Dennis was a cruel man. A heartless man.
His lawyer did a good job keeping them out of the trial, but there were two exes willing to testify against him. To let the judge know how violent he was.
I was young, Justine. Barely eighteen when your father and I met. In his defense, I told him I was twenty-one. They used that at the trial, trying to prove I was dishonest. A pathological liar. The defense attorney grilled me for a full hour about the details of my age. Too bad he didn’t spend a fraction of that time probing into Dennis’s past abuses.
I don’t mean to speak ill of your father. I’ve debated whether or not to tell you everything. I don’t want you to worry that you’ve got a monster’s DNA making up half of who you are. Because you’re different, Justine. I know you are.
I’m not a we
