Warning: Episode may contain strong language, violence and sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.

PREVIOUSLY…

• Glendale celebrated at the annual village fete.
• Jack and Lee were at crossroads in their marriage over the issue of having children. Despite his husband agreeing to read pamphlets on adoption and fostering, Jack was later left heartbroken to discover them discarded in the bin. He later confided in Queenie that he believed his marriage to Lee was coming to an end.
• Having previously pressured Tom to come clean about his affair, Emma was shocked when she discovered the identity of his secret lover.
• Ben made a throwaway comment to Emma that he was falling in love with her, to which Emma didn’t know how to respond.
• Kate and Ava went to London for the Taylor Swift concert.
• Rebecca confronted Neha at the village fete and vowed to make her pay for drunkenly slapping her young daughter, Poppy.
• Judith told Pamela the truth about Emma.
• Julia hired a private investigator to dig into Emma’s past.
• James was revealed as the man Neha had a drunken one-night stand with.
• James and Natalie’s affair continued, and she overheard the shocking conversation between James and Neha that revealed their one-night stand.

Bluebell Cottage,
Glendale

With the village fete over for another year, Jack Campbell and his husband, Lee, had returned home. While Jack prepared for another night shift, Lee had made the decision to have a quiet night in instead of spending it at the post-fete celebrations at The Oak & Vine. They had kept up appearances at the fete, but now, behind closed doors, they had reverted to their stilted new normal.

As Jack came downstairs, adjusting his neatly pressed police uniform, Lee cleared away the remnants of their dinner.

“I’ve packed you a snack,” Lee said over his shoulder, barely looking in his husband’s direction as he scraped the food scraps into the bin and loaded the dishwasher.

“Thanks.” The reply from Jack was cold and short and only intensified the tension that crackled between them. Taking his backpack from the countertop, Jack swung it over his shoulder and stopped, watching for a moment as Lee stood at the sink with his back to him. Yesterday, he had found the pamphlets on adoption and fostering that Lee had promised to read dumped in the garbage bin, and it had consumed his thoughts ever since.

“Have you had a chance to read those pamphlets yet?” Jack asked, throwing a line out to see what he’d catch in reply.

“Not yet,” Lee replied without hesitation and turned around to look back at his husband. An evidently false smile crossed his lips. “But I will. Don’t worry.”

The lie was like a knife to the heart. “Gonna be a bit hard when they’re at the dump.”

Lee’s smile dropped and a wave of guilt crashed over him. He swallowed hard, his mind scrambling to find something to fill the increasingly awkward silence that had settled between them. “Jack,” he stammered, buying precious seconds. “I… I’m sorry. I know I said I would read them, but… “

“But you had already made your mind up. Did you ever plan to read them, or were you just stringing me along with lies?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to change my mind, Jack,” Lee said firmly, biting the bullet and finally being honest with his husband.

Jack sighed and rubbed his temples at the beginnings of a headache. “But why? We’ve talked about this. We’ve always said we’d have a family.”

“You wanted a family,” Lee replied. “I just went along with it. I thought I could, but I can’t. I’m sorry if that’s not enough for you.”

“It’s not just about me,” Jack shot back with urgency in his voice. “It’s about us, Lee. Our future. I can’t just give up on something that’s always been a part of our plan.”

A level of frustration rose within Lee. “Plans change, Jack! People change. Maybe we’re not the same people we were when we got married.”

The words hung heavy in the air, suffocating the love that had once filled their home. Jack felt a lump forming in his throat. “So that’s it, then? After everything we’ve been through?”

Lee turned away, unable to handle the sadness sweeping over Jack’s face. “I don’t know,” he said with a heavy sigh as he looked out the window. “Maybe it is.”

The weight of Lee’s admission crashed over Jack like a tsunami. He clenched his fists, struggling to hold back tears. “I can’t do this right now,” he managed to choke out as his voice quivered.

Without another word, Jack grabbed his keys and stormed out of the house. The slamming of the front door echoed down the hallway.

Outside, in the warm air of the summer’s evening, Jack leaned against his car, trying to steady his breathing and understand just how they had ended up in a loveless abyss filled with bickering and tension. As he wiped away his tears, Jack felt the cracks in his marriage finally split wide open. The truth was now painfully clear – their marriage appeared over.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

The Oak & Vine,
Glendale

Inside The Oak & Vine, the atmosphere pulsed with electricity and joy as the locals celebrated another successful village fete. Garlands of flowers and strands of twinkling lights adorned the ceiling, while in the far corner, a band of local musicians had set up and were filling the air with lively tunes.

