‘Take your fucking hands off me. If you so much as come near me again, I’ll do something that I will regret.’

He panicked. ‘Babe, this is not my fault, I’m in as much shock as you are. I was a kid myself. I certainly didn’t want a baby with some random slapper. She was a right slag, everyone was banging her, honest, she was anybody’s. I know it hasn’t happened but I’ve only ever wanted children with you, the woman I love. Susan, we have to talk about this, you can’t do this when I’m trying to do the right thing by telling you the truth.’

‘Fuck off!’ she screamed in his face. ‘I’m leaving. You make me sick. I can’t be with you anymore. You’re a liar, a filthy fucking deceitful bastard. And this is the last straw. How can I be with you now knowing you have a kid to someone else? Did you never think to mention this to me when we met? You’re a rat, a dirty no-good fucking rat.’

Donny was desperate. ‘I told you I had no idea until now. I’ve asked for a DNA test. And it’s like I said, Bethany was a slag, everyone was flinging one up her, the kid could be anyone’s. It’s a fucking lottery who his dad is.’

Susan pressed her face up close, her anger radiating from every pore. ‘So go and get a DNA test because I’ll tell you something for nothing. I won’t be with you until you do. And you can stop fucking calling her a slag and all that – it takes two to tango, Donny. I can’t believe this. I thought you were going to tell me you’d lost a monkey or something, but this, Donny, this has pure killed me. I feel sick, I can’t even look at you. Move out of my way while I get my stuff together. I’m out of here.’

Donny wasn’t too proud to beg. ‘Please, baby. I love you more than life itself, please don’t walk out on me. We can get through this together, me and you, remember, the dream team.’

She looked over at him and spat in his direction. ‘Fuck you, Donny Knight.’

Donny sat on the sofa watching the fire burn. It didn’t seem to calm him like it usually did. He wanted the world to burn – like the wreckage of his life. He typed out a text to Bethany.

I want a fucking DNA ASAP. I’ll pay for it if needs be. You and your son are not ruining my life.

He hit Send and turned round to see Susan stood near the door with a suitcase at her feet. Tears, lots of tears.