I start to leave. A part of me just wants this to pass over. I said it, it’s up to them now.

‘Come on Risky,’ I say, urging her to come with me, but she doesn’t move. She just stares at Lauren like she is a puppy in a shop window and needs to be saved.

‘I saw it though,’ she says, breathlessly. ‘You’re her mother, how could you?’

‘Oh, take your lies somewhere else you vicious little girl. Making up tales to sell to the press to make money for yourself. Disgusting,’ Mayra says. The venom in her voice is a bit startling. I step back and stand by Risky. I can’t have her spoken to like that.

‘Mayra, if you choose to lie to your daughter then so be it, but please don’t make accusations like that to me or my staff.’

‘Oh, I can’t make accusations, but you can, is that it?’

‘Is it an accusation though?’ Ross says, chiming in. Lauren has not moved.

‘Excuse me?’ Mayra says, looking at him like lasers might come out of her eyes and kill him.

‘It’s not like you have no history of cheating on people you love, is it?’

‘Ross, this is not the time.’

‘Oh, I think this is exactly the right time,’ he says, like he too has been waiting for this moment.

‘For God’s sake, what has got into you all? As if I would sleep with Gavin on the day of your wedding,’ Mayra says, blushing now. Some sweat appearing on her brow.

‘Well you slept with my brother on the day of ours,’ Ross says.

‘What?’ Lauren says. ‘Is that why you don’t speak to Uncle Stewart?’

‘Yes, the affair went on for years. I found out about it when Verity died. Turns out she needed him for comfort at the funeral, not me. I walked in on them in the bathroom.’

‘Oh my God,’ Lauren says, as if years of drama now make perfect sense.

We all just stare at Mayra, willing her to crack. Of course, she finally does.

‘I deserve happiness too,’ she says, pitifully. It’s an obvious confession.

‘No,’ Lauren says, white as a sheet, despite the fake tan. ‘No, this isn’t happening.’

‘I don’t know how to stop it,’ Mayra says, falling back into a chair. ‘It’s so hard to find anything that takes the pain away. Gavin does. I can’t help it.’

Lauren starts to shake quite violently. It’s unclear what will come out of her, tears or flying fists. She bends right down to Mayra, pushing her face as close to hers as she can before it touches.

‘It will be all your fault. This time I will not fail.’ And then she runs out of the room. Mayra looks at Risky and me and lets out an ear-splitting scream.

‘Quick,’ I say. ‘We better follow her.’