About the Author

LAURA ZIEPE lives in Brentwood in Essex with her husband Terry, three-year-old twins Harry and Darcey, and two dogs. Laura has always loved writing from a young age and was often writing stories from as young as eight. After leaving sixth form and working in office jobs for a year in London, Laura decided to go to university. Unsure what to study, Laura’s oldest friend asked her what her ideal job would be. Immediately answering ‘author’, Laura followed her dreams and chose a degree in Creative Writing and English at St Mary’s University in Twickenham. As well as writing books, she is a freelance make-up artist and loves travelling as much as she can. She has previously written two novels, Essex Girls and Made in Essex and hopes to be writing for many years to come. You can follow Laura on Twitter @lauraziepe or on Instagram @lauraziepewriter.

’Tis the Season to be Single
LAURA ZIEPE

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018

Copyright © Laura Ziepe 2018

Laura Ziepe asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © October 2018 ISBN: 9780008318482

Version: 2018-09-19

Table of Contents

Cover

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Dear Reader

Keep Reading …

About the Publisher

I would like to dedicate this book to the three loves of my life; my husband Terry and our beautiful twins, Harry and Darcey.

Chapter 1

‘Perhaps he’s going to propose?’ Grace said cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she bent down to arrange a drawer of lipsticks.

Rachel frowned anxiously, biting her lower lip as she stared at the twinkly fairy lights and sparkly giant baubles above. The Christmas decorations had just gone up and they usually put her in a good mood instantly, but not today. Her boyfriend of three years, Mark, had called on her lunch break to check she was coming straight home as he needed to talk to her.

‘No, I really don’t think that’s it,’ she replied fretfully. ‘He sounded really serious on the phone and Mark is never normally like that. It was as though someone had died. Which they haven’t, thank goodness, because it was the first thing I asked when I heard his sombre voice.’

‘Well, getting married is a huge deal,’ Grace pointed out, tucking her shoulder-length dark hair behind her ear. ‘He’s probably just nervous.’ She smiled widely. ‘You should have seen Simon when he proposed to me. He was shaking so much I thought he was going to drop the ring.’

Rachel gave a light laugh. ‘I’m not so sure…’ She tailed off, unable to imagine Mark proposing on such an ordinary day. Firstly, it was a Wednesday and they didn’t have plans that evening to do anything special, and secondly, Christmas was just around the corner. Surely if Mark was going to propose he’d choose to do so on Christmas Day? She could just imagine it at the Christmas table, surrounded by Mark’s lovely family as they gushed over the beautiful diamond ring. He wouldn’t do it on a random Wednesday at the beginning of November, would he? Rachel felt like she’d been waiting forever for him to propose, but try as she might, she just couldn’t imagine that being the reason he needed to talk to her.

‘Don’t look so worried,’ Grace told her, in a comforting, caring voice. ‘I’m sure if it was that urgent, he would have just told you over the phone.’

Rachel forced a smile and nodded her head. ‘Yes, I’m sure you’re right. It’s probably nothing. I bet it’s to do with his work or something along those lines. He’s been so stressed over work lately; perhaps he’s quit his job? It wouldn’t be the worst thing.’

‘Has Bianca mentioned anything?’ Grace questioned curiously. ‘Perhaps she knows what all this is about?’

Bianca was Rachel’s best friend from primary school. When Bianca had been made redundant the year before, Rachel had managed to persuade Mark to get her a job at the bank he worked for in London. Bianca had been over the moon and so grateful. Rachel’s forehead wrinkled.

‘No, she hasn’t, and I spoke to her last night. They only work in the same building though. They’re in completely different departments so I can’t imagine she’d know anything anyway. It’s not like they’re friends or anything.’ Rachel heaved a loud sigh. ‘There’s no point in me guessing all day. I’ll just have to wait and see.’

‘Exactly,’ Grace said, pulling out a lipstick and taking the cap off. ‘Put on a bit of red lippie to get into the festive spirit and everything will be fine,’ she smiled, passing the lipstick over.

