was making it up. Dear God, I need my head examined.’

‘Cind—’

‘Shut up! I don’t want to hear another word fall out of your filthy, lying, cheating mouth, do you understand? We’re done.’

‘You don’t mean that.’

‘Of course I do. When Richenda rang me, there was a tiny part of me that wanted it not to be true, but deep down I knew it was. I just needed to hear it from you.’

‘Look, I can see I’ve made a mistake, but we can fix this. We could go to counselling, whatever you want.’

‘I’ll tell you what I want. I want you out of my life. I’m going to go home now, and I’m going to put all your stuff in bags. You can collect it from outside the front of the house later.’

‘It’s our house,’ Luke says, his tone suddenly mutinous. ‘I have just as much right to be in it as you.’

‘Fine, then I’ll go. Give me a couple of hours to pack.’ She gets to her feet and turns to me. ‘Tilly, I wish I could say it’s been a pleasure meeting you, but I’m sure you understand. Anyway, he’s all yours. Good luck.’

Without saying anything to Richenda, she flounces out and we all flinch as the door bangs behind her. After a long, uncomfortable pause, Luke turns to me.