“No, he didn’t suspect a thing,” I said. I didn’t say that I was so used to watching what I said, in case Tom was annoyed, that lying came really easily to me now. “I was home every night. He had no reason to be suspicious.”

I remember the first time I lied to him. An actual full-on lie. There wasn’t an ounce of truth in it. It was ten at night and Tom had just arrived home. He’d had a meeting with clients in Glasgow that day and, knowing he’d be late, I’d spent some time with Harry in his office after hours. I’d gotten home at eight, so that when Tom touched the hood of my car, the engine would be cold, and I’d called him from the landline, as he liked me to do, but he hadn’t answered his phone. Before he’d even taken off his jacket he’d said, “What did you do this evening?”

I panicked for a split second but remembered that as soon as I’d gotten home I’d dialed the house phone to check the time of the last call, but he hadn’t called me. Without a pause, without even thinking about it, I’d said, “Oh, today was a really horrible day at work. It was so busy and Sarah just wasn’t pulling her weight.” Sorry, Sarah. “And I was listening to the radio on the way home and someone was talking about meditation and how it helps if you’re stressed, so when I got in I put some on YouTube and had a go.” I laughed. “I was really bad at it, but it did the trick. I’ve just had a nap.”

Tom picked up the remote and flicked the television on then, and went to YouTube. He still had his jacket on, his car keys in his hand. He looked at the sites last viewed; there was no mention of meditation. He looked back at me, his face still.

“I wouldn’t do it in here where anyone could look in the window! You had my iPad, didn’t you, so I took my phone upstairs and did it there.” I smiled at him. “We could do it together, if you like, when you’re ready for bed? I promise you’ll sleep like a baby.” I knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that Tom would meditate. I quickly added, “I’ve made you some supper. Fancy a glass of wine with it?”

Now Sarah said, “Typical of me not to notice what was going on. So that trip to Paris. The conference. You were together then?”

My face flamed. “Yes.”

She ordered more drinks and I thought that after that one I wouldn’t have any more. I’d tell her too much. “But you were risking everything,” she said. “Your marriage. His marriage.”