It was quiet today in Tidemans, the department store they worked in. With Christmas fast approaching, Rachel knew it was the calm before the storm and she should appreciate the peace and quiet. Right now though, she also knew that she’d welcome the distraction of some customers, as all she could think about was what Mark wanted to say to her. As much as she’d pressed him on the phone, he’d been adamant he wanted to discuss it face to face. It couldn’t be anything that bad, could it? A feeling of unease crept up on her. Everything had been fine in their relationship; a little same-old and predictable maybe, but Rachel loved the feeling of being completely comfortable and they were happy, weren’t they? Who cared if she no longer had the butterflies like at the beginning? That feeling didn’t last forever in any relationship, and Mark was the man Rachel wanted to marry. He was the one. For the past year she’d been hoping he was going to propose and she couldn’t deny she’d felt a little disappointed after every night out in a restaurant or trip away together when she’d still come back empty handed. What if Grace was right? What if he really was going to propose today? Rachel applied the red lipstick with a brush and puckered her lips together. At least she could make sure she looked nice if he was going to pop the question.

Rachel loved working with Grace on the make-up counter for Pop Cosmetics and they’d become great friends over the years. They knew practically everything about each other, and Rachel was so glad she’d decided to take the job five years ago, despite having reservations about working in retail. There were usually three of them, but their colleague, Amber, was away in Thailand, due to arrive back in a few days’ time.

‘Good luck,’ Grace said, leaning in for a kiss a few hours later when they were leaving. ‘Let me know straightaway if you get engaged,’ she said, her lips curving at the edges. ‘What a lovely early Christmas present that would be.’

Rachel waved goodbye, feeling sick with nerves.

Their flat was empty when she got home, so Rachel put the kettle on, making a cup of tea for something to do. She was looking forward to decorating their flat for Christmas; they usually drank mulled wine and listened to Christmas songs to get them in the mood. She remembered amusedly how the year before they’d ended up pretty drunk and covered in glitter.

She was pouring the milk into the tea when she heard the front door open and Mark walk in.

‘Hi!’ Rachel attempted a smile and a breezy tone, swivelling round to face Mark as he walked into the kitchen. Her heart plummeted, as she instantly knew that whatever it was he was going to tell her, it wasn’t good news. There was definitely going to be no proposal tonight, of that she was certain.

‘Hi. Rach, do you mind sitting down?’ Mark asked gravely, walking over to the kitchen table with a slight stoop to his shoulders. His face was white as a sheet.

Rachel swallowed hard, knowing she should have trusted her gut instinct that something was wrong when he had called her that afternoon. Maybe he’d been sacked from his job and they were going to struggle to pay the bills? She could handle that though and would offer to work extra hours at Tidemans and start doing freelance make-up like she’d promised herself she would years ago. Or perhaps someone was sic k? Rachel was annoyed that she’d allowed Grace to get her hopes up that maybe, just maybe, he was going to propose and everything was going to be amazing in her life. She needed to stop telling herself that if she just had an engagement ring, everything would perfect.

‘I’ve made you a cup of tea,’ she said, placing the mug in front of him and sitting opposite. ‘Can you tell me what’s up now, please? You’re starting to scare me,’ she confessed, feeling awkward in front of him for the first time since they’d met.

Mark’s breathing was shallow and audible as he fidgeted in his seat and stared at his hands uncomfortably. Two red blotches suddenly appeared on his pale neck. He closed his eyes momentarily.

‘Look, there’s no easy way for me to say this, Rachel, but I’m moving out. I can’t be with you anymore,’ he stated, matter-of-factly.

Rachel felt as though she’d been winded, her mouth popping open in shock. She was completely speechless, the room spinning round as she stared at him in disbelief.

‘I’m so sorry to do this to you, I really am, but I can’t live a lie any longer and pretend that everything is okay, when it isn’t. You’re such an amazing person, Rach, you really are. Someone is going to be so lucky to have you one day,’ he said in pitying tones, ‘but I don’t love you the way I should anymore. You deserve better than me.’

A sense of deep foreboding washed over Rachel like a powerful waterfall. He couldn’t be serious? But as she gazed at Mark, praying he was just trying to wind her up, her eyes swept over his guilty, tormented expression, hunched shoulders and unsteady hands, and she knew that her life was about to change forever. This was definitely no joke, and Rachel felt physically sick, her mouth too dry to speak. She blinked several times and squinted her eyes at him. ‘But why? What’s changed?’ she managed to ask, her voice cracking with emotion. ‘I thought things were fine. I thought we were happy, Mark. I even, stupidly, thought we would get engaged soon,’ Rachel whispered breathlessly. ‘I imagined we’d be getting married next year and that maybe we could have a nice Christmas wedding like we’d discussed or…’

‘Rach, please don’t,’ he interjected, looking as though it was painful for him to talk, his eyes trailing to the window like he couldn’t bear to look at her. ‘It’s nothing you’ve done. You’ve been great, you are great in fact. It’s me.’ He winced. ‘Oh God, I don’t want to be the guy that gives you the cliché “it’s not you it’s me”.’

