Margaret returns home, visibly upset. Today she decides to visit her daughter. As she steps inside the flat in Manchester, she finds chaos everywhere. Her daughter, Emily, is sitting on the floor in tears. Shes just had an argument with Henry and has thrown him out of the house. Margaret never imagined things would spiral like this. Until today, her daughter seemed so happy. They were doing well, raising two kids together. They had recently bought their flat with a mortgage. Margaret just cant fathom what has happened.
Mum, this morning everything was fine, Emily says, sobbing intermittently. Then, this afternoon, someone rang Henrys phone. I picked it up. A womans voice came on:
Darling, how much longer do I have to wait? I asked who she was, but the stranger hung up and wouldnt answer when I rang back. Thats when I decided to ask Henry. He told me it must be a wrong number.
You know Im faithful to you! he said. Still, I couldnt believe him… He packed his things and left.
Margaret tries her best to comfort Emily. Maybe it really was just a mistake, after all.
The next day, Emily calls her and says Henry has filed for divorce. He says hell continue to pay the mortgage, but who knows what will happen? If he stops, Emily wont be able to manage on her own, and they could lose their home. Henry has assured her the flat will end up with the kids. But Emilys heard rumours apparently, Henrys mistress is now demanding a share of everything.
She needs somewhere to live too, as shes supposedly pregnant. No one knows for sure if its true. When they split, Henry promised to cover everything. He still keeps in touch with the children; Emily hasnt stopped him from seeing them. But his girlfriend doesnt like it one bit. Henry might well reconsider his commitment to paying the mortgage.
Sometimes, Emily can see Henry seems utterly exhausted by this other woman. Hes worn down by her and by her pregnancy…
