Susan looked tired. Her hair was in a plait and she was dressed casually in jeans and a pale blue T-shirt. Dressed for a fight? Donny’s heart melted when he looked at her. He knew now how stupid he’d been to risk what he had with her. Messing around, keeping secrets, he’d kept her in the dark so many times. He realised he’d needed her to adore him, to believe the bullshit he’d fed her. He loved her with all his heart, but perhaps he’d broken hers one too many times.

Susan shot a disdainful look at Bethany and sighed. ‘So, do we know if he’s your kid or what, Donny?’ She was blunt and straight to the point, she clearly didn’t care how she came across.

Bethany interrupted. ‘The kid has a name. He’s called Dan, for your information.’

‘Means nothing to me, love. Just tell me if he’s your kid, Donny, and then I’ll be off.’

They both looked at him. He had to open the envelope. Slowly, his index finger slid under the flap and he reached into the envelope and pulled out the letter. Susan was shuffling her feet, her breath getting louder and louder.

Donny unfolded the paper and started to read. His eyes fell, and for once he was speechless.

Bethany took this as her cue. ‘I told you you was his father, you prick. Now you can man up and start providing for him.’

Susan’s legs buckled and she started to hyperventilate, gripping the side of the bench for support.

‘No,’ she sobbed. ‘No, this is not happening.’

But Donny looked over at Bethany and jumped to his feet, shoving the letter in her face, ramming it under her nose.

‘I fucking knew it, you dirty scrubber, the kid isn’t mine. Read this. You life-wrecking bitch, get back under the rock you crawled from and take your bastard son with you.’

Donny rushed to his wife’s side and wrapped his arms around her. ‘Baby, it’s negative. I’m so sorry you have had to go through this. I love you so, so much. The kid is fuck all to do with me.’

Bethany was up in arms, reading the letter over and over. ‘It must be wrong; they must have messed the test up. It can’t be right. You’re Dan’s dad.’

Susan pushed her husband out of the way and ran at Bethany. This was her war now, nobody messed with her life and got away with it. She gripped her by the throat. ‘He’s just told you that he’s not the fucking father so leave us alone. If I so much as hear you’ve tried to contact my husband again, I’ll rip every hair out of your bastard head.’