“Come get your worthless daughter and take her back,” my mother-in-law shouted my father as I lay broken at the bottom of the stairs after my husband shoved me down. “Your family will answer for it if she has even a scratch,” was the sole warning Dad offered her. They had no notion who my father really was, so they made fun of him.

“What sort of questions?”

“My husband said he’s digging into our private accounts.

“He thinks all successful families must be doing something illegal.”

“That’s not like my father at all,” I’d said, in defence.

My husband had given a sad smile, a hand on my shoulder.

“Rachel, your dad hunted criminals his whole career,” my husband said smoothly.

“His mind is working and he sees enemies in every shadow.

Back then, I’d foolishly defended my husband, even apologised for my father’s actions.