‘Then don’t be,’ Rachel retorted, her voice now razor sharp and unrecognisable. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it might explode at any second.

‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ he whimpered. ‘I don’t deserve you, like I said. You deserve so much better than me.’

Even breaking up with her, Mark was being nice about it. He was so well spoken and polite that for some reason it made it more of a slap in the face because she couldn’t hate him. How on earth was this happening? How had it come to this? Rachel hadn’t gone after a bad boy, trying to tame him unsuccessfully. Rachel had chosen Mark. Mark with the kind, gentle features and smiley face who was friendly to everybody. The type of man to help an old lady crossing the road or to buy the homeless man on the street a cup of coffee. She’d settled for the good guy; the one who wasn’t supposed to break your heart after three years together. The one who was supposed to be proposing!

‘What’s changed?’ Rachel asked in a demanding voice. She needed an explanation. Rachel wasn’t giving up without a fight. They had so many plans for the future. Rachel had been looking forward to hosting Christmas for Mark’s entire family, like she’d done every year since they’d met. She’d been looking forward to playing board games with his sister, Lottie, who was just as competitive as Rachel, handing her presents out, which she’d put a lot of thought into, and pulling Christmas crackers at the table, with Mark’s father making them read the terrible jokes inside one by one. She had even been looking forward to Mark’s mother getting drunk, mumbling all her words and not making any sense by 9 p.m. Was she really going to be losing everyone in one fell swoop? It was devastating. Brutal.

Mark looked at her then, as though she was a poor little dog he was about to put down. ‘I have. Things have just changed. I love you, Rach, you know I do. But I think it’s more like a friend.’

It would have hurt less if he’d stabbed her and suddenly Rachel felt angry.

‘Right, well that’s just great then,’ she said, pushing her chair back to stand up, which made a loud scraping sound. ‘I’ll just get my things and go. There’s nothing I can do if you’re telling me that you only love me as a friend,’ she said, hating the fact that her face was scrunching up and her eyes were filling with tears.

‘Please, don’t, Rach. I already feel terrible enough,’ Mark replied, putting his head in his hands.

‘What do you want me to say, Mark? I love you, and not just as a friend. I thought we were going to be together forever, and now suddenly out of the blue you come home and tell me you no longer love me!’ Tears cascaded down her cheeks. ‘I feel like such an idiot.’

‘You’re not an idiot. I’m the idiot. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore,’ he sighed, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

‘You’re breaking up with me,’ Rachel stated, brushing her tears away roughly. ‘I’ll leave and make things easier for you,’ she told him, making her way into their bedroom to pack a bag.

‘No, I’ll leave,’ Mark said, jumping up to follow her, ‘I should be the one to go.’

‘No, you won’t,’ Rachel snapped at him. ‘You won’t be the one who gets to break up with me and then walk away. I don’t want to be here alone, in our flat. There are too many memories. It’s all yours.’

‘You don’t have to go right now,’ he mumbled guiltily, his eyes downcast. The dark shadows under his eyes and his blotchy skin gave the impression that the situation was making him ill. Well, good. Rachel hoped he was suffering just as much as she was.

‘What shall I do then, Mark? Sleep next to you in bed knowing that you don’t love me? Sleep on the sofa knowing that you’re next door where I usually sleep? I can’t believe you’re doing this, Mark. Just before Christmas too.’

‘There was never a right time. After Christmas it’s your birthday, then Valentine’s Day, then our anniversary. When would the right time be, Rach? I could sleep on the sofa,’ she heard him say, before she slammed the door to cry alone.

Rachel sobbed, trying to hold it together until she left. She was utterly heartbroken, but she didn’t want Mark to see how distraught she truly was. She felt humiliated and foolish. Mark seemed a complete stranger and not the man she’d laid beside for the past three years. Where had all this come from and how had Rachel not seen it coming? If he no longer loved her, there was really no going back now, was there? There was simply nothing she could do about it.

‘Where are you going to go?’ Mark asked her, his voice laced with sympathy and sadness as she opened the bedroom door with a suitcase.

‘I don’t know,’ Rachel responded honestly. ‘Home I guess. Not that it should concern you now.’

‘Yes, I suppose home to your parents is best. Rachel, I’m so sorry,’ he said pathetically, looking as though he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Rachel sniffed loudly, still unable to believe they were breaking up. ‘So am I, Mark. So am I.’

She closed the front door behind her, not looking back at him, and made her way to her car before her face crumpled and she cried her heart out.

Fifteen minutes later and Rachel was still crying. She was dreading going home to her parents and explaining what had happened. Her parents would be so disappointed; she could just see her mother’s sorrowful expression wondering how Mark had done this to her daughter. Her mother and father adored Mark. They were always telling her what a lovely young man he was and that she couldn’t have picked better.

I definitely could have picked better, Mum, the bastard has left me, she thought wryly as she stopped at the traffic lights.

Rachel’s mother had been harping on about grandchildren ever since she could remember and now she felt like she’d somehow let her down. She wondered if it would be better going to Bianca’s? Bianca lived alone in her flat and had a spare room she could stay in. They’d been best friends since childhood and Rachel felt completely at ease being a snivelling wreck in Bianca’s presence. Rachel was always there for Bianca when she was feeling down; she couldn’t count the number of times she’d been on the phone until 1 a.m. listening to Bianca ramble on about some guy who hadn’t called her back. Deciding this was the best idea, Rachel put her foot down hard on the accelerator and made her way there.

‘Rachel?’ Bianca looked as though she’d seen a ghost as she opened the front door. Her eyes were open wide with concern and shock as she gazed at Rachel standing there.

‘Oh Bee, it’s all gone horribly wrong. Can I stay here?’ Rachel sniffed, wiping her nose with a crumpled tissue she’d found in the bottom of her handbag.

‘Of course.’ Bianca opened the door and took Rachel in her arms. ‘What’s happened? Is it Mark?’ she asked gently.

Rachel nodded, her eyes filling with tears again. ‘We’ve broken up,’ she croaked. ‘He doesn’t love me anymore.’ Rachel’s face wrinkled as she said the words.

‘Oh Rachel, I’m so sorry. I’m just so, so sorry. Come through to the lounge. Let me get you a drink,’ Bianca suggested kindly.

Rachel let Bianca lead her into the lounge and sat on the sofa. ‘It’s come out of nowhere. I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ Rachel said, feeling helpless. The rug had been pulled from under her feet. She couldn’t believe she was here, instead of at home making dinner and wondering what to watch on television for the evening. Everything had happened so quickly.

Bianca looked awkward. She felt really bad for Rachel and it was a surprise seeing her in such a vulnerable state. Rachel was the strong one in their friendship. Rachel didn’t get upset about the little things like Bianca did. She was the one who was normally comforting and reassuring Bianca for whatever reason. Rachel had been the lucky one. She was the one with the job she loved and the boyfriend she adored. She was the first one to kiss a boy, lose her virginity and get into a serious relationship. It was Bianca who went out on the countless bad dates and struggled to find a nice man to settle down with.

‘Can I get you a drink? I can open a bottle of wine if you like?’ Bianca offered.

‘No, I’m fine,’ Rachel exhaled. ‘Well, I’m not fine, I’m completely heartbroken, but the thought of eating or drinking makes me feel sick.’

Bianca gave a little nod and sat down slowly opposite Rachel. ‘What did he say?’ Bianca asked in a small voice, her large brown eyes full of sympathy.

‘That he loves me like a friend,’ Rachel confessed, rolling her eyes. ‘Just what every woman wants to hear,’ she said sarcastically. ‘There’s nothing I can do about that, is there? I can’t make it better. I can’t say I’ll stop nagging him as much, or that I won’t be as possessive or whatever other things men hate. Because I don’t do any of those things and it’s not because I’ve done anything wrong, it’s because he doesn’t love me anymore. It’s the worst possible thing he could say.’ She closed her eyes trying to prevent the tears again. ‘I’m just hoping he says he’s made a mistake. I’m praying that because I’ve actually left him, he’ll change his mind.’ She laughed uncontrollably. ‘I’m pitiable, aren’t I? I just don’t know what’s going on anymore. I just want him to want me back.’

Bianca shifted on the armchair and stared at Rachel with a frown. ‘Perhaps it’s for the best?’ she replied optimistically. ‘You’ll meet someone else, Rach, you know you will. You always do. Maybe Mark just wasn’t for you?’

