god is a woman (arthur shelby.)

seven.

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As soon as Rowan got home that night, her good mood was instantly shattered by the presence of her father. The narrow escape she thought she'd achieved was narrower than thought.

She hung her coat on the hook by the front door and kicked her shoes off, prolonging the time before she had to face Chester.

"Rowan could you get in here please." His voice harshly called from the kitchen.

She sighed deeply before pushing the kitchen door open. Chester was sat sipping on soup from a spoon as his eyes met hers.

"Sit down." He instructed.

Rolling her eyes, she complied and sat at the other end of the table, slumped with arms folded.

"Where were you this evening?" Chester asked unnervingly calmly.

"With a friend." She shrugged. Arthur was a friend, but probably not in the conventional sense that her father would accept.

"What's her name?" He continued to ask her.

"Lucy." Rowan answered using the first name that came to her head.

"And her surname?" Chester added.

"What does it matter?" Rowan laughed nervously as she dismissed him.

"I know you were with Arthur Shelby. I know what you were doing with him as well." Chester revealed.

Rowan's heart leaped into her throat as she listened to him.

"And what about it?" She timidly retaliated.

"Whore!" He shouted and stood up, slamming his hands on the table. His soup spilt everywhere he was so angry. "Dirty whore!"

"We kissed father. That was it." She explained.

"Don't you fucking lie to me. I know what you were doing! You want to bring shame on me don't you?" He asked as he walked over to her slowly. "Having sexual relations with the very vermin I'm trying to rid this hell hole of a city of!"

"He's not vermin, he's a human being just like you. I expect you to show him some respect." She sat in her seat and calmly answered, not rising to her father's anger.

"He's a scummy little gypsy thief." Chester seethed.

"No he's not. I'll defend him till the last breath because I know I'm right." She protested.

"You'll defend him as long as you open your legs for him." Chester angrily replied.

Rowan tried not to let her emotions get the better of her and did some breathing exercises to make sure she didn't burst into tears right there and then.

"All it was, was a simple kiss." She sighed.

"You ought to be more like Grace. She's a girl with class and dignity who can still get on with her job. Take some notes." Chester pushed the button that finally set Rowan off for good.

"Amazing Grace, beautiful Grace, intelligent Grace, good hearted Grace. But what about Rowan, eh? What adjectives does she get? Rude, reckless, hopeless, a waste, a whore, a slut, a local prostitute. All of these, you've used on me at some point in my life. I had my first kiss at 16 and a half to the day. The man I love took me out for a picnic, confessed he loved me and kissed me. When I told mum, and you overheard, what did you call me? A whore. Your teenage daughter, who the most she'd ever done with a man was hold hands, you labelled a whore." Rowan shouted with all the anger pent up in her lungs finally released.

"That man was no good for you." Her father sat down and continued to bitterly sip the remainder of his soup.

"I wanted to marry that man. I would've done if you hadn't have pinned him against the wall with a gun to his head." She screamed, unaware of the tears flowing.

"He broke the law. What was I to do?" Chester asked with a revolting smile.

"Any damn thing on this earth but pull that fucking trigger!" She paused for a moment and pulled herself together before speaking again, much calmer. "You've become a man I'm ashamed to call my father. Let Grace be your daughter, I'm renouncing it."

Chester laughed venomously before opening verbal fire on his daughter.

"Your real parents didn't fucking want you. You were a result of sinful sex, out of wedlock by two stupid Italian teenagers who knew no better. Your mother and I gave you a loving home with everything you could ever need. You are a slut. Out with men, all night every night. I'm surprised you aren't dead from some kind of sexual disease." He spat.

"You gave me everything materialistic. Everything but love. Mum loved me with all of her heart and I know it But you? You made my life hell and resented me. Why? I don't give a shit. I found attention elsewhere, so don't worry, I won't have to compete with your darling Grace anymore." Rowan left it at that, before storming up the stairs and packing her bags.

She shoved clothes into a suitcase so fast anyone could've mistaken her for being chased by police. Her tears slid off the leather suitcase lid as she slammed it shut and flicked down the locks.

As she lugged the large case down the stairs, she bumped into her father who was on his way up.

"Get back up there now." He ordered and tried to push her physically.

"Fuck off." She pushed him back even harder so that he fell into the wall at the bottom of the staircase.

A small feeling of pride washed over her as she saw him struggle, but it was soon removed when he slapped her across the cheek.

"Get back up those fucking stairs Rowan Campbell before I fucking physically fucking damage you." He whispered in her face. "Or, perhaps I should use your real surname seeing as you don't want to be my daughter anymore?"

Rowan's body took over from her brain as she committed her final act of sin. Before he was murdered, her ex boyfriend taught her how to defend herself. He knew about her father and his violent tendencies so gave her the perfect skills to keep herself safe. Her favourite thing he taught her was the one she rarely ever used. She gathered up her confidence and her saliva before pulling the technique.

She spat in his face.

Whilst Chester could acknowledge what she just did, she ran out of the door and into the street before disappearing into a back alley.

Finally she was free, and she knew exactly where she was going to stay.

Arthur Shelby's house.

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a/n: I haven't updated this in such a long time but I've had such bad writers block for it! X