‘This isn’t about you, Lina. This is about me. Some people like to watch, but more than that, some people like to control. I need control.’

He seemed so normal on the date but it was an act. ‘Please, just go. Just leave us alone. I’ll forget everything. You can just walk out that door.’

‘I’ll make you a deal. If you can reach these keys, you can unlock your hands and you can go help your husband. I’ll walk out that front door and you’ll never see me again.’ He nods at the table. His voice is croaky.

I watch him for a moment, dubious. Then I crawl towards the table until the chain is taut. The keys are still far away. Lying flat, I turn and kick my foot out and reach with my toes. They just touch the corner of the wooden table, but I’ll never be able to reach the middle where the keys are.

‘Go on,’ he says. ‘Stretch.’

I do. The cuff bites, but I feel no pain. I keep stretching. My body is at its limit, fully stretched out and yet my toes are still two feet from the keys, barely an inch past the edge of the table.

‘Too bad.’

I drop to the carpet. Knock my forehead against it. ‘Fuck you.’

‘I know what you did, I know what sort of woman you are. You think you can have it all but I’m going to give you a simple choice. Him or me?’

I don’t hesitate, the anger is coiling in on itself. Growing more intense by the moment like a grudge. ‘Him.’

‘Him?’

‘I would never choose you over him. He’s my husband.’

‘Oh,’ he says, a teasing note of sadness in his voice. ‘That’s the wrong answer, Lina. Or are you still going by Anna?’

‘Fuck you.’

‘I’ll give you another chance. Your husband or you?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Pick one.’

‘No.’

‘Lina, please just play the game.’

‘I’m not playing your stupid games.’