Mugs went flying, then the plates she’d stacked ready to put away. He swiped the fruit bowl off the worktop, sending apples bouncing in all directions, the wooden bowl sliding across the tiles. She hoped the children hadn’t woken up, frightened by the racket, glad that the kitchen door was closed and their bedrooms were at the front of the house. For a moment, there was silence, and she thought maybe his anger had abated. She daren’t look, her arms clasped over her head, knees to her chest. Suddenly he grabbed her wrist, the knife was wrenched from her hand and he started dragging her across the floor. ‘No, no, no,’ she sobbed. ‘You’ve got to listen to me. There’s something weird—’

‘I’m not listening to any more of your lies,’ he snapped, uncurling her fingers from the table leg where she’d tried to anchor herself. Chairs toppled as she kicked out, desperately seeking something to grasp on to. But he was a man possessed – his strength reinforced by fury – and he shoved her out of the back door, leaving her shocked and shivering in the cool of the night. She heard the lock turn, knew he was beyond the point of reasoning.

A few minutes later, the door opened and her handbag flew out, followed shortly after by her car keys, thrown with such force, they smacked against her face, leaving a throbbing pain that matched the ache in her heart.

‘Matt. Please listen to me, please.’ She scrambled to her feet, desperate to explain. To tell him she had no idea who the man was or how the video had been taken.

‘You slag! How could you?’ He stood in the doorway, sobbing with rage, chest heaving, face contorted and wet with tears. She lunged forward, trying to get back inside, but the door slammed in her face. The lock turned again and she heard the bolt slide home.

She slapped at the door in disbelief, body shaking with shock. Only a few hours ago, she’d come home believing this to be her sanctuary, her safe place, happy to be back at the heart of the family, full of laughter and smiles. And now this. Expelled.

A cool breeze brought goose bumps to her skin. Wearing only a T-shirt and jeans, her feet bare, she started to shiver, and rubbed her arms to try and get warm as she stared at the house. There was no point knocking. No point begging. Not until he’d calmed down. She trudged down the driveway to her car and got in. There was only one place she could go: Hailey’s.

She reversed out of the drive, the pedals cold against her feet, reminding her of the time she’d had to leave home in nothing but her nightclothes, Hailey tugging her along, urging her to go faster when she was still half asleep.