1. Linda

He woke up with what looked like Eve but didn't smell like Eve lying beside him. Eve had always smelt like lavender and rosemary and jasmine and whatever sweet smelling bath salt she had found cheap on the market. This Eve look-a-like smelt only of perfume.

The blonde woman opened her eyes and instead of the sweet dazed look Eve often held in her eyes there was a cold anger. She said nothing and neither did he as they got up and mechanically began to redress.

It wasn't until they reached the hall when she slapped him.

A loud cracking sound that echoed throughout the hallway, leaving a burning sensation on his cheek. It wasn't punishment enough.

"How can I ever look at her in the eye again?" she asked in a choked voice.

He had been asking himself the same question since he woke up.

2. Samantha

She dragged him out onto the balcony and slammed the door shut so that the little girl sitting obliviously in the living room won't hear. The neighbours will but that was all right Bill just won't show his face in public as often, he doesn't want his daughter to know he was such a horrible man.

"How could you?" Samantha hissed like a spitting cat. "Your wife's twin?"

Yes he knew how awful it was, he didn't need reminding.

"And how could you keep it from darling Saffy, making her feel like an outsider?"

Because his second eldest daughter already disliked him, she threw sandwiches at him when she was thirteen and only spoke to him in the politeness that you speak to a stranger with. Why make her hate him?

"Not only that! But you're breaking that little girl's heart in the room, for what? Image?"

No, not image. He was doing his duty as a father, protecting his baby girl from heartbreakers like him and Tom Levin. Because he can spot from miles off that Rose adored that boy, she had the same look in her eye that Eve had when they got married.

And look at how well that turned out.

A loud cracking sound and the familiar stinging pain of a slap broke him out of his thoughts as Samantha continued to rant.

"It's always about image for you! Nothing is exactly art for you! Everything is too dirty for you! Well you aren't a saint Bill Casson, in fact you're one of the worst sinners out there and I think you should make up for it starting with that little girl inside" she sighed heavily and suddenly deflated from the battle stance she had. Samantha, beautiful, sweet, caring and outgoing Samantha was fully defeated. "I'm going to buy the essentials for Rose and then other than business you shall never see me again. I'm not cut out for this type of relationship" she smiled sadly. "Take that sweetheart on the trip she dreamed off and then tell Saffron the truth"

She left without looking back at him

3. Caddy

CRACK!

"Oh Daddy! I'm so sorry but I was trying to get this fly out of my face, I didn't mean to whack to hard and hurt you and the fly!" Caddy wailed loudly.

Oh well, best get the slap out of the way before telling her about the driving lessons he just enrolled her in.

4. Saffron

It was one thing to be slapped by the mother eighteen or so years ago when he had actually done the deed. But it was another thing, a heartbreaking thing to be slapped by your daughter who was now sobbing her heart out.

Something he hadn't seen Saffy do since the death of his father in law.

"H-How could you?" she sobbed. "Wasn't Eve enough?"

Of course she was, in fact she was better, something he didn't deserve and while what happened between him and Linda was a mistake...Saffy wasn't.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, unsure what to say. He lost the ability to cheer this certain daughter up almost ten years ago when she found out she was adopted.

"Sorry isn't good enough" she spat out.

Didn't he know it?

5. Rose

"No" he said coldly. "Anyone but him, you can marry anyone but him"

"Why should I?" she snapped. "I love him and he loves me. What's wrong with that?"

"He's not good enough for you"

"You thought Michael wasn't good enough for Caddy but look how well it had turned out" Rose said calmly, which was unusual for her.

"Michael wasn't a drug-taking Rock Star" he sneered.

She slapped him. Never before has she done that. Had a tantrum and stomped her foot or hung up on him. Cry her dark little blue eyes out while punching his chest feebly, constantly and calling him childish rude names. Or even give him the cold shoulder for weeks on end but never has she slapped him.

"Tom has never touched a drug" she hissed. "He's worth more than that. He's worth more than you"

Once again, Bill Casson felt that shame for himself build up again.