Infatuation: Inspired by a True Story

By Francine Quaicoe

When the scrolling never ends and time is wasted - we realize we have become subject to hopeless dreams.

Social media plays an instrumental role in shaping our views of reality and creating a façade of happiness. This trend of vanity and virtual contentment, undoubtedly, creates an online competition which, sadly, can lead to jealousy, confusion, distortion, and, of course, insecurities.

Meet two friends who are not only brainwashed by social media’s ideals but are infatuated by their abusive partners. Has social media prevented them from escaping the harsh reality of their situation or are they literally blinded by ‘love’?

Unravel what happens as you follow each character on their journey to happiness and uncover what lays beneath the hidden surface.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Nov 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781728380957

Francine Quaicoe

Francine Quaicoe is a highly qualified and dedicated teacher who has taught a range of humanities subjects to students between the ages of eleven and eighteen. She also offers youth seminars geared towards promoting healthy and successful relationships. A songwriter, spoken-word artist, and model, Francine has been noted to make a positive and valuable contribution to her community.

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© 2018 Francine Quaicoe. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Published by AuthorHouse  11/21/2018

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8096-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8097-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8095-7 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgement

Prologue

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Support Available

Dear Reader,

Thank you for purchasing Infatuation. This book is a continuation of the short film which can be purchased at www.infatuationfilm.co.uk.

Infatuation is inspired by a combination of my story plus stories I have heard from other women. It highlights the initial stages, warning signs, and red flags that are apparent in dysfunctional relationships.

If you are affected by the content of this book or may be a victim or perpetrator of domestic abuse, I strongly urge you to seek professional help, as the end results are rarely positive.

I am very proud of this novel, and I hope you enjoy it.

Yours Sincerely,

Francine Quaicoe

Acknowledgement

I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who saw me through this book and to all those who provided me with support and assisted in the filmmaking, proofreading, editing, and design processes.

Mum and dad, thank you for instilling in me a strong work ethic, discipline, and faith. You have grounded me with basic but crucial values, which I am forever grateful for—not to mention the Quaicoe siblings; we strive for excellence. I appreciate all the laughs, banter, and immature moments that we share. Thank you for always having my back and giving me such memorable experiences.

I would also like to thank Fitzroy Prempeh, who supported, encouraged, and motivated me throughout this journey. You were my sounding board and my go-to person at times when I felt like giving up. I appreciate your love, kindness, and friendship.

Above all, I would like to thank God for carrying me through my darkest moments and bestowing upon me many gifts and talents. I pray You continue to use me to bless and inspire others.

Prologue

How did my life get like this? Cecile thought to herself as she lazily washed the remainder of her dishes. She placed a wet plate on the drying rack and paused as her eyes caught glimpse of a sharp object. Malicious thoughts came rushing through her head. The thought of stabbing her husband with the kitchen knife did not seem like a bad idea after all. In fact, a smile curled across Cecile’s lips at the prospect of seeing her husband begging and pleading for mercy. This time she had the power. The roles had reversed.

‘This is for every bruise you gave me, every lie you told me—every punch, kick, insult, and threat. I hope you burn in hell!’ she cried as she ruthlessly aimed the knife towards his jugular vein, aiming to cause as much damage as possible.

Adrenalin surged through Cecile as she listened and watched her husband scream with his entire body. His eyes widened with horror, his mouth rigid and open. The scream continued to pierce through her as she callously and emotionlessly thrusted the knife through his dark-chocolate skin. Cecile took a step back and stared bitterly at her husband, who lay helplessly on the floor. Blood gushed out of his neck like lava erupting out of a volcano. Jermaine looked shocked. ‘You made me do this!’ she said.

Before Cecile could enjoy giving her husband one last stab, reality hit her. Jermaine came rushing into the kitchen, throwing his dirty plates into the sink. Cecile stared disgustedly at the plates, as though they represented her husband, and sighed.

1

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.

—Ernest Hemingway

He did not understand her value. Yet he told her how much she was worth, and she believed him. It was like giving him an extra bullet for every time he missed a shot. Thankfully, it was he who died, not she. She had a mental funeral the day she walked away. Now, she could finally get on with her life.

Sky sat on her office chair attempting to suppress the haunting memories of her past (though it was very difficult). Fortunately for Sky, she was distracted by tight deadlines and unnecessary paperwork. As a journalist, Sky was responsible for writing articles about relationships and sharing her experiences with her dedicated readers.

Readers from across the world, both men and women, young and mature, would email Sky, thanking her for providing them with a light under a gloomy tunnel. Like Plato’s allegory of the cave, Sky saw her readers (who were usually victims of detrimental relationships) as prisoners caged in a dark cavern, unable to think, see, or comprehend the reality of their situation. They were too often brainwashed by the false ideologies injected by their narcissistic partners. This led many of them to feel suicidal, powerless, and even guilty.

Sky wanted to change that. Her aim was to alter the negative perceptions many victims held of themselves—their self-doubts and their low self-esteem. She felt accountable for them and wanted to be their voice. Too often, Sky would hear members of both sexes blame themselves and trivialize or, even worse, excuse their partner’s behaviour. It was exhausting. Unacceptable. Domestic violence is real. It is a heinous crime which can leave you clinically depressed. Sky wanted those messages to get across, as she was a living testimony of it. Her primary goal was to empower both men and women to discover self-love and self-confidence. She wanted a change in attitude and a change in perception - a growth mindset.

