‘Come on, get off. OFF.’ I hold his face in my hands. ‘You are a good man, a good dad and a good husband in many ways. And I did love you. But you know this can’t carry on, don’t you?’

Weeping, he nods.

‘Go and get some things and go to your mum’s. Don’t get there too late. She’ll want to bitch about me for hours and if you don’t go now, she’ll have you up all night. OK?’

‘OK.’

He goes upstairs and appears a few minutes later with a bag.

‘I’ll come back tomorrow to get more things.’

‘OK. And we can work out a plan with Tommy.’

I open the front door and he leaves. When he’s gone, I fall against it. Relief overpowering any other emotion. I did it. I got myself back.

I run upstairs and gently lift Tommy out of his cot. I lay him next to me on my bed. Me and my baby. I fall asleep next to him.

This is how it should be.

14

Ruby

It took me six hours and thirty-six minutes to get the picture just right. I couldn’t be happier with it. Ten grand works out at much more than my usual hourly rate, I can’t believe she agreed to it. I feel a bit weird taking the money from Lauren, but this is my job, and it means I can stop doing what I’ve been doing for so long. No more ruining women’s lives by telling them they should look a certain way. I don’t know what is next for me, but I’m done with doing that. The money gives me some breathing space.

I look at the image of Gavin and Mayra. It’s truly brilliant. I broke up the pictures Rebecca took of Mayra on the wedding day and cut them together with Gavin in his suit. Luckily, apart from the top of Mayra’s thighs, they were both fully clothed, so I didn’t need to try to recreate their naked bodies. I used Lauren’s thighs from the shots I worked on of her previously and let the light from the window blur them so no details showed. You’d never know they weren’t Mayra’s. But my favourite bit is the mole that Lauren told me Mayra has on her left thigh. I lifted the one from Rebecca’s face, using the photos I took of her in the room at the wedding. I cut and pasted it onto Lauren’s leg, making it fit the exact description of Mayra’s. It’s a little touch I am very proud of. No one needs to know.

I’ve done a brilliant job.

I send it to the WhatsApp group we created for approval.

Risky: You’re a genius. It’s exactly what I saw.

Beth: Wow! WOW! Perfect. WOW.