In prime position at a small table in the centre of the pub, ninety-two-year-old Audrey Granger, dressed in a simple floral cotton dress and lemon-yellow cardigan, nursed a half-finished glass of elderflower wine. She watched with a fond smile as her neighbours and friends mingled around her.

The pub was absolutely packed. At the bar, Marion Atkins chatted with Audrey’s daughter-in-law, Pamela Granger, as they each enjoyed a wine; Jasmine Atkins laughed with her fiancé Nick Harrington-Jones; Reverend Turner demonstrated a cricketing technique to Brian Granger; and Betty Worchester had cornered Marion’s husband, Ed, and appeared to be deep in conversation about something he clearly didn’t care about.

“Audrey, Lovie, ya gotta try the new stout they’ve got in,” said Queenie Baxter with a slightly intoxicated enthusiasm. She waved a frothy pint in her best friend’s direction as she hobbled over to the table, took a seat, and gulped down another satisfying swig of the dark liquid. “Bloody gorgeous it is!”

Audrey chuckled, shaking her head. “Maybe in a bit. I’m still recovering from Betty’s scones! Like golf balls they were!”

Queenie’s face crumpled and puckered at the mention of her lifelong rival. “Who can’t bake scones?” she sniffed with a slight snarl to her tone. “Useless as tits on a bull she is. Bloody hopeless!”

-:-

Tony Kennedy, the landlord of The Oak & Vine, stood behind the polished bar, his brow furrowed deeper than usual. It was supposed to be the busiest and most profitable night of the year, a night when the village came together after a successful fete to celebrate, drink merrily, and spend freely. But his wife, Carol, had agreed to have their grandsons for a sleepover, and she was now squirrelled away upstairs, looking after the young boys along with twins, Oliver and Poppy Granger, while Tony and barmaid Sally were left to deal with the heaving and thirsty crowd alone.

“Penny for them?” Rebecca Williams asked as she stood at the bar, having watched Tony mindlessly dry the same glass for the last several minutes.

Surprised, Tony whipped his head in Rebecca’s direction. Her friendly smile caught him off guard. “Sorry,” he said, placing the glass down on the bar and slinging the tea towel over his shoulder as he moved in her direction. “Million miles away. What can I get ya?”

“A glass of merlot, thanks.” Rebecca watched Tony curiously as he set about pouring her a glass of wine. “Is everything okay?” she asked with a sincere concern. “You don’t look so happy, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Tony let out a deep sigh as he placed the glass of wine down on the bar in front of Rebecca and took her money. “It’s Carol. She agreed to have Harry and Noah for a sleepover, tonight of all nights,” he grumbled, as he began stacking pint glasses with more force than necessary. “She’s doing Tom a favour as he’s stressed, apparently. Stressed or not, it’s the busiest night of the year for us. And now we’ve got Harry and Noah upstairs, and I’m down here struggling along with only Sally to help me. Now who’s stressed?”

Rebecca could sense there was something deeper to Tony’s frustrations, but she didn’t want to pry. Instead, she flashed a sympathetic smile. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nah, just letting me get it off my chest was more than enough, love.” Tony forced a smile. He glanced across the pub to where Tom stood, deep in conversation with Brian, Reverend Turner, and Ashwin Patel. They were laughing heartily, beers in hand, seemingly without a care in the world. “Yeah, he looks really stressed,” Tony muttered sarcastically under his breath as he began wiping down the bar with enough force to strip it of its varnish.

-:-

Across the pub, Tom Spencer nursed a pint of ale, unaware of his stepfather’s cynicism. As laughter and chatter bubbled around him, Tom joined in occasionally but couldn’t help feeling lost and unseen in the crowded venue. His phone buzzed in his pocket, drawing his attention away from the lively conversation about tomorrow’s cricket match against Marden. Tom glanced at the screen, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he saw the familiar name.

Kate

He tapped on the text, and it opened to reveal a photo of his wife and their fifteen-year-old daughter, Ava, grinning widely against the backdrop of a colourful stage.

Having the best time at Tay-Tay! Wish you were here with us. Love you!

