Mel was keen to add her two penn’orth. ‘Girl power. Men, they just don’t get it. I feel sorry for her, Donny, some of the things she’s been telling me about, stuff would make your toes curl.’

Tina folded her arms, her head held high. ‘I don’t need him anymore. I’ve got my job, and I’ve got…’ She trailed off, looking awkward. ‘I mean, I’ve looked at my life over these last few months and do you know what?’ She was starting to get upset and Mel leant over and patted her arm before she continued. ‘I don’t need him. All he does is take, take, take. As long as everything is alright in his life and his tea is on the table and his washing is done, he’s not bothered about me. He’s seen me on my knees with everything that’s gone on and still he carries on like nothing has happened. Selfish bastard he is.’

Donny was regretting that he’d come and sat with the pair of them. He really didn’t need this – he had enough of his own shit to deal with. He necked the rest of his drink and looked at them both. ‘Ladies, I’m so sorry but I have to go. I only popped in for a quick one. I hope you get sorted out. I’ll see you in work tomorrow and we can have a coffee and a catch-up.’

Mel was clearly not pleased. ‘I thought you might have stayed with us, Donny. We are damsels in distress.’ She fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly, but Donny had already stood up to leave.

‘Sorry, like I said, I only called in for a swift one. See you tomorrow.’ He was out of there. Life was complicated enough right now without taking on anyone else’s troubles.

Donny stood outside the pub and breathed in a mouthful of cold air. It was windy tonight and it had started to rain, pissing down. He jogged towards his car, the raindrops pelting against his skin. Suddenly he stopped dead, his mouth gaping. What. The. Fuck? His misery was quickly replaced by surging fury. Every window in his car had been smashed in. He’d only been in there twenty minutes.

Donny quickly scanned the area looking for the culprits, but nobody was about. He put his coat around his hand and started to knock the rest of the glass out of the shattered windows, fuming and muttering under his breath. Suddenly a voice from behind him made him jump.

‘Oi.’

Donny turned his head slowly. The voice had come from a tall man who was built like a brick shithouse, he could see that much, but against the glare of the only street lamp his face was nothing more than a silhouette.