Kit's father, a relentless alcoholic, often subjected her and her mother, Mary, to bouts of violence and verbal abuse. The constant poverty and daily torment became unbearable for Mary, leading her to seduce John, Anna's father, and secure a place in his affluent household.
Anna, fiercely opposed to her father's remarriage, harbored a deep resentment towards Kit and Mary. In a bid to drive them out, she perfected the art of playing the innocent in front of her father. With calculated precision, Anna would slander and scheme against Kit and Mary, weaving lies and deceit, hoping to poison her father's mind and prompt him to divorce Mary.