Tom smiled warmly at the image and typed out a quick reply. Returning his phone to his pocket, he glanced around the pub, where the night was still in full swing. While the band played “Agadoo,” Tom took a sip of his pint and became lost in his own thoughts. Everything seemed a bit too much, a bit too hard. He felt adrift and almost as if the room seemed to be in some sort of strobe-light-induced delay. With another sip, he knew what would cure his blues and make him feel better.

-:-

“I’m sorry about what I said yesterday,” Ben Granger said sheepishly as he and Emma Blake sat at a table near the doors of the crammed pub. Embarrassed by his comment that Emma was making it hard for a man not to fall in love with her, Ben found himself unable to meet her gaze and instead focused on his pint glass as his fingers traced the rim.

Emma, with a cautious eye on Tom, sucked in her lips and formed a smile that was a mixture of cringe and happiness. “Really, it was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She reached across the table and rubbed Ben’s hand sympathetically. “Consider it forgotten.”

Ben looked up at her and smiled. The genuine smile that greeted his gaze stirred something in him, and he felt his feelings growing for the woman he’d only known a few weeks. It had been a whirlwind romance, but there was something about Emma that Ben felt drawn to, and there was a deep connection he couldn’t explain. “Thanks,” he said rather sheepishly, his cheeks still flushed. With a sniff, he tactfully changed subject. “Did I tell you I’m thinking about opening a farm shop?”

With a raised brow of interest, Emma took a sip of her Shiraz and then leaned in closer. “No, you didn’t. But that sounds like a brilliant idea!”

“Thanks.” Ben leaned back in his chair, allowing the atmosphere of the pub to wash over him as his thoughts turned to his new venture. “I’m going to convert one of the barns near London Road into a shop and sell things from the farm,” he said, his eyes twinkling as ideas fizzed in his brain. “I’ve also talked to Tom and Kate about selling dairy products from Greystone Downs, and Lee’s on board to sell some bread and other baked items. I’m hoping the W.I. will come on board too. Make it a proper village venture.”

“It all sounds brilliant,” Emma replied with an encouraging grin, charmed by Ben’s exuberance at his new idea. “Just like you.”

-:-

At the bar, having ordered another drink, Pamela watched Ben and Emma intently, unable to take her eyes off the pair as they shared a tender kiss. Judith Bancroft’s revelation earlier in the day that Emma wasn’t who she said she was played on repeat in Pamela’s mind, and she now feared that her son had fallen hard and fast for a woman he knew nothing about.

“There ya go, Pam,” Tony said, placing a large glass of red wine on the bar.

“Thank you, Tony.” Pamela forced a smile, took a long swig, and prepared herself. She had to tell Ben the truth. She had to tell him what Judith had told her. She had to protect her son from the woman who would no doubt destroy him.

-:-

“Finally escaped the clutches of Betty, I see,” Marion said with a chuckle, taking a sip of her red wine as Ed slipped into the booth to join her, Jasmine, and Nick. There was still a heavy uneasiness between husband and wife, but Marion did her best to push her doubts aside and put on a confident display of love and trust while they were in public.

Ed groaned and rolled his eyes as his shoulders slumped. “That woman,” he sighed wearily. “She’s like a leech. She just sucks the life outta ya.”

“Oh, poor Betty,” Jasmine replied, leaning back to watch as Betty hobbled across the pub to the bar, all the while receiving daggers from Queenie. “She’s harmless, really. She’s just a lonely old woman; I kinda like her in a weird way.”

“Well, you’re welcome to her!” Ed snuffled and downed the last dregs of his pint.

Marion’s attention turned to Nick. Her daughter’s fiancé seemed lost in his thoughts as he watched the tiny bubbles of his ale rise to the surface in his glass. “Everything okay?”

“Hmm?” Nick looked up, brought back to reality by Marion’s question.

“I asked if everything is okay.” Marion repeated with a smile that masked her concern. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”

“I’m good, thanks anyway, Marion,” Nick replied with a smile as he lifted his pint to his lips.

Jasmine interlocked her fingers in Nick’s and gave his hand a squeeze. She loved the bones of the man, but she too sensed something was amiss. “Your parents not coming?”

Nick shook his head as he swallowed his beer. “Nah,” he replied with a sniff as he sucked in his lips and rolled them over each other. “Dad had some work, and mum didn’t feel up to it.”

Ed scoffed. “Queen Julia missing out on an opportunity to hold court after the village fete? Has hell frozen over?”

“Ed!” Marion barked, her eyes wide with horror.

