On my wedding night I hid under the bed to surprise my husband. His mother came in instead, sat down on the mattress above me, and put a call

Including my father, on the phone, at half past midnight, which is the hardest four minutes I have ever had.

I rang him and I said: Dad, I need you to ring your solicitor in the morning.

And he said: what’s happened, Maris.

And I said: it’s going to be a very long  wedding night, and I will tell you everything tomorrow, and please do not ring me back tonight.

That man did not ring me back. He did not turn up at that  hotel either, which he wanted to do, and which he has told me since

he sat in his kitchen until four in the morning deciding not to do.

He sent one message at about one.

It said: whatever it is, you have not been stupid.  Sleep if you can.