But there was no denying children could be very, very annoying.

These were problems for Monday. He had the whole weekend to spend with his wife. His second wife. When Scott thought about what had happened to his first, Natalie, his chest got tight. He wondered if that would ever go away. The guilt didn’t help.

Natalie had killed herself in the garage; Scott had found her. He’d never forget how she’d looked sitting there. He didn’t let himself think about it often. And then, seven months after her death, he and Casey had met at a bar and bonded straight away.

People said seven months was too fast to move on. They were even more outraged when he and Casey married a month later. It didn’t help that Casey and Natalie had been in the same book club, a fact Scott only learned two weeks into seeing her… and by then, it was too late. He was already obsessed.

Casey had been exactly what he needed. She was compassionate, attentive. They were always making each other laugh. She’d rescued him from the darkness of his grief. Scott didn’t care what people said. He and Casey were happy.

“Hello?” he called.

Casey had sent him a text that afternoon.

I’ve got a surprise for you later xxx

Scott’s mind filled with all the possible meanings. Casey’s surprises often involved mad adventures in the bedroom. That was another thing that had bonded them so quickly: the world-shattering sex.

“I’m in here,” Casey called from the living room.

Scott walked in to find her sitting on the armchair, her legs crossed, a glass of wine in her hand. He’d expected her to be wearing the lingerie he’d bought her the previous week, but she was in her favourite pyjamas, with a hole in the T-shirt.

Even so, she was beautiful. Her red hair spilled down to her shoulders. Without make-up, her features were soft and almost elfish. Scott felt intoxicated every time he looked at her.

“Take a seat.”

“You’re making this sound like a job interview.”

“Take a seat, Scott.”

He did as she said, wondering why she was speaking so strangely. Her tone was low. Her eyes had a quality he’d never seen before; normally they were open, caring, but now they had a nasty glint.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

She finished her wine and slammed the glass on the coffee table. She didn’t use a coaster, which was as unusual as the change in her demeanour. “Just our whole marriage really.”

“What? I don’t–”

“Shut up.”

Scott sat back, as though she’d physically struck him. “Is this some sort of joke? Happy anniversary, by the way.”

“There’s nothing happy about it. In fact, there’s been nothing happy about this entire marriage. The whole thing has been a charade. The whole thing has been leading up to this moment. And finally – finally – I don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Scott stared down at the pinkie finger of his left hand, cut away at the second knuckle from an injury he’d received in university. He looked at his wedding band, silver this time; it had been gold with Natalie. He faced Casey again, struggling to think of a response.