Jasmine looked back at her father in disbelief, her mouth agape, while Nick winced and tried to force a smile.

Ed suddenly looked sheepish as he realised he had verbalised his internal thoughts. “Another drink, anyone?”

With his question ignored, Ed scurried off to the bar while Marion attempted to get the conversation back on track. “Ignore him,” she said with a reassuring smile. “He doesn’t mean it.”

“It’s fine.” Nick brushed Marion off with a smile and a wave. “He’s right. Mum wouldn’t usually miss a chance to lord it over everyone. But it’s cool. You’re my family too, and, if I’m being honest, I much prefer your company.”

Marion gently pressed a hand to her chest, heartened and humbled at Nick’s kind words. He was the perfect fit for Jasmine, and Marion was only too happy to have welcomed him into the family and made him feel at home.

-:-

With a long, deep exhale of breath, Pamela placed her now empty wine glass down on the bar and made her way across the pub towards Ben and Emma’s table.

Emma let out a raucous laugh and threw her head back, delighted at Ben’s hilarious story. Admittedly, the Shiraz was playing its part and making the tale seem funnier than it really was, but Emma was enjoying herself too much to care.

Ben leaned forward, loving the reaction he was receiving as he reached the crescendo that he knew would tip Emma over the edge. “And then Ollie said tha—”

“Sorry, darling,” Pamela interrupted her son mid-sentence with a pinched mouth and a tight glare. “Can I steal you away for a moment?”

Ben glanced up at his mother, nodded, and then looked back at Emma in an attempt to brush his mother off. “Yep, in a second, mum, I’m just—”

“Now, please, Benjamin. It is important.”

Benjamin. The name hung in the air and instantly murdered the jovial atmosphere at the table. Pamela only ever used his proper name when it was serious, and Ben was instantly worried. His smile evaporated as he looked back at his mother with concerned eyes, searching her face for some sense of understanding. “Okay,” he said before looking back at Emma. “Just give me a couple of minutes. You’re going to love the ending, I promise.”

Emma smiled, nodded, and took another sip of her Shiraz as Ben rose from his seat. A sudden sense of dread filled her as she watched Pamela take her son by the arm and lead him out of the pub, but not before firing off a stern glance in her direction. Emma wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but there was something about the serious tone in Pamela’s voice that concerned her.

-:-

Seated at a corner table was the village vicar, Reverend Turner, a dangerously handsome young man with a perpetual smile and a gentle demeanour. He looked up from his half-finished pint as Queenie approached, his eyes crinkling in recognition. “Hello, Queenie!”

“Evenin’, Vicar,” the elderly woman replied. “Mind if I join ya?” She didn’t wait for an answer and slipped into the chair opposite him before sliding a glass of port and lemon across the table towards him. “A port an’ lemon for ya achievements today.”

Reverend Turner cocked an eyebrow. “Achievements?”

“For judgin’ the cake contest an’ wipin’ that smug grin from Betty Worchester’s face,” Queenie replied and winked playfully. “We showed ‘er, didn’t we, Vicar!”

A frown settled over Reverend Turner’s brow as a nervous chuckle escaped him. “I assure you, Queenie, my judgement was purely impartial.”

“Yes, of course, Vicar,” Queenie said as she patted his hand patronisingly. “But ya don’t have to pretend with me. I know ya hate Betty as much as we all do.”

“I love all my congregation equally.”

Queenie leaned in closer. “Oh, come now, Vicar. Ya can’t fool me. I know a secret when I see one.”

Reverend Turner gulped and furrowed his brow. “And what secret would that be, Queenie?” he asked with a slight tone of apprehension.

Queenie tapped the side of her nose knowingly. “That ya ‘ave ya favourites, and I’m one of them.”

The vicar chuckled, realising she was teasing as a silent sigh of relief escaped him. “You’re a perceptive one, Queenie. But I assure you, I strive to treat everyone fairly.”

Queenie grinned and lifted her pint in a mock toast. “Well, ya secret’s safe with me, Vicar. Cheers!”

As Queenie and Reverend Turner clinked their glasses together, he forced a smile and internally cursed himself for allowing his façade to falter so easily.

