Fatigue had also played a part, but he was not at all in the mood to mitigate his own offence. He had initiated the call. Then he had handled the call very badly on every single count. He had suspected that Lillian was, for whatever reason, having doubts about their affair. But instead of trying to discover the reason for those doubts, he had harangued and insulted and finally threatened her. Her interpretation would be that he had revealed his true colours and they were all of an unattractive hue. She would come to that conclusion because for her, their affair was a casual diversion; no more than a bit of sexual adventure with a good-looking and slightly younger man. Ending it exacted no emotional cost. It was something she could take or leave and the time had come to bid him and their relationship farewell. It could not be more different for him, he thought. The sex was good with Lillian; the sex was, in fact, the best he had ever had. But the reason for that was that he loved her, body and soul.
