Haunted by the memories of an abusive childhood at the hands of his drunken father and the resulting death of his mother at a young age, Farrell struggles to keep a grip on reality after he falls in love and marries Grace, the daughter of his overbearing, tyrannical boss. Farrell's love for Grace is all-consuming and he begins to irrationally fear losing her, especially into the clutches of her domineering father. Gradually Farrell's insecurity and obsessive love for Grace creeps into the couple's happiness, threatening to destroy the deep love that Grace has for Farrell. Finally, Farrell realises, with devastating consequences, that there is only one way that he can ensure that Grace's father can never have her back.
This is a totally absorbing and haunting story in which the reader can actually 'feel' Farrell's anxiety and how it affects Grace, forcing her to prove her love for him at every turn, yet unable to stop the rivalry between her father and the man she loves.