Grace couldn’t stop shaking. Her head had also begun to throb with a tension headache after her father spoke those cutting words. From time to time she did suffer from migraines and her father’s vile temper usually triggered them.

Why had he treated Mum the way he did? she silently asked herself. The threat of a clenched fist was always present in her life.

Grace had never known anybody as calm and serene as her mother. She knew very well that Angela had suffered terribly from his mental bullying. Yet not once had Grace ever heard her answer him back.

She had been the dutiful and pretty wife her father seemed to want. Despite having a lovely figure, so that she could have worn all the latest fashions, Angela wore the clothes he specially ordered her to wear. She spent most of her time cleaning the house and working in the garden and taking care of her family.

The only place her husband allowed her to go was to church to hear him preach. He drove her to the shops once a week to do the grocery shopping. He didn’t allow any of the parishioners to visit her during the week, when she was on her own.

“She’s too busy,” he’d tell them.

When they did receive visitors, he had to be there. He’d order Angela to make them food and serve them refreshments. Then when he knew he had everybody’s attention he’d put his hand on his wife’s shoulder and say, “I don’t know how I’d survive without her. With my wife by my side, I can get on with the Lord’s work without any interruptions.”

Her father liked nothing better than showing off his family. He wanted people to believe he had created the perfect, happy unit.

But now, once he had called her mother a whore and declared Grace wasn’t his daughter, he went into his bedroom and banged the door.

Grace took a few deep breaths, and without even knocking, she opened his door.

Her father was standing with his back to her, facing the bed.

She blinked rapidly a few times, as all the anger was gone from his voice. It was like he had turned into a different person. There was even a flirtatious tone to his voice. He was so absorbed in his conversation, he had not heard Grace open the door.

“I’ve told you numerous times, darling, we’ll have to be discreet. What is it going to look like if we’re seen together in public so soon?”

He stopped talking for a moment and listened to what the person was saying on the other end of the phone.

“I know, yes I understand. I’ll call you later. I’ve got …”

Grace softly closed the door. There was no way she wanted her father to know she had overheard his conversation. She went into her bedroom and locked her door as she did not want her father coming anywhere near her now. She needed time to think.