-:-

Ashwin let out a hearty laugh in response to a rather tasteless joke Brian had made, and Tom watched them, his face unmoved. He could sense there was an insincerity to Ashwin’s laughter, almost as if he was appeasing Brian. Tom’s eyes moved to his uncle, who looked smug and self-righteous. The joke that he had just made carried a not-so-subtle tone of racism, and Tom knew that Ashwin would be internally reeling from it but too polite to say anything, so instead, he had forced a laugh. After everything Ashwin had been going through lately with his wife, Neha, this was supposed to be a night out to let him enjoy himself, relax, and forget about his troubles. Instead, Tom cringed as he watched Ashwin capitulate to Brian’s troubling and racist comments.

Tom’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He instinctively withdrew it, and as his eyes scanned the screen, his heart fluttered, and a bolt of excitement ricocheted through his body. “Sorry fells,” he lied, pretending to take a call. “I’ve gotta take this.” Tom quickly downed the last of his beer, slammed the empty glass down on the nearest table, and hurried out of the pub.

At the bar, Tony’s eyes narrowed as he watched his stepson scurry out of the pub and disappear into the night.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Ashbourne House,
Glendale

In the morning room, with the faint aroma of jasmine wafting in through the large, opened sash window on the night’s breeze, Julia Harrington-Jones sat on the blue chintz Chesterfield sofa, her hands placed neatly in her lap, as she stared absently out of the window in silence. The immaculately maintained gardens of Ashbourne House were laid out before her, illuminated by a pale moonlight.

Julia’s mind swirled with anxious thoughts about what the private investigator could have discovered that was so urgent, and she found herself practically paralysed with anticipation. Her fingers began tapping nervously against the thighs. After speaking to the P.I. on the phone, he had suggested an urgent meeting on Monday, but Julia had found herself too terrified to confirm.

As her eyes swept around the morning room, Julia surveyed the life she had carefully curated for herself. From her marriage to James, to her son, and her lavish surroundings, everything had been planned with meticulous attention to detail, and now it all hung by a thread that felt like it was growing more fragile with each passing day.

With a sigh, Julia picked up her iPhone and typed out a quick text with her thumbs.

10 a.m. Monday is fine.

She hit send, and as the message flittered off, Julia’s heart thumped heavily in time with the clock on the mantelpiece that ticked away the minutes.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Thyme Cottage,
Glendale

Neha Patel sat slouched on the plush sofa, empty bottles strewn around like casualties of a battle she couldn’t remember starting. Her encounter with Rebecca earlier in the day had left her humiliated, and when she closed her eyes, she could see the faces of all the villagers who looked at her with a mix of disgust, disdain, and second-hand embarrassment. But really, it was the humiliation she felt after her conversation with James Harrington-Jones, the married man that she had a drunken quickie with in the toilets of the Oak & Vine a few weeks ago, that had tipped her over the edge.

Ashwin had gone to the pub to enjoy a night out, and, while he hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, Neha had lied and promised she would be fine. She wanted Ashwin gone. She wanted to be alone to find the usual relief that only alcohol could provide.

As Neha scanned the living room, her gaze settled upon her phone lying on the coffee table. With bleary eyes, she squinted at the screen, and in a surge of drunken courage, she quickly tapped out yet another message. Her thumbs fumbled over the screen, and her words were sharp with hurt and anger.

With a heavy breath, she hit send. Tears welled in her eyes, and as she unsteadily rose to her feet, she set off to the kitchen to find another bottle of relief.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

The Oak & Vine,
Glendale

Outside, in the warm summer evening, Ben and Pamela stood to the side of the Oak & Vine’s main doors. The air was sweetened with the fragrance of petunias, begonias, and lobelias.

“What’s so important?” Ben asked, a heavy frown settled on his brow as he folded his arms across his broad chest.

Pamela felt herself stiffen, unsure of exactly how to say what Judith had told her earlier at the fete. The truth about Emma had rocked Pamela to her core, and her mother’s instinct was telling her that she needed to warn her son before he fell any harder for the village’s new doctor. “Well, you see, the thing is…” Pamela began, although her voice trailed off. She shifted on the spot and cleared her throat, glancing up to the heavens for some sort of divine intervention. “It’s about Emma.”

Ben shifted his weight to his right side and tilted his head. “What about Emma?”

Pamela’s mouth was dry. She needed water. She tried to swallow, but all it did was make her throat tighten. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re moving on from Rebecca, especially after everything she put you through.”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’ coming along?”

“But,” Pamela continued, “how much do you really know about her, Benny? I mean, really know about her?”

