“As Cassie moved into the teenage years, her behavior became worrisome. She was bright and willful, but also cunning and headstrong. She was so anxious to feel loved, she acted out. Cassie pushed every limit. It was cute at age five, when she demanded another story or refused to go to bed. But soon it was destructive. She put herself in jeopardy. Smoked marijuana. Drank to excess. By sixteen, I couldn’t control her. She was dangerous—to herself and to me.”

“In what way?”

“Cassie doesn’t recognize boundaries. As a child, she insisted I sleep in her bed. When I said no, she’d sneak into her brothers’ rooms. While it seemed innocent at first, over time it became increasingly provocative. Many adolescent girls test limits, but Cassie went too far. She wore skimpy shorts and stringy tank tops, even after Eleanor expressed her dissatisfaction. She brushed up against me. She kissed me on the lips. Touched my private parts. As a parent, as her father, it was troubling—and frightening.”

Shame and anger swirl inside me. Help me, Nate. Help me, Billy.

“So,” DeFiore asks, “would you say her behavior was predatory?”

Lawrence grimaces. “No, no, no.” He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t use that specific word. But I will say that I was trapped. Cassie gave me ultimatums. She demanded I kiss her and touch her. I was her father, the man who raised her. I was so worried. I felt so helpless. Eventually, she threatened to accuse me of abusing her, sexually. I told Eleanor, and together, we got Cassie help. The best doctors, the best therapists, the best treatment money could buy.” He pauses. “We had her committed to an inpatient facility.”

“Did the situation improve?”

“Yes, it did. Cassie does well in structured environments. Two years later, she went to Columbia. Graduated magna cum laude. Now she’s starting a doctorate at Yale. But in moments of insecurity, she’ll revert to old behaviors, like driving recklessly. I don’t want to tell you how many speeding tickets she’s racked up in the past few years. When Billy brought Diana around, I think Cassie felt threatened, like her brother was casting her aside, so she raced home from school to assert her place in the family. She also acted aggressively toward me. Which is what Diana witnessed: Cassie trying to kiss me, to seduce me. Her misguided attempt to confirm that I love her. Please.” Lawrence holds up his hands. “I don’t want to demonize my daughter. Cassie has suffered tremendous loss. Normally, she’s strong and courageous. But on occasion, her fears get the better of her. As my wife used to say, ‘there’s no one more dangerous than a teenage girl.’” He pauses, catches himself. “To herself. In the sense that teenage girls are self-destructive.”