‘I’d like to toast to the new lovebirds.’

Everyone looked confused. Sophie glanced at Jack, who was looking at Angie, who was watching Indie. The atmosphere shifted and their smiles started to falter.

‘Indie…’ Jack began, but Indie simply looked at him and shook her head.

‘I’m sorry, Dad,’ she said.

‘Indie, what’s going on?’ Angie asked urgently.

Indie looked at her mother and raised her champagne glass of lemonade.

‘To Mum and Alan – who have been having it off behind everyone’s backs.’ Indie announced with a flourish. ‘I hope you’ll be very happy together.’

16

Angie stood frozen with terror. This had not just happened. Surely this had not just happened.

How did Indie find out?

How much does she know?

The silence was deafening. Angie looked at her daughter and she stared defiantly back. She looked positively triumphant. Angie realised with alarm that Indie’s warmth towards her over the past few weeks had been entirely false. She felt like she’d been slapped in the face.

Someone turned the TV off.

‘What the fuck is going on?’ Jack asked, looking at Angie.

‘Mum?’ Benji asked, looking between his sister, mother and father in confusion.

‘Kids, out,’ Jack said. Benji obediently turned to leave but Indie hesitated.

‘Out,’ Jack roared.

‘I’m sorry, Dad,’ Indie said again, before turning to Sophie. ‘I’m sorry, Sophie. You’re a nice person. You don’t deserve this.’

Angie observed her daughter as she walked past. The look of contempt on her face was something that she knew she’d never forget.

‘I’ll ask again. What the fuck is going on?’ Jack’s confusion had turned to fury.

Angie risked a glance at Alan who had sunk down onto the sofa with his head in his hands. There’s no getting out of this, she thought. There’s nothing I could possibly say to make this go away. She looked away. Alan was going to be no good to her at all; the man could barely hold it together. It was, as usual, down to her to take control of the situation.

The first few minutes of the new year ticked on by. It was meant to be the new start that Angie had been waiting for. A chance to sort her life out and put everything behind her. But the past had come back to haunt her and now all that was left to do was to find the words to explain why she had betrayed all of the people she loved in one fell swoop.

With a final glance at Alan she said, ‘Look, can we all just sit down and I’ll explain.’

‘No, we can’t sit down and you’ll explain everything right now.’

Angie closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself at work, attempting to summon the calm control she felt when she was representing a client. This is not my life. This is someone else’s life. I’m just telling their story. She opened them again and said steadily, ‘Well I’m going to sit down.’

She perched on the sofa, all eyes on her. And she began to talk.