After the day she just had, Martha sat at home in the dark, smoking a fag and drinking whiskey. Life had never been so dark before, and the whiskey was helping her to forget her inability to save Sean McBride, her first love. She'd never been so disappointed in the legal system and in herself. And what made it worst was not being able to confide in Clive. She never expected to be so heartbroken walking in on Clive and Harriet shagging in the middle of chambers.
Martha felt withdrawn and her only escape was leaving without even saying goodbye to Billy and Clive. Escape - that's all she needed at that moment. No work, no chambers, just a break from life.
And for six months this was her life - Martha had completely unplugged from her past. She was a disaster and completely unrecognizable to anyone who knew her. In a sense, she had become Clive, moving from one night stand to one night stand, just a series of meaningless sex with strange men.
Tonight was no exception. Another night at a bar with a handsome stranger. He'd buy her a drink, they'd flirt, and head back to her place. It was the middle of the night, she had a half naked man in her bed. It all became so routine. She thought to herself 'What was missing?' And at that moment there was a knock at the door and a familiar voice calling her "Martha".
Still wearing her black lingerie dress, she subconsciously answered the door.
"Clive? What . . . what are you doing here?"
"Hey Martha, I've come to bring you home, back to Shoe Lane. It's time."