Helen froze, then rushed out of the pool house. She halted on the grass, unsure what she was looking at initially. The long, stained glass window looked sunken in and it took her a moment to realise it was shattered. Beyond the jagged bits of glass she could make out shapes, bodies wrestling and fighting, male voices shouting.

“Hugh?”

Matt came up behind her. “Dad!”

They ran up to the house and burst through the kitchen doors. Helen could hear grunting and panting. At the top of the staircase, dancing across the shards of glass, were Hugh and Peter, throwing punches and kicking out at each other like children.

“Hugh! Peter! Stop!”

Peter stopped in mid-punch and turned his face to Helen, only for Hugh to land a slap across his cheek, then they started again. They were now halfway up the stairs and Helen shouted again, begging them to stop.

She turned to Matt. “Matt, get Lydia and Mills out of here. I’ll sort this.” Matt looked unsure, but for once did what he was told and shuffled them into the lounge, closing the door behind them.

The men paused in their assault, panting and sweating.

“Peter, why are you still here?” Helen said.

“He just came at me! I was about to leave, but he threw himself at me like an animal.” Peter’s voice was squeaking.

“Get out of my house! I’ve paid you enough,” Hugh growled. “You’re not getting another penny.”

“You owe me – I’ve lost everything!”

“Leave my wife alone! She’s mine!”

“I’ll tell everyone about her!”

And they started again.

Helen was getting annoyed.

“Hugh, I am not yours! You do not own me! And Peter, get over yourself,” Helen shouted. “Do you really think anyone will care? So I had an affair. Big deal! So has half this village! You’ve lost more than me. Your wife, your family, future jobs if this comes out. No one would believe your story about me sexually harassing you. Even Sally didn’t! I bet I wasn’t the first pathetic housewife you’ve picked up and I won’t be the last.”

“You’re right. I should’ve been paying you, because you are just a little whore,” he said bitterly.

Hugh roared in a fury Helen had never seen from him before. He stepped forward and pushed Peter away hard. Peter was knocked backwards off balance, his arms pinwheeling to remain upright, and Helen had a moment of complete déjà vu before he toppled backwards towards the broken window.