Summary

Chapter 1 opens with Lucy waiting in line at the butcher shop alongside an old acquaintance named Emma. Emma is envious of Lucy’s status as a newly divorced woman. She insists that Lucy can now find a new man and have lots of sex. Lucy tells Emma that all she really wants is a man with good hygiene. Joseph is a young man who works at the butcher shop. He reflects on the fact that his customers often spend what he earns in one day on meat alone. He is not bitter but simply wishes he had that life. Emma flirts aggressively with Joseph inside the shop. Afterwards, Lucy and Emma discuss being faithful in marriage. That night, Lucy goes out on a blind date with a man named Ted. They briefly discuss their children but focus mostly on why their respective marriages...