He was breaking my heart. “Oh, Daddy, why didn’t you just leave her? Were you so concerned with her reputation? What about your pride? You could have walked away.”
“It wasn’t as simple as that. I loved her. People do foolish things for love. Which brings me to the rest of it.” He was shaking now.
“What’s that?” Something terrible was about to happen. I could feel the fire.
“I love you, Isabel. I always have. I love you and I loved her, but he left her, broke her heart. He got her with child and I just couldn’t leave her. She would have been alone. I couldn’t let her raise a baby alone...I couldn’t let her raise you alone.”
I put my hand to my mouth and leaned back. I felt like he’d punched me in the stomach.
“Isabel, please hear me out...you were always my daughter. I raised you, love
