E. K. Sonshine - Twisted Love: One Womans Journey Through Domestic Violence

Copyright 2021 by E. K. Sonshine

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ISBN: 978-1-950936- (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-950936- (Ebook)
Library of Congress Control Number: Pending

Editor: Renee Aldrich
Cover Design & Photography: Juan Roberts, Creative Lunacy
Interior Design: Jennifer Houle
Literary Director: Sandra L. Slayton

Published by:
KP Publishing Company
Publisher of Fiction, Nonfiction & Childrens Books
Valencia, CA 91355
www.kp-pub.com

Printed in the United States of America

It took me a long time to develop a voice,
and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT

I dedicate this book to my mothers memory. She was a true woman of God who kept me strong during one of the most difficult and traumatic times of my life. May she continue to rest in heaven. And to my father, who had to make the difficult decision to keep me protected while I was yet a vulnerable child.

This work is also dedicated to each person dealing with domestic violence or any abuseremember, you deserve better.

M ike put his foot down, Im coming to meet your parents tonight.

Valerie felt her stomach turn into knots, her head was throbbing, and she became extremely anxious. She was deeply concerned about how her parents would respond to Mike. Valerie loved him but was well aware of his darker side, which included a possessiveness unfamiliar to her. It was for this reason, among other things, that up to this point, she had been avoiding introducing him to her parents.

They had been together just about six or seven months now, and they were spending a great deal of time together. Valerie had met his mother already, who already loved her. But, still, she was reluctant to introduce Mike to her parents.

There was a change occurring so fast in Valeries life; it left her head spinning. Beginning with getting a job she loved, then her decision to move out of her parents home and being on her own, to her first apartment with her friend, Sheila, then that one-afternoon meeting Mike, to now. It seemed that overnight he was her everything. She still thinks of the day she met him during her lunch hour.

Valerie was an office assistant for a local real estate office. She loved the sense of independence she had as a result of her work. It took a lot for her to gather the courage to fly the nest, so to speak, from her parents home, and this job enabled her to do it.

Given everything she had been through in her life, it felt good being on her own.

The afternoon she met Mike, she was hurrying out to lunchshe had been thinking about lunchtime all morning and was ready for it. She decided to eat at the local hamburger stand across the street from her office. Though she knew she should get a salad, their burgers were to die for. Valerie ordered and picked up her cheeseburger and fries combo and headed back across the street to work to enjoy her lunch.

As she approached her building, she noticed a very pimped-out fancy car making a U-turn right before her. As she stepped up on the curb, out of this nice car came an extremely handsome, muscular, sexy man, and he was FINE. His smooth skin, slim nose, and beautiful hair sent her into a lustful tailspin.

These reactions came from a girl raised in the Pentecostal church and who was also still a virgin at 27-years old, but she was still human. She may not have known what it was to have been with a man, but Valerie definitely knew what it was to be physically attracted to one.

By the time she stepped onto the curb, he was out of his car staring at her.

Hi... Im Mike.

On her own, to her first apartment with her friend, Sheila, then that one afternoon meeting Mike, to now. It seemed that overnight he was her everything. She still thinks of the day she met him on her lunch hour.

Valerie was an office assistant for a local real-estate office. She loved the sense of independence she had as a result of her work. It took a lot for her to gather the courage to fly the nest, so to speak, from her parents home, and this job enabled her to do it. Given everything she had been through in her life, it felt good being on her own.

She felt somewhat self-conscious standing there with this food in her hand and hearing him compliment her on the way she looked. But she felt really flattered when he said he wanted to get to know her better.

She had to admit, she enjoyed being complimented, especially considering the fact that she had not been on a date in a long while. But her number one rule was she was not giving out her numberso, it worked out great when Mike handed her his business card.

Valerie went back into work still thinking about how fine Mike looked. She considered him sexy, her type to the T. As she walked back into her building, her co-worker, who had observed her and Mike, asked, Who was that?

Mike, Valerie replied.

He was really handsome, she said.

Valerie nodded.

Hes mighty buffed. I bet he works out.

She was correct of course, Mike stood at about six feet, four inches tall, I surmised, and looked to weigh about two hundred and fifty pounds. Valerie had to admit his stature was a bit intimidating, especially for her small frame. But she couldnt stop thinking, this man is FINE. Maybe a little too fine for me, and too flashy as well.

She finished her lunch while she looked at his business card before she threw it in the trash.

A few days passed and she still could not get Mike out of her head. She regretted throwing away his business card. But at the same time Valerie was actually proud of herself for resisting temptation. This guy had trouble written all over him, she felt, and inside herself she didnt feel comfortable about a possible connection with himshe wasnt sure why she just didnt.

Today work seemed crazier than ever. The phones were ringing off the hook with complaints, business calls, and some personal ones. Valerie talked to a friend of hers for about ten minutes when another call came in. She knew she had to take the call. Valerie answered the phone, and a somewhat familiar voice was on the other end. The caller asked for her by name, and she knew for a fact it was the same guy that approached her two days prior.

She answered, This is she.

Valerie was both flattered and a little angered that he had the audacity to call her without her permission since she never gave him her number.

He asked, When were you gonna call me?

She was caught off guard by the question, after all she had thrown the card away. She made up some answer about being busy during the day, and then having to help her parents in the evening. He didnt know she had thrown his number away the same day he gave it to her. After further thought, she concluded that she was extremely impressed by his persistence and it sent her ego up a couple of notches.

Valerie left work that day on cloud nine! She couldnt wait to share her phone call she received with her roommate.