Hours later, with the taste of another woman’s lipstick still on his lips, John returned home. The drive back had been sobering, a stark reminder of his deceit. He promised himself, as he had many times before, that this would be the last time. But deep down, he knew it was a promise he was unlikely to keep.

As he entered the house, the familiar creak of the floorboards under his feet echoed in the quiet, and he paused, listening for any signs that Helen had awoken. Silence. Relieved, he made his way upstairs, careful not to make a sound.