The line went dead and Ben stared at the handset in shock, unable to absorb what he had just heard.

He was struggling for breath and gulped down lungfuls of air to try to steady himself but he felt as though his brain was frying. He couldn’t seem to form any kind of coherent thought.

It couldn’t be right, he told himself. Elodie was his child. Of course she was. Even without the incredible emotional bond between them, he just knew that she was his child. He could feel it.

Without really thinking about it, he was dialling Charlotte’s number. She answered immediately. ‘Ben, is that you? Are you OK?’

‘No, Charlie, I’m not OK.’ He could hardly get his breath to speak. He felt winded and sick.

‘What’s wrong? What’s happened? Are you still at your mum’s?’

Ben tried to speak, but he couldn’t manage to get any words out.

‘It’s OK, Ben,’ Charlotte coaxed him. ‘Take a couple of deep breaths and try to tell me what’s happened.’

Ben did as she said before speaking. ‘Bella tricked me into coming home,’ he managed at last. ‘She said she thought she was having a miscarriage. She needed me to come home immediately.’

‘Oh no, Ben … And you did?’

Ben nodded, sick with humiliation. ‘She was so convincing. I thought maybe it would be a turning point for us, if I came to her aid when she needed me most. I’m such an idiot … I should have known.’

‘So … she wasn’t having a miscarriage?’ Charlotte’s tone was now one of disbelief.

‘No. She wasn’t even here. She was in London.’

Charlotte gasped. ‘Jesus, what a vile thing to do. Of all the things to lie about … I’m not surprised you’re so upset.’

‘That’s not why I’m upset. It’s so much worse than that.’

‘What? How could it be worse?’

Ben swallowed back the tears that were thick in his throat. He didn’t know if he would be able to say the words. ‘When I got back and she wasn’t here, I knew where she’d be … So I called the guy.’

There was silence on the end of the line and Ben could tell that Charlotte was holding her breath.

‘He was so horrible. He said that Dad … Peter …’ He corrected himself, somehow feeling that the word ‘dad’ no longer fitted. ‘He said Peter is Elodie’s real father.’ Ben’s face crumpled as he spoke and he couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

Charlotte gasped. ‘What? But that’s ridiculous! It’s not possible!’

Ben wished more than anything that she was right. But not only was it possible, it made sense. It explained so many things.

‘He’s making it up, Ben! Don’t fall for it!’ Charlotte sounded anguished and outraged on his behalf.

Ben’s heart leaped momentarily. Could she be right? Could he have been making it up? But almost immediately, the doubt started to crawl back into his brain.

‘No. There was just something about the way he said it, Charlie. He was enjoying it too much. And he sounded so sure of himself.’