Summary

Chapter 21 flashes back to when Julian and Flora first begin attending therapy with Maud as a couple, at the height of Julian's affair with Sydney. They begin couples therapy and when Maud about the state of their sex life and Julian suggests it could be better, Flora gets defensive. She blames Julian's hours and the conditions of their apartment life with Ruby. When Julian's mind wanders to thoughts of Sydney, Maud notices his tuning out. When sees Flora's worried expression, he backs down and pronounces things fine. At some point, Julian begins seeing Maud on his own, and when she asks what happened to the wedding ring he had worn to couples therapy, he is evasive at first before he eventually tells her about Sydney. Julian claims that intense passion he feels with Sydney, and the danger, is a release from his home...