Emily McHugh is about 30 years old. She has been Blaise Gavender's lover for about nine years, and together they have a son named Luca. She lives in an old and torn up appartment in the city, and has a flat-mate, Constance Pinn, who helps her pay the rent. Tired of being second best, Emily has been puting pressure on Blaise to leave his wife. She wants to formalize their situation; wants to live with him, in a nice home, and start a new life. But Blaise just doesn't take action: he has been promising to leave his wife, but everyday that passes this seems less likely. Now, they seem to be drifting away from each other: Blaise is getting tired of their constant arguments and he has begun to spend less and less time with her. To make matters worse, he doesn't seem to find her attractive any more, and his love for her is dying.

All she can do now is feel sorry she didn't push things a little when she and Blaise had started seeing each other: "If only only only, she reflected for the thousandth time, she had forced him to leave his fat cow wife then, nine years ago, when he was utterly mad about her, when he was her slave. I could have made him bust things up then, thought Emily. He was crazy. If I had threatened to break with him, he would have done anything. I should have forced him. Instead, I was sorry for him. I was sympathetic and understanding and kind. He asked for time and I gave him time. And look what time has done for me."