My husband hammered a nail into our 7-year-old daughter’s foot to force her to study instead of running, ignoring her bloody screams. When my father burst in to save her, my husband brutally smashed the heavy hammer into his head, leaving him bleeding on the floor.

“I didn’t finish all my pages.”

“You don’t have to earn the right to be safe.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“But Daddy said good girls listen. He said if I told you what happened before, you’d be disappointed in me.”

My entire body went cold.

“What happened before?”

She hesitated, watching my face.

I forced myself to remain calm.

“You can tell me anything. You won’t be in trouble.”

She looked down at her bandaged foot.

“Sometimes he makes me stand in the corner for a long time. Sometimes he takes away my dinner if I make mistakes. And sometimes he holds things against my legs so I won’t get up.”

I couldn’t speak.

She continued in a small, trembling voice.

“He said I was lazy. He said Grandpa was making me weak because he always let me play outside.”

I closed my eyes.