Over the following weeks, more details emerged. Julian had isolated Clara from friends, monitored her telephone, and convinced her that she was incapable of managing money or making decisions.
He had also persuaded her to leave her job at a dental clinic. According to Clara, he said working outside the home made her neglectful and disrespectful toward their marriage.
She had gradually lost contact with almost everyone she loved.
I remembered holidays when Clara stayed home because she supposedly had migraines. I remembered cancelled lunches, unanswered invitations, and the nervous smiles I had dismissed as shyness.
Every memory now carried a different meaning.
I began asking myself when Julian had learned to behave this way. His father, Robert, had been strict and controlling, although I had never witnessed him assaulting anyone.
Robert frequently criticized me for disagreeing with him. He controlled household finances and sometimes refused to speak to me for days whenever he believed I had embarrassed him.
