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Prologue
Two months previously
Amelia walked out of the meeting and threw the box of homemade muffins in the bin. She always made them for these last-Friday-of-the-month meetings. But she had kept her hands gripped on the lid throughout. She didn’t wish to share them after what they had just told her.
She knew redundancies were a possibility, but hadn’t actually expected to loseherjob. She’d been with the drinks company for five years and things had changed. Rising overheads and lower profit margins meant they’d had to streamline the business and outsource their marketing budget. Her job as marketing manager was obsolete with immediate effect. Standing by her desk ? though it was all hot-desking these days ? she cast a glance around the office. Her colleague and manager, Cara, coughed behind her.
‘Sorry, Amelia. Please don’t take it personally.’ Her face was flushed and she did at least look slightly awkward.
Amelia sat down, twisting her platinum wedding band. What would Declan say? How would they ever be able to afford to buy their own home if they were going to need to survive on one income?
She glanced over at her best friend, Suna, who was the receptionist and sat at the top of the open-plan office. Suna winked at her and smiled, which made her feel slightly better.
‘The thing is, Amelia . . .’
Amelia swivelled her chair around to look at Cara, who stood behind her.
‘Well, we need you to leave now.’
Amelia burst out laughing. ‘You’re joking, right?’
Cara hopped from one foot to the other. ‘No, I’m not . . . it’s company policy.’
Amelia shook her head in disbelief. Standing up, she pulled on her blazer and swept the few possessions she had on the desk into her handbag. She strode defiantly towards the kitchen.
‘Um, where are you going?’
‘Well, you told me to take all my belongings. I think that includes my things in the kitchen.’ Amelia marched in, opened a cupboard door and retrieved a box of peppermint tea. ‘I might have left them for you if I felt a bit more generous — I know how much you like to help yourself to them.’ With a toss of her ponytail, she reached for her mug on the draining board and threw it in her bag. It saidNewly Marriedin bright-pink lettering. ‘I’m going, Cara. You don’t need to escort me off the premises.’
Cara smiled tightly as she continued to hover next to Amelia until they reached the lifts.
‘Bye, Suna,’ Amelia said. ‘I’m leaving, as you can probably tell.’
‘I’ll give you a call, Amelia. Keep smiling, my love, and go and see that gorgeous husband of yours.’
Cara was still lingering. ‘I hope we can still be friends,’ she said as an afterthought.
Amelia stepped into the lift and turned around. ‘Sure,’ she said. ‘Besties.’
Somehow, she managed to hold her emotions in until she reached the front door of their shoebox flat. At least Declan was working from home today. Things could always be worse. So much for upsizing, she thought, as she spotted the piles of wedding presents dominating the living room.
‘Declan,’ she called, walking into the bedroom and kicking off her shoes. She went into the kitchen, noticing how tidy it was, and filled the kettle. How good of him to clear up and declutter the surfaces. She momentarily wondered where he had put the coffee maker they’d been given as a gift, then saw the white envelope propped up against the toaster with her name on the front.
Strange. Had she missed something? A special date? She scanned her brain and realised it was their three-month anniversary. How sweet of him to remember. She ran her finger under the rim of the envelope and opened it in anticipation. Declan used to write her poems when they’d first got together. Maybe he’d written her an ode? She unfolded the paper and began to read.
Dear Amelia,
I’m so very sorry to be doing this. But I don’t know what else to do. I have tried. But married life isn’t for me. Please don’t think you have done anything wrong. You are amazing and wonderful. I want you to be happy. You deserve someone who loves you one hundred per cent.
I’ve taken my stuff and am staying with a friend. The rent is paid for the next two months, so I hope that’s one less thing to worry about. Please don’t try to change my mind. I can’t go on like this. I am so sorry.
Declan
The paper fluttered from her hands onto the floor. Amelia collapsed into a chair and sat in silent disbelief. Then the tears finally came and her whole body shuddered as she sobbed.
Chapter One
Describe yourself in ten words:
