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‘What’s her name?’

Christopher stood in front of Helen, ashen, silent. He was used to confronting others with their wrongdoing, but today he was the one in the dock.

‘Well?’ Helen demanded, scorn seeping from every pore.

Still he said nothing, paralyzed by shock and embarrassment. To Helen, her lover seemed to have suddenly shrunk in stature, as if the air had been let out of him, the exposure of his duplicity robbing him of his vigour, his power.

‘Her name is Alice,’ he eventually replied, finally meeting Helen’s eye.

‘And how long have you been married?’ she continued, her eye zeroing in on the thick gold wedding band that now adorned his left hand.

‘Please, Helen, do we really have to do this—’

‘Answer the fucking question.’

Exhaling heavily, Christopher rounded his desk, running his hand along the top of his chair, studiously avoiding looking at the photo of his wife.

‘We met ten years ago,’ he eventually confessed. ‘We’ve been married about six.’

‘Is this the bit where you tell me that you love your wife, but recently things have been difficult between you …?’ Helen replied, caustically.

‘I wouldn’t waste my breath,’ he replied disconsolately. ‘But, yes.’

‘So, what was all this? A bit of escapism? A fantasy? Executive relief?’

Pained, Christopher opened his mouth to answer, when he was suddenly distracted by a loud knocking on his door. Seconds later, a burly security guard entered.

‘Everything OK in here? Reception said we had an intruder …’

He looked disparagingly at Helen, his eyes boring into her. But if he was expecting her to quail, to be intimidated by him, he was sorely mistaken. The way she was feeling right now, she would lay him out with one punch.

‘It’s all fine, just a misunderstanding,’ Christopher blustered.

‘You’re sure? Because if this person is bothering—’

‘It’s OK, honestly,’ Christopher cut in tersely. ‘She’s a friend.’

The guard seemed unconvinced, but there was no question of pushing it any further, so with ill grace, he retired, closing the door behind him.

‘So, is that what I am? A friend?’ Helen enquired, archly.

‘Helen, please, I never wanted it to turn out like this,’ he replied with feeling, crossing the room towards her.

‘I should have been honest with you, but in truth … I bottled it. And then the longer it went on, the easier it got. You didn’t seem to want a long-term relationship and neither did I, so it kind of worked. ’

‘Except for the fact that you were lying to your wife. And lying to me.’

‘Yes, it was stupid and cowardly and selfish of me. I don’t know what else to say.’

‘Did you feel anything for me? Or was I just a distraction?’

‘Of course I do,’ he insisted earnestly. ‘Which is why this is all so messed-up.’

He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly looking exhausted and deflated.

‘Yes, at first, I admit I was just looking for some intimacy, some fun even …’

‘There were others before me? Or maybe you’ve got several of us on the go?’

‘No, nothing like that. I met a couple of women before you, but they were one-offs. You were something different. You’re so … so confident in yourself, so in control, so strong.’

Today Helen felt anything but yet she held her tongue.

‘And I guess I was kind of beguiled by that. Alice is a very different character and, to be honest, I’m a very different character. So, in spite of myself, I did develop feelings for you. I have developed feelings for you.’

‘How nice for you. That way you could have your cake and eat it.’

‘No, no, none of this was intentional. And please believe me I hated myself for deceiving you. I never wanted to hurt you, Helen. You mean a lot to me …’

‘I see. So maybe this is the point when you tell me you’re going to leave your wife and move in with me?’

She was ready to slap him down if he even hinted at such an outcome, but his sheepish reaction rendered that unnecessary.

‘Look, Helen, it’s not that simple. I love Alice and the issues we’ve had, well, they’re nobody’s fault really, no one’s done anything wrong—’

‘That’s a bit rich, coming from you.’

‘Helen, please, I’m trying to be honest here.’

She raised an eyebrow at that one, but Christopher continued:

‘I’m trying to explain . I didn’t plan any of this, which is why it’s all so messy, so difficult …’

‘Well, it’s about to get a lot more difficult. I’m pregnant.’

Her lover stared at her, stupefied, as if barely able to comprehend her words.

‘Before you ask, I haven’t had it confirmed by a doctor. But I did two tests last night, and two again this morning. All four were positive.’

‘But … but we were careful.’

‘Not careful enough.’

The colour had drained from Christopher’s face, sweat creasing his brow.

‘Bloody hell.’

‘You don’t say …’

‘What … what are you going to do about it?’

‘What am I going to do about it?’ Helen replied quickly, her anger rising. ‘It takes two to tango, Christopher.’

‘I know that, of course I do, but you’re not thinking that we …’

He stared at her beseechingly, fumbling for the right words.

‘I mean this doesn’t change anything, I can’t just walk out on Alice.’

‘Do you really think that’s what this is?’ Helen fired back at him. ‘Do you think this is a shake down? That I’m here to trap you into a relationship with me?’

‘No, no, of course not …’

‘Do you really think that little of me? That I would use this to imprison you, to destroy your marriage?’

‘No, no, a hundred times no. I’m just trying to be clear with you.’

‘Well, you’ve been clear with me alright,’ she rasped, her voice cracking with emotion. ‘You’ve had your fun and now things have got complicated, you want rid of me.’

‘No, it’s not that at all,’ her faithless lover insisted. ‘Obviously I’ll do whatever’s required, this is my mess too.’

‘Mess?’

‘You know what I mean. It’s just that the situation is difficult for me. I can’t land this on Alice, not at the moment – it’d destroy her.’

‘You should have thought of that before you started playing away.’

‘Do you think I don’t know that? I’m sorry, OK? I’m so sorry, I don’t know what else to say …’

For a moment, Helen said nothing, the weight of her folly making itself felt properly for the first time.

‘What on earth did I ever see in you?’ she eventually hissed. ‘You play the big shot, but actually, you’re nothing, just a selfish prick who doesn’t have the courage to own up to his mistakes. I should hate you, but actually I pity you.’

Shaking her head, she moved off, marching briskly towards the door.

‘Helen, please don’t go. We need to talk about this …’

In response, she sped up, evading his grasp.

‘There’s nothing to say. We’re done here.’

And with that, she wrenched open the door, marching fast down the corridor with her head held high, fighting back the tears that threatened, as her life slowly imploded. What the hell had she done to deserve this ?