Donny thought on his feet. She’d go ape if she knew where he’d really been. He avoided eye contact. ‘I had a few things to catch up with at work, you know, emails and that, remember I said this morning?’ She narrowed her eyes, watched him carefully as he walked across the kitchen to get a glass. ‘I phoned you, you never answered.’ He still couldn’t look at her and dipped his head in a cupboard.

‘I was going to ring for a takeaway – you hungry?’

‘No, I feel a bit sick if I’m being honest,’ Susan said quietly. He knew before he looked at her that something was wrong.

‘Are you alright? You seem a bit pissed off, have I done something to upset you, babe?’

Her lips started moving but no words were coming out. He sat down next to her, gave her a hug and she could smell perfume on him, the smell of lies and deceit. ‘I’m just due on my period, my head is banging, and I’ve got terrible cramps.’

He snuggled his head next to hers and kissed the side of her cheek – like that would make everything OK, the Judas.

‘Tell you what, take a couple of tablets, go and get in bed and I’ll order us some food and then I’ll make you a hot water bottle.’

Susan tried her best to smile but she was struggling. She stood up. ‘OK, I’ll go and get in my pyjamas,’ she said as she left the room.

In the bathroom she bolted the door with trembling hands and stood with her back to the door. ‘Bastard, bastard, bastard,’ she muttered under her breath. Her husband was a lying, cheating rat and it seemed that her fears were true. Well she’d show him this time. Susan walked over to the bathroom mirror and stared at her reflection. She smiled, nodded her head slowly. It was showtime.

Chapter Eight