Sara’s hands shook with nerves as she packed her weekend bag, Matt scrutinising every little thing she put in there. They’d hardly spoken since their row the night before. Ezra had gone to stay with Hailey for the weekend, something he enjoyed doing as there was a family living next door with a little girl his age and they’d struck up an unexpected friendship. The girls were having a sleepover with Chelsea, Fiona’s daughter, so Matt had the house to himself and could focus on his work. Sara thought he’d be happy with the plan, but he’d discovered a way to find fault.

‘So you think I’m not capable of looking after my family now? Is that it?’ His arms were folded across his chest as he leant against the wall.

‘No, it’s just you were annoyed that I was going away when you had work to do, so I made arrangements to give you space to get on with things and not have to think about kids and getting meals ready.’ She walked into the bathroom to pack her toiletries, not wanting to argue about it. Whatever she did wouldn’t be right; he was in that sort of mood.

When she came back out again, he’d gone, and she heaved a sigh of relief. She wondered if he’d seen the guilt on her face, if he could sense the fluttering of her heart. Eyes all over the place. That was what he’d said, and now she was worried. Had she been seen with James when they’d been out for lunch? Lunches she’d never mentioned to her husband because she knew what he was like about her being friendly with men. It was non-negotiable, something she’d understood not long after they were married, when he’d started a massive row at a bar when he thought a man was chatting her up. Imagine if he knew she was going away with James for a weekend, even if it was just for companionship. Would she come back to find her possessions littering the front lawn, her key no longer working?

She zipped up her bag and took it downstairs, pulse racing. She hated the deceit, of course she did, but part of her couldn’t wait to be out of the house for a couple of days. Away from the tension that crackled between them, an argument never far away. Thank goodness the kids would be having a fun weekend as well. At least that made her feel better about leaving them.

Matt wasn’t around to see her off, and she called goodbye through his office door, not surprised when he didn’t respond. ‘Stupid bad-tempered bloody idiot of a man,’ she muttered under her breath as she marched to her car.