But most of all, she could never forgive him for causing the video of Milly in the shower to be distributed. Who knew how that experience would affect her daughter going forwards? He wasn’t the man she’d thought she knew; he was someone else entirely. And he’d shown himself to be a danger both physically and mentally. But it was a difficult situation, and a decision as to the way forward didn’t come easily. Her priority was protecting her kids from any harm and creating a safe and happy home for them. That was the touchstone she kept coming back to.

The girls were old enough to know a bit about the case, and with social media being what it was, there was no way she could protect them from the news reports and local gossip. However, she had managed to keep secret from them Matt’s involvement in circulating the video of Milly. That was something they could never know.

Once charged, Matt had been allowed out on bail, and was staying with a friend in Otley, only a few miles away down the valley. It felt uncomfortably close. Sara didn’t want him near her family, but he was the children’s father and they missed him. It broke her heart to see their upset and confusion, and she was more than a little confused herself. How much to tell them? That was the real conundrum. And how much access to allow Matt?

After managing to fob off both the children and Matt with excuses as to why they couldn’t see each other, she knew she was running out of time. It was important for everyone to be clear about contact arrangements and what part he was going to play in their lives. Face to face was the only way she would be able to get her message across. So she arranged a meeting, something Matt readily agreed to.

It was Saturday, and Hailey had offered to take the kids out for the day. They were going to visit Cassie in Lancaster, where she was studying, and the children were all excited about seeing their cousin and having a look round the university and the city. It was not too much of a drive, but far enough away to be an interesting day out, and it had done the job of distracting them from everything that had been happening at home.

Sara had insisted that the meeting with Matt should be somewhere public, where he wouldn’t be tempted to shout at her or bully her into anything. This was going to be on her terms and hers alone. They’d finally agreed on a coffee shop in Otley.