Part One Excerpt:
For years, Jacquelyn lived under the thumb of her self-righteous husband, Randy, who thrived on control and degradation. But the demand "Hey, how about you go and get Papa a Root beer" was the spark that ignited her long-simmering defiance. With a shouted declaration, she took her first step towards freedom, a move that met Randy's furious attempts to keep his grip. Yet, a deeper motivation fueled Jacquelyn's desperate flight: a secret pregnancy she dared not reveal to her cruel oppressor.
Fleeing with only her minivan and the clothes on her back, Jacquelyn found herself alone and vulnerable 115 miles northeast of her hometown, Freeport, Illinois. Thus, she ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where her estranged brother, Johnny, lives. Knowing his self-centered nature, she reached out with trepidation, hoping for a lifeline in her desperate situation.
Part one culminates with Johnny, who is roused from his self-indulgent world by the gravity of Jacquelyn's plea and the news of her pregnancy, and he eventually agrees to meet her. However, aware of his casual timeline and known unreliability, Jacquelyn is left astray (for a little bit). Her newfound freedom is tinged with uncertainty, but the seeds of her escape are sown. Thus, the journey to true safety has only begun.
Part One
Her husband’s defining character is self-righteous and entitled; his persona shouts, "I'm the king of the world!" "Jacquelyn, how am I to love you when you don't obey me?!" "Randy, you are not a god!" Constantly, the man behaved as if he wore a golden crown; therefore, confirming the title of a supreme being. Jacquelyn wasn't sure how much more she could take; soon, she would break. "Hey, how about you go and get Papa a Root beer; the pretentious prick used her as a housekeeper, and that snarky remark broke her. "Damn it! No! No, I will not! What Randy had said led Jacquelyn to say, “I'm taking my step to leave your ass!' 'FINALLY, I'm taking my step!'"
Jacquelyn had unleashed courageous confidence; consequently, this empowering moment was resolute frosting, a blanket of serenity. Jacquelyn’s action struck Randy with fear, and if Jacquelyn concluded his fright, a thunderbolt of weakness would be revealed. The cruel bastard strongly shouted, "I don't think so! 'Your ass is not going anywhere!'" More courage flared; thus, Jacquelyn fired: "I'll be gone in a week, faster than one could say, 'Jack Robinson!" The man began to feel powerless. Not even a millisecond: Randy growled, "We'll see about that!" With tears streaming down her face, at the same time, she couldn't be prouder; she had found her inner lioness. Though soon enough, difficulties would arise, making Jacquelyn's life difficult a thousand times over.
Jacquelyn had undergone a thunderstorm of untamed venom; a colossal crunch of hurtful words. During their time together, Randy heavily projected verbal abuse from hell onto her. Over and over, her poor soul dealt with dehumanization; she was continuously trampled on, but no more. Her defiance triggered inner empowerment. Thus, it was HER time for greener pastures. However, Randy figured intensifying his absurdity would cause fear, forcing her to stay; he was wrong.
"I must make a phone call to my mother," Jacquelyn said in desperation, and searched for twenty minutes, but was without luck; an unfortunate obligation became the outcome of her hunt; she leaned on a forsaken decision to ask Randy for help. "Randy, you ass, do you have any clue where my cell phone is?'" This gave him fuel to manipulate and destroy. The pretentious serpent knew exactly where her cell phone was, but he lied and said otherwise. "I have no idea where your phone is!" However, her intuition recognized his bold-faced lie. "Damn it, Randy, 'what have I ever done to you to deserve your hatred!?! "Well, if you do what I tell you, I'll send that hatred elsewhere." Jacquelyn wanted to scream her head off. Despite her emotional state, Randy had the nerve to ask, "So, baby, where's my Root beer? That did it, he was about to be in severe pain.
After saying that to Jacquelyn, he walked over to his recliner, but before he was to sit down, Jacquelyn tapped his shoulder, and he turned around; she kicked him in his crotch, then spat on him. Randy let out a blood-curdling scream. "And that is for treating me as someone without worth!" Then kicked him there again, but harder. The piece of garbage was in such sheer misery, it gave her enough time to get her things together and scurry away with satisfaction; indeed, she was gone faster than one could say, “Jack Robinson.” Tears were rushing down her face, and not just because of his abuse; Jacquelyn was pregnant, something Randy was unaware of, and her harmed heart had no interest in telling him (because of his cruelty), which hit the abused woman hard.
Now that she had left the narcissistic bastard, for the first time in five years, the weight of her stress gorilla was lifted. Jacquelyn shouted with perseverance, "I feel amazing, empowered, the freedom of a bird (though she still had implanted hurt)!" Now, on the road, and driving away from such harshness, humorous enough, she was behind the wheel of a soccer-mom minivan, hilarious. Her thoughts spoke triumphantly, "Never will I settle for a man-cretin again! 'NEVER!'" She needed to hear some music; Jacquelyn chose one of her favorite tunes, "We Will Rock You" by Queen, which helped her decompress. As the song played, halfway through it, her stomach growled, "Feed me! 'Feed me!' 'Feed me!'" The woman was pregnant, hungry and without money; "Damn it all to hell!" she shouted. ?I was in such a hurry to get away, I didn't think everything through." "Now, what the hell am I going to do?"
