“I didn’t realize,” I said. The strain of trying to sound normal was immense and my head was throbbing already. “But then, why would I? I’ve never even met her.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t come to the office as much nowadays. I think her business is doing well, so I suppose she’s too busy. Haven’t you seen a photo of her, though? She’s very attractive. Stunning, really.”

I knew that already from seeing her on social media. I caught a glimpse of myself in the long mirror on the wall of the hotel room; stunning wasn’t the word I’d use to describe myself right now. I was a mess.

I made some excuse and got off the phone. It was almost dark now and I sat by the window in the armchair and looked out at the road that ran along the front of the hotel. It had been raining earlier and drops still ran down the windows and the lights of the cars were blurred, though that could have been my tears. I brought my knees up to my chest, hugging them tight. So Emma was pregnant. That had been my dream for so many years and I’d almost accepted that it would never come true for me. Now she didn’t just have the man I wanted, she was having his child, too.

Harry hadn’t tried to contact me. He hadn’t even thought of me. He’d just discarded me like I was nothing to him.

My body was tight with panic. What had I done? I’d lost my past when I walked out on Tom. I’d lost my future, too; I had no job, no partner. No money. Tom earned a lot more than I did; we had separate bank accounts but a shared one for bills. We paid half each, which didn’t leave me much for savings. And now I was going to have no money coming in.

“Don’t worry about money,” Harry had said when we talked about living together. “I’ll look after you.”

“I don’t need looking after,” I’d said. “It’s just that I’ll be broke until the house is sold. After that I’ll be fine.”

He kissed me. “Ruby, don’t even give it a second thought.”

I really shouldn’t have listened to a word he said. I called him again. Straight to voice mail and yes, despite everything his voice still made me weak, though furious, too. I jabbed my phone to end the call before I said something I’d regret and just then my phone beeped. It was Tom. As I read the message I felt a moment of panic that he was psychic.

Just spoken to Henry at work who’s trying to sell his house. He said the market’s slow at the moment. He was told it could be months before it sells x