She had worked hard, over the years, to convince herself that they were content and happy together. But honestly, now, with the stark reality of that note in her hand she had to face it. Their ‘connection’ had been little more than convenient for Eddie and maybe, God – and this made her feel really pathetic – but it had been fostered by her own desperation. Yes, she knew it: she was so desperate to have this ideal life she’d pinned her hopes on when she hardly knew anything about life at all, that she’d traded years of her time for something that hadn’t been really worth a second glance at all. She’d always known, deep down, that this thing between them was second best. Now, she was certain that it wasn’t even second best. This morning, as she sat looking across at that note on the table opposite her, she had a feeling that it might have freed her from the most toxic relationship she had ever forged and she wasn’t just thinking about Eddie, she was thinking about his mother just as much.

Maya had seen it from the start. She’d tried to tell Liv so many times, but in the end, she knew that even she couldn’t convince her sister that this thing was not right. But it had gone on so long. How on earth had she let it continue for almost six years? And then, she got really cross with herself, why on earth had she sold herself so short? For so long.

And she’d have married him. She’d have slipped that ring on her finger, with the deluded notion that because it looked like something that meant something to her, it would all be well and she and Eddie Quirke – and his awful mother – would live happily ever after.

She was so mad!

She was angry with herself, with Eddie Quirke, with Anya and even with Maya for not making her see sense sooner, which she knew was completely unreasonable. She had two hours before she was due back at the hospital. She had just two hours to scour this flat from any trace of Eddie Quirke. She started with refuse bags, everything from their bedroom that was his, which basically meant his shoes and clothes, because he’d never gone out and bought so much as a dish cloth since he’d moved in.