Her hunger became electrifyingly uncomfortable; a facetious blurting exited her mouth, "Well, isn't this just great!" She needed a moment to strategize; Jacquelyn pulled the vehicle over to clear her mind. "Where's my phone? A mild search. 'Ah! There it is!'" Before she was to eat, she needed to know where she was. Putting her phone close to her mouth, she asked Google, "What is my location?" Google's response: "Milwaukee, Wisconsin." Jacquelyn shared a sigh of relief (sort of), for her brother lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but she knew the nature of his ways. The vulnerable woman, ultimately, was to call her brother, leading Jacquelyn to say, "Let it be God's will whether he is to answer."
Johnny's phone rang; he blew it off. "Harder, Johnny! 'Damn it, and faster!'" Johnny was having hardcore sex in his living room; the woman was bent over; he loved pounding a woman's ass. "Screw me until I'm blue in the face! Baby, I want to release like never before!" Said his friend with benefits. As the two were having intercourse, she intentionally knocked his phone to the floor. "Why did you do that?" "I figured you'd rather continue with me; am I wrong?" "No, I mean...?" For some reason, her words threw him off, though shortly, he replied, "Of course, I'd rather do you rotten, but..." Before he could continue, he was interrupted by her lustful nonsense, "But nothing; continue to ravish me, understood?" Johnny did not react well when given orders; thus, he practically yanked his penis out of her. She yelped, "Son-of-a-bitch! "Damn me!"; Johnny's action inflicted stifling pain upon the sexually impulsive woman.
His anonymous friend showed a minor amount of blood; fun time was over, and clearly, he made sure of it. "Get the hell out of my home, you damn skank!" "Go to hell, Johnny!" "Glad too! Now, get out!" Words reinforced. His phone rang again. Johnny glanced at it; Jacquelyn called (again). A course of conscientiousness: finally, he answered. "What's up, Jackie?" "Johnny?" "Yeah?" "Why are you breathing so damn heavily? Uh, never mind." Jacquelyn had a clear indication of what he had been doing, or had just done; therefore, she asked a question that mattered, "Johnny, I need your help. 'So, will you help me, and now!'" She was straightforward and stern, not orderly nor disrespectful - something her brother finds admirable: respectful assertiveness.
Jacquelyn had yet to hear from her brother. "So, Johnny, I'm waiting for an answer. Will you help me?" "That depends on whether I find it meaningful." "I'm pregnant, stranded in Milwaukee, and have no food or money. 'On top of all that, you are the only person I know who lives in Milwaukee.' 'Meaningful enough!?!" Jacquelyn said with spiteful sarcasm. "Um, I guess so, yeah, of course, um, very meaningful." Johnny felt conquered by an orb of confusion (a lot of information to take in 30 seconds). He paused... and he agreed to help her. "Jackie, the address,” he said arrogantly. "I'm on 92nd Street and parked a few blocks away from several restaurants, but because she was hungry, a restaurant she remembered passing was mentioned, "Oh, I'm next to a restaurant called the 'Pizza Ranch.'" "Yeah, okay. Sure, sis, the 'Pizza Ranch,' I know where that's at. 'I'll be there when I'll be there, which will be sometime later today, but there nonetheless." Jacquelyn shrugged. "Classic Johnny! My brother can be so damn shady! But he never breaks a promise.” Jacquelyn was to wait until he arrived.
Johnny was notorious for putting himself first; his priorities were distorted. "Faster, Johnny! 'Johnny, faster and harder! Give it to me like there's no tomorrow!" Another sexual encounter with another anonymous beneficiary, only this time, it was missionary. "Hell yes! Faster! Let me be your cowgirl!" Though Johnny did not like being told what to do, when complimented on his "elephant trunk, per se," spoken to orderly didn't tweak his melon, for he was having filthy fun, as was the woman; incredible sex meant glorious ejaculations for both parties, he simply didn't care he she mouthed an order. Johnny looked at the clock on the wall to his right; the time was nearing 6:30. "Holy hell! 'We must stop!' 'I promised my sister I'd pick her up and now it's rush hour.'" "But Johnny, I was just about to release." "I'm sure you were, but I've got to go, now!" "Well, fine! 'Screw you then!'" And that was the wrong thing to say to Johnny.
"What did you say!?!" "I said, screw you then!" His face became beet red, and a volatile urge crept upon him, but he resisted. "My nakedness, I love having sex; there's no denying that! 'But don't you ever think I will go against my word! 'You got that!'" A response: "Boy, do I! 'You hot son-of-a-bitch!' 'I love when men boss me around!'" The woman shared a brief pause, then shouted, "THE RIGHT WAY!" "Yeah, well, good for you. Anyways, my ass has got to hurry, so later." He put on some ragged pants and a beat-up shirt and darted out the door to his car, a beautiful red Corvette. Echoed words followed, "Continue when you get back, right?" Johnny rolled his eyes.
