A coward stands frozen while his child is hurt, hating himself.

An accomplice manages the logistics so the hurt attracts less notice.

I had married, I thought, a coward, and pitied him accordingly for two years.

I had, in fact, married an accomplice, and the pity I had spent on him was pity he had never deserved, extended to a man who was not failing to protect our daughter but actively, quietly, choosing not to.

Chapter 9 — File the Report