Her fixation with Allison’s social media output started that night. Suddenly the life she’d almost discounted as being, like hers, boring and dull, was filled with promise and colour, expensive clothes, designer handbags and shoes, glamorous hotels. Jo examined every photograph, pored over every word of every boasting post.

Annoyed with herself for her lapse, for having missed the lead-up to the wedding, she increased her vigilance, checking all Allison’s socials as often as she could, easier now she was unemployed.

When Jo had first searched for Allison, the plan had been to get revenge for what she’d done. Only seeing a life as miserable as Jo’s own had deflected that idea. When that changed, when there were honeymoon photos, shots of sumptuous meals in glamorous restaurants, photographs of the two of them, Allison looking surprisingly glamorous, her husband handsome and sexy, bitterness burst to the surface, pushing the plan for revenge ahead of it with a gleeful cackle. Jo should never have let it slide.

It was important to allow the relationship to develop organically. She went through Allison’s contact list and sent each a friend request. Most ignored it. Of the several who accepted, she went through their friend list, sent more requests and so on. It took time. She wasn’t in a hurry. She’d been waiting a long time for this. Within a few weeks, she’d sufficient friends in common to move on to the next step. She began to like comments Allison made in various groups. Nothing too obvious, a simple thumbs up, no heart emojis. She waited for the right post before making a comment, keeping it short and simple, taking her tone from other comments, fitting in.

It was weeks later before someone in one of the Facebook groups asked how everyone’s week was going. Jo didn’t answer immediately, waiting to see if Allison did. When she did, it couldn’t have been better.

Exhausted, having a gruelling week.

It was exactly the kind of comment Jo had been waiting for. She gave it a sad face emoji, then waited until a couple more members posted about their week before adding a comment.

It’s been one of those weeks when I wonder if accountancy is really for me.

To her satisfaction, Allison gave her a heart emoji. A big step up.

But her big breakthrough came the following week. In one of the book club groups, someone posted to ask what everyone’s all-time favourite book was. Jo didn’t wait; she dashed off a comment to say the Mapp and Lucia series was her favourite. It was over an hour before she saw what she’d hoped for. Not just a heart emoji this time; Allison replied to her comment.

Me too – I love them!!