Ben’s frown deepened into a scowl, and his mouth seemed to turn at the corners in a look of disgust. “What do you mean? Emma’s amazing. She’s the best thing to happen to me in ages, and I—”

“She’s not who she says she is,” Pamela interjected quickly, her usually soft and pleasant voice giving way to an urgent and forceful tone.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Her name isn’t Emma Blake; it’s Emily Barlow.”

“What?” Ben looked at his mother, his mouth agape as her words rang in his ears. “What are you talking about? Are you feeling alright?”

“Judith told me.”

“Judith?” Ben didn’t understand. He looked around as if hoping to find someone to offer some sort of explanation. “What’s Judith got to do with this? What do you mean Emma’s name is Emily Barlow?”

Pamela stepped forward and placed her hands on Ben’s biceps, looking deeply into her son’s eyes. “Judith told me today that Emma’s name is really Emily Barlow. She is also a drug addict and a former prostitute. She used to date Michael, that’s how Judith knows.”

Ben felt his world shatter in an instant. His body tingled with a hot, prickly sweat, and his ears thumped with the sound of swooshing blood. Pamela’s revelation didn’t seem real. Ben heard the words come out of his mother’s mouth, but it all felt like some sort of bad dream.

“I’m sorry, Benny,” Pamela said, rubbing her son’s arms by way of comforting him. “I’m so sorry.”

Through the window, Ben caught sight of Emma laughing as she joined Jasmine and Marion on the dancefloor. She seemed so happy, so innocent. The familiar anger that once poisoned his bloodstream began to bubble away. While he didn’t want to believe what his mother had just told him, Ben couldn’t see a reason why Judith would make up something so shocking. He let out a deep exhale of breath, angry that he had allowed himself to believe that, for once, happiness had found him, and cursed himself for letting down his guard so quickly.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Pineview House,
Glendale

Natalie Sinclair lay in bed, a thin sheet draped loosely over her naked body as she scrolled through Instagram on her phone. The soft patter of water from the shower echoed in the bathroom as James, her married boss, took a shower. They had finished another steamy romp moments earlier, and now, while James washed away the sin, Natalie lay still, hoping that the damaged condom James had unknowingly used would bring her the trump card she so desperately wanted.

In the pocket of his jeans that were abandoned in passion and tossed onto the floor, James’ phone vibrated. With her curiosity piqued, Natalie reached for the trousers and allowed the sheet to fall. She removed the phone quickly, and her rich eyes scanned the Facebook Messenger push notification emblazoned across the screen.

Neha Patel
fuck you james!!!

Natalie’s eyes twinkled with a mixture of delight and fascination at the unexpected message. Earlier in the day, she had overheard the scandalous conversation between James and Neha about their one-night stand when he had accidentally butt-dialled her. Now, with this new delicious titbit displayed before her, Natalie found it too irresistible to ignore. With practiced ease from the passcode she had committed to memory, she unlocked James’ phone and scanned the conversation thread that was entirely one-sided.

James, we need to talk. Please call me. My number is…

James, please.

James! Please call me! It is urgent!

Read? James, please. We need to talk about the other night.

So you can reaa dthese mes sages but not reply ? Fuck y ou!

Sorry. I’m anxious. Please don’t tell Ash.

Are you going to fucking reply or just leave me on fucking read?! You have more to lose than me! PLEASE REPLY!

James!

your e a fcuking cunt!!! fuk yo u!!!! yoou re a fkcuings shit fuck anyway!!! small dicked fkcuning wannker pompos cunt prick! fuck y ou!!

Sorry, I’d had a drink. Please, James, please. I just need you to say you’re going to keep what happened between us. Please!

James! Answer me please 🙏

you dont get to talk to me like that you fuck ing piece of shit you took advantage of me i was drunk an d you took advanteg! fuck you!!

fuck you james!!!

Delighted at the shocking messages, Natalie grabbed her phone and quickly took photos of all the ignored texts, adding more weaponry to her already bulging arsenal. As she heard the water stop and the shower be turned off, Natalie quickly returned James’ phone to the pocket of his jeans and flopped back onto the bed, unable to hide the wicked smile from her face.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Kent Police Headquarters,
Maidstone

The harsh strip lighting of his office, which was no bigger than a closet, made Jack look washed out as he sat at his desk, alone in the stillness of the night as he endured another lonely shift in the near-empty police station. With a heavy heart, he stared at the framed photograph of him and Lee on their wedding day. The cheerful smiles that beamed back at Jack now seemed so foreign and a reminder of happier times now long gone.

