Page 32 of The In-Laws

‘How often did you have unprotected sex?’

‘I … we … Only that one time.’

Amanda clapped her hands slowly. ‘The one miraculous time you had unprotected sex she gets pregnant. Wow, go you! Mr Fertile. Do you think I’m a total moron, Ross? Let me repeat my question, how often did you have unprotected sex with her?’

‘Twice, maybe three times. It’s not … I’m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.’

‘So when you were sticking your penis inside her, whatwereyou thinking, Ross? My wife will never find out? I can do what I want? I don’t care about Amanda’s feelings? I can shag who I like? I don’t need protection, I can be reckless, and to hell if my wife contracts a sexually transmitted infection? Was it any of those thoughts that crossed your mind?’

He wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand. ‘I know I’ve failed you really badly. I swear to you,I’m so ashamed and sorry. I never meant to hurt you, or for any of this to happen. I don’t know what to do. It’s a total mess.’

‘It’s not a mess, Ross, it’s a cataclysmic shit-show,’ she’d screamed, and flung a cup at his head.

Looking back on it now, Amanda felt sorry for herself – that she had blindly believed things couldn’t get any worse, that her life had been ruined as much as it was possible to be ruined. She shook her head to think of it. She’d been so naïve. A week later, Theo was asked to leave his school and that was it. Her beautiful, successful London life was blown to smithereens.

And now Ruby was posting thinly veiled threats on social media. How much time did they have before she revealed who her baby-daddy was? Then the whole world would know their shame. Why had the two people Amanda loved most in the world, her husband and son, had to let her down so badly? All she had ever done was love them, support them and care for them. Maybe she had done too much. Maybe she had sacrificed too much. Her whole life had been devoted to their happiness and they had flung that back in her face. Who was she? Amanda: a failed wife, a failed mother, a failed human. What was she without her family? Nobody. Nothing. She did not exist outside her identity as a mother and wife. She had no other life. Amanda had never felt so acutely alone.

11. Katie

Katie sat down on Toby’s bed. He looked adorable in his navy pyjamas with fire engines all over them. Beside them, Lucy was lying on top of her bed in her pale-blue pyjamas with white clouds, reading a book.

‘Mummy, will you read me a story?’ Toby asked.

‘Why don’t we get Lucy to do it?’ Katie tried to fudge it.

‘No, Mummy, I want you to do it. Lucy reads too fast and she gets grumpy when I ask her to slow down.’

‘You want a snail to read to you,’ Lucy piped up from behind her copy ofJames and the Giant Peach. ‘When I was your age I read my own books to myself. I didn’t need anyone to read to me. You’re a baby, Toby.’

‘I am NOT a baby!’ Toby roared.

‘Hey.’ Katie frowned. ‘Toby is not a baby, and just because you are an advanced reader doesn’t mean you have to be nasty to your brother. Toby’s a great boy.’

‘Yes, I is.’ Toby punched himself in the chest.

‘Am.’ Lucy sniggered.

‘Lucy!’ Katie warned.

‘Mummy, will you read meHairy Maclary?’ Toby said.

Damn, she hated that bloody book. It had all these character names that had lots of letters and were difficult to pronounce.

Katie’s palms were beginning to sweat. She didn’t want to read in front of Lucy. She knew she’d make mistakes and her daughter would notice.

‘Mummy!’ Toby shoved the book into his mother’s hands. Katie began reading slowly to Toby.

Lucy snorted. ‘It’sSchnitzelvon Krumm, not Sknizel von Rum – you’re reading it all wrong.’

As much as Katie loved that Lucy was bright and precocious, sometimes she really wished she was less so.

‘It’s a silly made-up name, it doesn’t matter.’ Katie tried not to sound too defensive.

‘Miss Kerrigan says pronouncing words correctly is very important. Otherwise you’ll never learn to read properly.’

Well, I didn’t, and I don’t, and I’m embarrassed, and I wish you would shut up, Katie wanted to scream. Her face felt hot.

‘It’s okay, Mummy, go on. I don’t care about stupid old Schnitzel von Krumm.’ Toby patted her arm.

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