Father,
I will not write 'Dear Father' for you are no longer dear to me. 'Tis a heinous sin, to be sure, but it is true. You have never given me hope and laughter; never cared for me; never given me love. Taste this lack-of-love, then, in return!
I have run away with a Christian, Father! Aye, a Christian, and I have converted to his religion! That will be a bitter pill to swallow, I'm sure, but let me add to its sour taste: the Christian I have run away with is Lorenzo—the same Lorenzo who is a bosom friend of your enemies, the Christians Antonio and Bassanio! He loves me as you never could. Nay, not could! Surely, it is that you never would, never even tried to care for your own flesh and blood! After all, you say you are better than the Christians, and one of them loved me without trying. If he could, surely so could you!
I refuse to apologize for the money I have taken from you! And I am sure that this as a harder blow to take than the fact that your daughter, flesh of your flesh and blood of your blood, left you in well-deserved abandonment. Your precious wealth always meant more to you than I did!
Goodbye, Father! Before you can disown me, before you even can know that I have left you, I disown you! You are no longer my father, and never were.
Never yours,
Jessica