I hear Rick’s car start and heave a sigh of relief.

It’s been the morning I feared. I receive call after call from people threatening to sue me or just wanting to rant and blame the fact that their marriages failed on me. Cancellation after cancellation has followed and I have watched my business being choked to death in a matter of hours.

I call an estate agent who regularly leaves pamphlets in my mailbox. The agency is proactive so I decide to get them in and explore having them list the house for sale.

They answer the phone promptly and I am soon put through to an agent who...