The disagreement from earlier in the evening played on Jack’s mind. Words spoken in anger cut deeper than any blade, and their marriage, once a source of happiness, love, and understanding, now felt like it was on an unchangeable trajectory to disaster.

With a deep exhale of breath, Jack picked up his phone, and the screen illuminated his tired face. He hesitated for a moment before finally biting the bullet and composing a message.

I love you xoxo

Jack pressed send, and the blue iMessage swooshed off into the ether.

Although he didn’t expect a reply at this time of night, and as the seconds stretched into minutes, Jack couldn’t help but feel that a comforting or loving reply would never come.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Premier Inn London Wembley Stadium Hotel,
London

With the pulsating energy of the Taylor Swift concert still coursing through their veins, Kate Spencer and her daughter, Ava, returned to their hotel room. The euphoria of an unforgettable night meant that it would be doubtful either one would get a wink of sleep.

Ava walked over to the mirror and admired the black hat firmly fixed on her head. She still couldn’t believe it. Taylor, the Taylor, had given her the 22 hat. She was almost too scared to touch it. “I still can’t believe it, mum,” she said, her eyes fixated on the black hat in the reflection.

With a broad smile on her lips, Kate collapsed onto the plush king-size hotel bed. “It’s amazing,” she said, her heart full of happiness. “The whole night has been amazing!”

While the magic of the concert repeated in her mind, Ava needed to share her happiness. “We need to call dad!”

“Yes!” Kate agreed rather overexcitedly. She withdrew her iPhone from her pocket and, with eager fingers, scrolled through her contacts. She pressed Tom’s name. The phone rang and rang and rang. With each passing ring, Kate’s excitement waned until, finally, the call went to voicemail.

“Hi, you’ve reached Tom. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”

As a shrill beep blared in her ear, Kate refused to let her rising irritation dampen her spirits. “Tom!” she screeched excitedly in her Welsh accent. “Why aren’t you answering?! Actually, I know you’re probably sleeping, but oh my God, Tom! Oh. My. God! Ava got the twenty-two hat!” Kate looked at her daughter, her eyes wide in amazement as the words left her lips. She still couldn’t quite believe it. “She got the actual hat from the actual Taylor Swift! Do you know what a big deal that is? Oh God! I don’t know whose more excited, me or her! I wish you would answer. We’re absolutely buzzin’, we are! I can’t believe it! She was right there, Tom! Taylor! Right there! Taylor-bloody-Swift! Oh my God! I’ll try you again in the morning before we head home. I miss you. I love you! Bye!”

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Bluebell Cottage,
Glendale

In the darkness of the night, Bluebell Cottage was silent and still. The gold carriage clock, a wedding gift from Lee’s paternal grandmother, Winnie, ticked rhythmically on the mantelpiece in the living room, the only sign of life on the ground floor.

Upstairs, a dim light shone from under the door to the master bedroom. Inside, a silver bedside lamp with a modern white lampshade was on, its warm glow casting moving shadows across the large room. The marital king-size bed that Lee and Jack shared creaked with the constant and unmistakeable rhythm of sex.

A moan escaped Lee’s lips as he buried his face into a pillow, unable to suppress the pleasure that consumed him. Amidst the moans was the sound of flesh slapping against flesh as Lee’s lover banged his hips harder and harder against him with each powerful thrust.

With almost primal grunts and groans, Tom threw back his head as he pushed faster and harder.

They had been together for months, stealing steamy sessions when Jack was on night shift, and Tom had lied to Kate that he was at the weekly Oak & Vine darts competition.

Tom’s rhythm sped up.

What had started as an unlikely friendship soon turned into something physical following a few drinks at the pub. Lee had drunkenly placed a hand on Tom’s thigh, and Tom, allowing himself to give in to the feelings that haunted him for a lifetime, kissed him. From there, passion and lust replaced logic and faithfulness. Tom felt liberated and empowered to act on his homosexual feelings, while Lee was able to escape into a hedonistic world he had long ago been forced to abandon through marriage.

Tom’s rhythm increased, his breathing quickened, and he erupted in climax.

On the bedside table, his phone lit up.

Voicemail
New Voicemail

Kate
Missed Call

NEXT TIME…

• Ben seeks answers.
• Jack uncovers the truth.