Chapter 54

Valerie

"What?" Mr. Johnson stood up in disbelief.

"I swear to god, that I have never been with anyone other than my wife for the past twenty-seven years," Mr. Johnson insisted, his voice trembling with emotion. I could see the fear in his eyes, the uncertainty as he faced down my father's rage.

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, each word spoken dripping with accusation and disbelief. Mr. Johnson's declaration echoed in my ears, his voice desperate and pleading as he swore on the life of his daughter that he had never been unfaithful to his wife. But my father's anger burned bright, a wildfire consuming everything in its path as he stood, fists clenched at his sides, ready to strike out at the man before him.

But my father was having none of it. "Don't you dare fucking lie!" he roared, his voice a thunderous boom that shook the walls of the room. I could feel the weight of his anger bearing down on me, threatening to suffocate me beneath its intensity.

"Lie