There was a moment of hesitation. ‘Sorry, I was just worried. Ben, listen, I desperately need you to come home now.’

‘What?’

‘I need you to come home. I’m feeling so ill, Ben.’

There was a vulnerable, pleading tone to her voice. She sounded like a completely different person to the woman he had come to know – and fear – over the past year, and it threw him. ‘Well, what sort of ill?’

‘I’ve got terrible pains in my stomach and …’ There was a slight pause. ‘I’ve started bleeding.’ She paused again to let out a groan of agony. ‘I wonder if … if I might be having a miscarriage. Please, Ben, please could you come home? I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t really, really need you.’

Ben reeled backwards, suddenly light-headed. ‘A … miscarriage?’ His mind whirred, trying to make sense of her words. How could she possibly be pregnant? But he already knew the answer, remembering now how every time she lost it with him, she would follow it up by seducing him, messing with his mind a tiny bit more every time.

‘I know,’ she whispered. ‘Oh, Ben, I just need you here with me as soon as possible. I’m so worried!’

Ben leaned heavily against the wall, blindsided by her sudden show of vulnerability. ‘But … I can’t come home,’ he managed. ‘We’ve just put Elodie to bed.’

Bella started to cry pitifully. ‘I’m sorry, Ben. I know it’s bad of me to ask but please would you just get her up and put her in her car-seat? She won’t even wake up … you know what she’s like. Please, Ben?’

Her tone had changed completely, from the aggressive and mean one he was so used to, to pleading, tearful and vulnerable. He couldn’t remember the last time she had sounded so helpless.

His mind raced. He didn’t want to leave Jo but he didn’t feel that he had any other choice, especially if Bella could be having a miscarriage. He needed to be with her. ‘Maybe you should call an ambulance?’ he suggested, stalling for time.

Bella groaned in pain again on the other end of the line. ‘Yes, maybe, but I want you to be with me. I don’t want to go on my own. Please, Ben,’ she prompted, ‘I really need you here to help me. I can’t manage without you.’ Again, she dissolved into tears.

That decided him. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘I’ll come.’

‘Oh, thank you Ben!’ Bella gushed. ‘Thank you so much!’

‘I’ll see you in a couple of hours,’ he told her, feeling as if he had grown in stature by at least a couple of inches over the past few minutes. He could hear the genuine gratitude in her voice and it felt good to be needed for once. He had a feeling this would mark a turning point in their relationship. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

He hung up the phone and steeled himself to tell Jo, knowing how upset she would be. But, he reasoned, if doing this one thing meant that the balance of his relationship with Bella was redressed, it would mean that he would be able to come and see Jo as often as he liked from now on. He was already determined to insist on it and judging by Bella’s grateful tone, he didn’t think she would be arguing in future.