The Betrayer. Kimberley Chambers

and Darren’ll sit ’ere and watch yer.’

      Susan shrugged her shoulders and headed towards the bar. Sod dancing, she needed another drink, and pronto. Eyes darting around the pub, she searched for Kevin. Where the bloody hell was he? He’d barely even said hello to her, and he hadn’t come over like he said he would.

      As the evening wore on, Susan became angrier and more inebriated. ‘I ain’t lettin’ him treat me like this. I’m goin’ to find the cunt,’ she told Tracey.

      Eyes glazed, she scanned the pub and spotted him. He was standing by the door chatting up two pretty girls. With the familiar pain in her heart that he regularly inflicted upon her, she staggered towards him.

      ‘Whaddya think you’re doin’? I’m yer girlfriend and you ain’t even spoken to me all night. You’ve got time to talk to these slappers, though, ain’t yer?’

      Kevin felt himself blush. Susan was shit-faced and he wasn’t about to introduce her as his girlfriend. Talk about showing him up in front of his family. Grabbing Susan by the arm, he dragged her over to where Tracey and Darren were sitting. ‘Do me a favour, Dal. When you go home, take this cunt with yer. She’s too pissed to walk, so you’ll ’ave to put her in a cab. She’s a fuckin’ embarrassment, she is.’

      Realising she’d gone too far, Susan started to grovel. ‘I’m sorry, Kev. I was upset because you hadn’t sat with me all night. I promise I’ll behave meself, I won’t show you up, honest.’

      Kevin pushed her away. ‘You can sit ’ere until Tracey and Dal leave. I’m goin’ up Benjy’s with me uncle Paul and his mates and you ain’t invited. Now just sit still and shut yer trap, and if yer make a cunt out of me any more tonight, I’m gonna rip yer fuckin’ head off. Got it?’

      Not wanting him to see her upset, Susan ran into the toilets. He had a habit of making her cry and she was sure that he got a kick out of it.

      ‘I love Kev, he’s such a scream. Is he comin’ up Benjy’s with us?’ said a voice from inside the cubicle.

      As Susan looked in the mirror, she saw the colour drain from her face.

      ‘Yeah. He told us to leave before him. I think he’s gotta get rid of that awful bird first, and he’ll meet us up there. Christ knows who she was, but didn’t she look a sight in those white leggings?’

      Blinded by panic, Susan ran from the pub. She knew the voices in the toilet belonged to the birds Kev had been chatting up. She’d been too busy grovelling to see them go in there, but they were definitely talking about her. She was the only one at the party wearing white leggings. Holding onto the wall, she took deep breaths. She was going to be sick.

      Having seen her bolt past, Tracey followed her out. ‘Are you OK, Suze?’ she asked, rubbing her back.

      Susan stuck her fingers down her throat and brought up as much of the cider as she could. She couldn’t think straight and she needed to sober herself up.

      ‘Let me go and get Darren and we’ll take you home,’ Tracey said sympathetically.

      Susan shook her head. ‘I need to walk, get some fresh air. I’ll be fine, honest.’

      ‘I’ll ring you tomorrow,’ Tracey shouted, as she walked back inside.

      As Susan stood on the corner of her estate, she was livid. She’d always had a feeling that Kevin played around, but how could he be so blatant about it? Unable to face going home, Susan lit up a fag and headed back to The Duchess. Fat Caz would be finishing her shift soon and she desperately needed someone to talk to. She couldn’t get the two girls’ faces out of her mind. Both were blonde and pretty, but the one with the long hair was stunning – in fact, she looked like Madonna. And as for their conversation, they might as well have stuck a knife in her: ‘He’s gotta get rid of that awful bird first. I love my Kev, he’s such a scream. Christ knows who she was, but didn’t she look a sight in those white leggings?’ they’d said.

      And they were laughing, the fucking slags. Well, she’d give ’em something to laugh about. She was Kev’s bird and if four years was about to go up the swanny, she was determined to go out with a bang.

      ‘Suze, you’re back! Wasn’t the party any good?’ Caz beamed, as she approached the bar.

      Susan forced a smile. ‘Get us a cider and when you’re finished, me and you are goin’ up Benjy’s.’

      Unaware that his girlfriend had entered the club, Kevin was enjoying himself immensely. His uncle Paul and his pals had already left. Drunk as skunks, they’d headed off to the nearest curry house and left him with the girls.

      ‘Want another drink, Joanne?’

      ‘Yes, please, I’ll have a white wine. Don’t bother getting Nat one. She’s on the dancefloor with that bloke and she’s got two on the table.’

      Susan turned her back and hid in the corner as he approached the bar. She was frothing at the mouth and if that slag left the club with Kev, she’d fucking kill her.

      ‘Are you all right, Suze?’ a concerned Caz asked.

      ‘No, I ain’t. Do I fuckin’ look all right? Just let me know when he moves away from the bar.’

      As the DJ slowed down the tempo, Joanne was desperately trying to spy on her friend Natalie.

      ‘Thanks, Kev,’ she said, as he handed her her drink.

      Kev laughed. ‘Who yer lookin’ at, yer nosy cow?’

      Joanne giggled. ‘Nat split up with her ex over a year ago and she’s never copped off with anyone since. I’m sure she’s snogging that bloke. Come and have a dance with me, Kev, so I can spy on her.’

      Kevin grabbed her arm. ‘Come on then, you pest.’

      Susan was horrified as she watched them take to the dancefloor. As Kev put his arms around the Madonna lookalike’s waist, her stomach could take no more.

      ‘Hide my drink inside your jacket – we’re leaving,’ she told Fat Caz.

      Filled with anger, Susan marched down the street. ‘I can’t go home. I’m gonna wait in the alley and confront him as he walks past.’

      Caz hated trouble of any kind. Her night out had been awful, and she was absolutely starving.

      ‘Suze, there’s a takeaway over the road. I’m gonna get meself a kebab and chips. Do you want anything?’

      Susan shook her head. ‘Fat cunt,’ she muttered as Caz waddled across the road.

      As people began to trickle out of the club, Susan kept her eyes peeled. Finally, she spotted him walking towards her. He was alone with the slag, the cheating bastard. Picking up her now empty glass off the ground, she held it firmly in her right hand. She could hear their voices, they were getting closer.

      As she leaped from the shadows, she took the pair of them by surprise. ‘That’s my fella, yer fuckin’ slag,’ she screamed, as she cracked the glass over the girl’s head.

      As Joanne crashed to the floor, Kevin laid into Susan. ‘Get off of her. You’re a psycho, Susan, a fuckin’ psycho,’ he screamed, as he punched her to the ground.

      A group of young lads ran over. ‘Oi, leave her alone.’

      ‘Stay out of it,’ Kevin yelled as he kicked Susan in the face.

      ‘Whatever’s happened?’ Natalie screamed, as she saw the blood running down Joanne’s face.

      ‘The kebab shop have called the Old Bill,’ someone shouted.

      Petrified of getting arrested, Kevin grabbed Natalie’s arm. ‘Look after Jo for me. I’m gonna have to make a run for it, I’ve got no choice. Say nothin’ to the Old Bill, I’ll explain later.’

      Lifting Susan up, Kevin half dragged her down a side street. ‘Try and run, Suze, try