As soon as Mum shouted her goodbyes up the stairs and the front door clicked, Ruby picked up her phone. Held it. Didn’t know what to do.

Should she call Harry?

The last thing her mum had done before she went out was to fix her with a long look.

‘I’m trusting you, Ruby. I’ve deliberately not taken your phone away because you know what will happen if you have anything to do with Harry from now on.’

She certainly did. Her parents had stood shoulder to shoulder, earlier, united in destroying her life, if nothing else. Delivering the killer blow that if she had anything more to do with her boyfriend in any way, shape, or form, they would immediately have him charged with statutory rape. Ruby had offered to have a medical check done to prove she was still a virgin, but they weren’t interested. Of course not.

She had not ranted and raved. She had not sworn and become explosive. The shock had been too much. Instead she had taken the news quietly, stunned that her own parents could sink so low. She had known they didn’t understand her, didn’t love her even. She’d known they took absolutely no interest in her. That had hurt enough to make her hate them.

What she felt now was way beyond that emotion, though. It was enmity hammered into something diamond hard and implacable.

That her own flesh and blood would blackmail her was despicable. They had sunk so low that they were threatening to destroy the only person in the entire world who loved her and who she loved.

And they knew it was all over a stupid lie. It would take minutes for an expert to assure them Ruby was untouched.

Ruby stared at her phone. The only good thing to happen today was that the messages seemed to have calmed down. Her phone was quiet for once. Perhaps it really was the season of goodwill. She gave a cynical snort at the thought.

She made a decision, and dialled Harry.

Without him, she had nothing to lose. Her parents had just taken away the only thing she had left to live for.

---

While Mummy was out, Mouse decided to read the final book in the Narnia chronicles, The Last Battle. It always made her cry in the end, when everyone realised they were dead. But when they all went to heaven and were running around having fun, her tears went all funny as she read, because she was still crying but they were happy tears. Which was silly, really. How could anyone cry and be happy? But she could.

She wondered what it was like to be dead. Did it hurt? In the book, the pain was over quickly, then everyone was together and would never, ever hurt again. Mouse liked that. She was certain she was going to heaven – or Narnia, she wasn’t sure which – and would meet Aslan.

She grabbed Ted, clambered into the wardrobe, and shut the door on the miserable afternoon weather outside and miserable atmosphere inside. Curled up in a corner with her torch, and opened her book.

---

Kendra was still worried about the final stage of her plan to force Ben’s hand. But she had tried everything else. Everything except…

There was one last desperate throw of the dice. Screw it, what did she have to lose except the love of her life?

She would do it.

She took her phone out and tapped out several messages. Her phone buzzed almost immediately with a reply from her neighbour, Dawn.

Brilliant, she could always rely on Dawn, who was her only real friend any more. And goodness knows, she needed a pal to unburden herself on – well, to give an edited version of her life to, anyway. It was always an edited version, to ensure sympathy.

Ben took longer to reply to his text, finally confirming that he would come over at ten p.m., after dinner with a potential client.

She quickly sent him an emoticon of a smiley face and some love hearts, before grabbing her keys and heading across the hall to Dawn’s place.

This was it: everything was in place to drive a wedge between Ben and his family once and for all. If only her courage held.