‘I don’t want to meet someone else,’ Rachel moaned, shaking her head and blowing her nose. ‘Mark was nice. He was reliable, loyal and dependable. My parents love him. My friends love him. He was the one,’ she stated firmly, her chin wobbling. ‘I thought I was going to be spending the rest of my life with him. I can’t explain it…’ She broke off. Bianca had never had a long-term boyfriend, so she couldn’t possibly know how she felt. Bianca’s relationships usually lasted no longer than a month. She had no idea what Rachel was going through, couldn’t ever know the pain she was feeling – not that Rachel was about to voice this for fear of hurting her feelings.

‘I just keep thinking I should have known,’ Rachel continued. ‘But I didn’t. I honestly thought everything was fine between us. I knew things weren’t perfect, but that’s life, right? No one’s relationship is perfect. The longer you’re together the more comfortable and relaxed you get. That’s just how it goes. What does he actually want?’ Rachel said, raising her shoulders.

Bianca sat quietly looking down at the floor. ‘You’ll meet someone else,’ she practically whispered.

‘I’m sure I will eventually,’ Rachel nodded, rubbing her nose and desperately trying to find some positivity. She knew this was going to be difficult, but she would get through it. She had great friends and family around her for support. She wasn’t the first person to go through a break up and she certainly wouldn’t be the last. She was aware things could be much worse. Somehow, it would be okay again one day, she did know that deep down. She just needed to get over the shock and hurt. ‘I really thought I had the right man,’ she explained, shaking her head in puzzlement. Then the thought suddenly hit her, as though a light switch had been turned on inside her head. ‘Oh my God. Say he’s already seeing someone else? I didn’t even ask him. How could I not have asked him? He could be leaving me for another woman. Have you seen him with anyone at work? Do you ever speak to him?’

Bianca’s eyes darted around the room, like she was afraid to answer and Rachel instantly felt tension in the room.

‘No, I don’t see him at work. Well, sometimes I see him. Like occasionally, but it’s not often … I … he … we work on different floors,’ Bianca replied, appearing a little flustered and uncomfortable.

Rachel frowned, wondering if Bianca was hiding something from her, when her eyes landed on a black jacket hanging up outside in the hallway. A feeling of sheer dread hit her like a tidal wave. She felt sick to the core as she stood up and walked over to it, her hands shaking as she reached out for the jacket.

‘Rach? What’s wrong? What are you doing?’ Bianca asked, watching in horror as she picked up the jacket and opened it.

Rachel prayed that she was wrong. She hoped with every single fibre of her being that it couldn’t possibly be true. She opened the jacket and when she saw the pink nail varnish stain inside by the pocket, it took her breath away as though she’d been punched. She knew then exactly why Mark had broken up with her. She pivoted and stared at Bianca in disbelief.

‘This is Mark’s jacket,’ she stated calmly, adrenaline pumping through her.

‘No it’s not,’ Bianca replied quickly, her face turning a shade of pink. She let out a nervous laugh. ‘Why on earth would Mark’s jacket be here?’

‘It’s Mark’s jacket,’ Rachel stated with certainty, ignoring her, her index finger touching the stain. ‘I had just painted my nails once when he asked me to grab his phone from the pocket because he was in the bath. You see this mark here?’ Rachel pointed to the pink smudge. ‘This was because my nails were wet still. I felt really bad about it afterwards, though you can’t see the stain from the outside. Mark was always particular about his clothes. He takes good care of them.’ She shot Bianca an intense gaze. ‘Why is Mark’s jacket here?’

Bianca’s eyes were as round as saucers. ‘Rachel, please let me explain…’

‘I got you that job at Mark’s firm,’ Rachel interrupted. ‘It was me, you know. I begged him to get you in there. I told him how down you were and how bad I felt for you getting made redundant. He didn’t want to get involved at first; he kept telling me it was a bad idea in case you weren’t any good and he’d been the one to recommend you so it wouldn’t look good on him, but I kept on about it, singing your praises and persuading him to do it. I’ve been a good friend to you, haven’t I?’

Bianca gave a weak nod, looking away.

‘Yes, I have. So I think it’s about time you were honest with me, don’t you?’ Rachel could feel herself growing angrier with every second. All those late nights Mark had been working flashed through Rachel’s mind. All the times that Bianca hadn’t answered the phone and then made excuses as to why she couldn’t meet up, Rachel had just assumed she’d been really busy, and she supposed she had been –

with her boyfriend!

