Big brown eyes glinted warmly as I snuggled my head against his hairy chest. A soft touch brushed my cheek; a soothing touch that eased my loneliness when you were away on one of your business trips.

I was never quite sure why you had to go away so often. Something to do with your work in advertising you told me. But you swore that your present employment was just a stepping stone on the road to better prospects.

You used to say that from Mondays to Fridays, you sat at your computer dreaming about me instead of working on bright, catchy adverts for some major industrial giant. You claimed that during high powered meetings with important clients, your thoughts often strayed to our nights of passion.

On my last birthday, you gave me Freddy, the size of a two year old child with a Stieff tag behind one floppy ear. 'Hug him tight when I'm away,' you wrote on the gift label. 'From your own loving Teddy Bear.'

You went abroad quite often and I sympathised when you said you hated hanging around airports. But then you added that thoughts of our cuddles, kisses and making love kept you going until your return to my ever ready embrace.

I never doubted you. I truly believed until I read one of your emails sent a few days ago. 'See you in Paris,' it read. 'With much love and hungry kisses from your very own, sexy Golidlocks.'

Today, I returned Freddy to the shop where you'd said you'd paid an arm and a leg for him. The assistant couldn't hide her amusement when I asked if she could buy him back.

'It's a fake,' she told me. 'Made in China. The tag reads Stoff not Steiff.' Then she showed me how expertly you'd added the 'e' and 'i'.

I brought Freddy home and hid him behind the curtains but tonight, drawing the curtains shut, I caught his brown eyes glinting up at me with malicious intent. His smug smile reminded me of what a fool I'd been. That uplifted nose seemed to sneer his disgust.

Grabbing the bear by his scruff, I ran downstairs and on opening the back door, I hurled him on top of the blazing bonfire that greedily engulfed all your belongings.

Once, his fluffy arms lifted, like a final wave, before his fur sizzled and his body melted over all the photographs we both took on our recent holiday in Crete.