What got to Nina was the half-arsed nature of Julian’s deception. If you’re pretending to go on a week’s golfing break with your friends, you should at least bother to pack your clubs. It was as if he didn’t respect her enough to tell a convincing lie.

He’d bought a new suitcase – black, four-wheeled, expensive – and was upstairs filling it with summer clothes. In a couple of hours, he’d be off to Fuerteventura with his mistress for some pre-Christmas sun and sex. How they’d glow in those seasonal photographs. ‘Stop it,’ Nina said to herself. ‘You sound bitter.’

She was bitter.

Through the staff room grapevine, she’d learned that Emer Dawson’s marriage had ended. Noah and Coco’s teachers were on guard for any sign of withdrawn or disruptive behaviour. A week or two back, Nina had seen Emer at the school gates. Like many of the mothers, she’d been trussed up in black Lycra. Despite the winter chill, she’d been wearing a sleeveless top, all the better for showing off her toned arms. Her hair had been in the sort of messy topknot that takes ages to perfect. Oh, and she’d had her lips done. They stood out like two slugs on her otherwise thin face. The two women stared at each other but said nothing. It struck Nina that while she no longer wanted to be with Julian, she didn’t want this smug witch to have him either.

Over the months, she’d come to accommodate the affair. Julian knew that she knew. His disappearances became more frequent. His excuses dried up. Neither could bring themselves to acknowledge the situation. They still shared a bed. How pathetic was it that, after twenty-three years of marriage, she wasn’t brave enough to ask her husband why he was sleeping with another woman.

The only fireworks had come from Bea. When she’d discovered what was happening, she’d tackled Nina. ‘You can’t let him treat you like this,’ she’d said, her face bright with youthful certainty.

‘You’re right,’ Nina had replied. ‘I’ll sort it out.’ She’d done nothing.

Bea had also confronted Julian. He’d told her that life was more complicated than she knew and that one day she’d understand this. She’d called him a useless condescending prick and charged out. She’d returned the following day but continued to say little to either parent.