‘I don’t know what you mean…’

‘Bee, just cut the crap, okay?’ Rachel interjected hotly, rolling her eyes and feeling as if her head was about to explode in rage. ‘How long have you been seeing Mark for? How long have you been seeing my boyfriend?’ She couldn’t believe she was even saying the words. She glared at Bianca, feeling the tension emanating from her.

Bianca fiddled with her hair, at least having the decency to look ashamed. She looked at the floor; she’d clearly rather be anywhere else in the world at that very second.

‘Rachel, I’m so sorry,’ she said finally, tears filling her eyes. ‘I never meant for any of this to happen. We both didn’t.’

‘We? So you and Mark are a we now?’ A loud laugh escaped her lips. ‘Tell me, for how long? How long have you both been lying to me?’ she snapped, feeling more hurt and betrayed than she ever knew was possible.

‘Oh God, I know you’re upset, but the last thing we ever wanted was to hurt you. We’ve both felt so bad, Rachel. Please believe me. It’s been going on for about two months, that’s all. I told him I wanted to stop. I couldn’t carry on until things were sorted between you two,’ she sniffed loudly.

Rachel gazed at Bianca noticing her mascara was smudged, her eyes focusing on the black smear underneath her chocolate brown eyes. She looked around the room at the colourful scatter cushions on the sofa with the sequins which scratched your skin, the full magazine rack with magazines piled messily around it and Bianca’s pink fluffy slippers lying in the middle of the room. Mark wouldn’t care much for her untidiness. He’d hate it in fact. It would grate on him eventually, but perhaps he didn’t even know that side to Bianca just yet. Or maybe it didn’t bother him right now because everything was so new, sexy and exciting. She could just imagine the thrill of their sordid meetings, worrying that Rachel may or may not catch them and find out. How could the two of them have got together behind her back? At what point had Bianca become appealing to Mark? He’d never seemed remotely bothered about her before. They’d always gotten along of course, but just on a normal boyfriend/best friend level. There had been absolutely nothing remarkable about their relationship. In fact, she distinctly remembered Mark calling Bianca ‘quite the chatterbox,’ implying it was a bad thing. So when had the chatterbox become irresistible to him? Nothing between the two of them had ever told Rachel to watch out because, if she wasn’t careful, one day they’d hook up and ditch her. They hadn’t even flirted in front of her before. Rachel felt as though it was all a bad dream; she was frail and shaky and thought she might pass out from the shock at any second. How could they both do that to her?

Bianca began to weep and Rachel had to stop herself from comforting her out of habit. This was certainly not the time to make her so-called best friend feel better.

‘So you’ve really been seeing Mark then?’ she asked, a nasty bitter taste flooding her mouth.

Bianca nodded, her nose beginning to run. ‘I think I’m in love with him,’ she cried. ‘I’m so sorry. It’s all just such a mess. We just got chatting at work one day in the lunch canteen. We were talking about you, but there was just this spark between us. I can’t explain it. I know you’re going to hate me,’ she sobbed, ‘and I deserve it. I really do deserve it.’

Love? It was as though the word was lodged in Rachel’s throat and she couldn’t swallow. So it wasn’t just a fling then? It wasn’t a mistake. Bianca was planning to steal Mark because she couldn’t live without him. Supposedly loved him. Her Mark. What had happened? Had they started a conversation about her and then realized that actually, they would make a better couple? How about we both lose Rachel and get together instead? The world had gone crazy.

‘I don’t know what to say to you,’ Rachel said, filled with a wave of disbelief, her eyes suddenly dry. She was too stunned and hurt to cry at that moment. The shock had dried up her ability to show any emotion. ‘I just need to get out of here. I need to be away from you.’

‘Please just believe that we’re sorry, okay?’ Bianca pleaded. ‘You can’t just leave like this.’

Again, the word ‘we’re’, to show that they’d become a secret couple, while Rachel had just been happily living her ordinary little life in ignorance. ‘Wrong. I can do whatever the hell I like,’ Rachel retorted, her head throbbing like it did when she had a migraine coming on. ‘I don’t owe you anything, Bianca. You want my boyfriend? You’re welcome to him. Don’t ever contact me again.’

Rachel marched to the front door, slamming it behind her. She took a deep breath wondering what on earth she was going to do.

What a very merry Christmas this was going to be.

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