Sitting at the foot of her bed, Sarah stared at the last of the boxes marked ‘University’ in her neat black script. She let out a sigh. The thought of university filled her with dread; all those people who would be expecting something from her: small talk, laughter, nights out. Friendship.

Over the summer, she’d earned the nickname ‘Frosty’ from her fellow temps in the call centre.

She’d been in the cubicle at the far end of the staff washrooms when she overheard one girl say, ‘I mean, how many black tops can one person own?’

‘God, I know,’ another replied. ‘And she never speaks. I dunno how she always sells more than the rest of us.’

‘But does she?’

‘What d’you mean?’

‘Well, she’s shagging the boss.’

‘You really think they’re at it?’

‘Course they are. Haven’t you seen how he looks at her?’

‘But he’s so creepy. And fat. I can’t even count how many chins he’s got.’

‘Must be what Frosty likes.’

‘Makes my skin crawl.’

‘God, me too.’

Sarah stopped listening, sitting in silence, her low lip trembling. She could deal with the shame of her affair with Martin in private, but for it to be common knowledge was mortifying.

As the two girls left, she swore that she would end things with him once and for all.

Now, two months later, Sarah’s phone beep-beeped beside her:

‘Last nite woz the best princess. Gd luck 4 2day. Will call 2nite 1nce Harriets taken da kidz 2 swimmin. Dnt go off wiv ne other boyz. LOL!’

She rolled her eyes, unsure what was more depressing: that she was still sleeping with a married man twice her age or that he used text speak and awful acronyms like ‘LOL’.

She stared at the screen. What the hell had she been thinking? She didn't even fancy him, could barely bring herself to look at his wide, moony face when they had sex. Though she was 18, her experience in relationships was restricted to Premier Inn dates with Martin, but she knew enough from books and movies to know that this wasn’t the way things should be.

Before she could question herself, she switched off her phone and slipped the handset under the mattress.

Then she stood and picked up the last of the boxes and took a final look around the bare walls of her bedroom before walking out.