Sky was acknowledged by her superiors for providing that change. Finally, she had discovered her life’s purpose. The reason why God took her through the ‘shadow of death’ was purely to ‘anoint her head with oil’ and ‘prepare a table’ before her. This was her calling—her mission. Like a teacher, she felt compelled to direct people to the right path. She had to fight the injustice of abuse. It felt nice to have so much power and influence, but it felt nicer to no longer undergo maltreatment. Sky was now a leader—a survivor. On top of that, she could finally work alongside her best friend, Mia, which was an extra bonus!

Sky swung around in her office chair and stared at her beautiful, curvaceous dark-skinned friend who sat opposite her, ranting on about her boyfriend. Honestly, Sky was not paying attention. Her mind was zoned on how much she appreciated her childhood friend. Being in her presence alone was a blessing—a blessing which almost turned to a curse.

Sky continued to gawk at Mia as she reflected on her journey and previous struggles. When life threw bricks and stones at her, God used those bricks to build a tower. He used Mia. Mia had literally been her safe haven throughout the past eight years. She was her best friend and her confidante.

Sky immediately snapped back to reality when she heard Mia chuckle. Having no idea what was funny, she attempted to force a laugh. Luckily, she was saved from embarrassment by her work colleague, Tom. Tom was one of the few men that worked in their company. He was an editor and also wrote blogs about travel and tourism. This meant Tom was the go-to person when it came to holiday deals and recommendations.

As soon as he entered the office, Tom froze. His pale face heated up as he nervously flicked his jet black hair behind his ears, revealing his stubborn freckles and spectacles, which were too big for him.

‘Good morning, ladies,’ Tom greeted awkwardly, focusing solely on Mia.

Sky giggled quietly to herself as Mia discreetly rolled her eyes with annoyance. It was obvious that Tom had strong feelings towards Mia. However, her friend was clearly not interested. She had tons of men declaring their love towards her, but her only interest was with one man—a boyfriend which Sky had never seen.

‘I need to get back to work,’ Mia mumbled. With that, she brushed past him without making eye contact.

Tom stood dumbfounded and puzzled by the aloofness Mia always showed around him. Sky shook her head and chuckled again as she observed Tom foolishly following Mia in an attempt to initiate a conversation.

‘Right, let me also get back to work,’ Sky muttered, and she began to write the first chapter of her article titled ‘Infatuation’.

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Rachel observed her three friends laughing and celebrating Cecile’s birthday. Kleo carried the cake towards Cecile, and they all began to sing ‘Happy Birthday to You’.

‘Thanks, ladies. We should do this more often. It’s been ages!’ Cecile said emotionally as she blew out the candles on her personalized chocolate cake. She was grateful for her friends’ continual and consistent effort in surprising her for her twenty-eighth birthday.

‘That’s because you and Kleo are so caught up with your husbands,’ Rachel commented, hoping she did not sound as jealous as she felt.

‘You can talk! Anytime we phone you, you’re always with Michael,’ Kleo laughed, which led to the whole congregation joining in agreement. Rachel rolled her eyes, as Michael was hardly husband material. In fact, the pair of them were so close that they were practically family.

‘When are you two going to get together?’ Paris asked, sounding like an inquisitive detective prying for answers.

‘Why? So you can steal him as well?’ Kleo muttered underneath her breath.

There was an embarrassing silence in the room as everyone tried to figure out what to say next. Rachel could not help but feel pained by the memory of her friend entertaining her ex-boyfriend via text messaging. Paris had sworn to her that they were just business partners ‘working on a project’. Rachel had wanted to believe that especially since the girls had known Rachel was not only sleeping with him but was also deeply infatuated by his mere presence. The fact that Paris would disrespect her by speaking with or entertaining her ex when they were going through a rocky period seemed very hurtful.

‘Yeah, Rach, what’s going on with you and Michael? You guys have been tiptoeing around each other since school days,’ remarked Cecile, breaking the heavy tension in the room.

‘We are not tiptoeing! We are just friends,’ Rachel replied defensively, knowing her friends were not entirely convinced.

‘So you’re telling me you’ve never seen him in that way?’ Paris added.

‘Never!’

‘Well, I think you should give him a chance. You guys would be so cute together,’ Kleo stressed. ‘He is an engineer; you are a teacher. You are both musicians, and he clearly loves you. It would just make sense if you two ended up together.’

‘Agreed. Plus he is far better than Ashley; that’s for sure.’ As much as Rachel loved Cecile, she was not sure why her best friend would bring up her ex’s name, knowing it caused so much discomfort amongst the girls.

‘I can’t believe you were even going to lock me off for him,’ Paris interjected. Rachel was not sure how to respond to that comment either, but predictably Kleo came to her rescue.

‘What do you mean you can’t believe it? If I were Rachel, I would have locked you off a long time ago!’

‘I didn’t do anything! I already told her not to go there,’ Paris whined.

‘And what were you telling him?’ Kleo grilled.

The girls glared pointedly at Paris, waiting for her response. Another awkward silence ensued.

‘Girls, leave it. It’s Cee’s birthday. Let’s change the topic,’ Rachel said uneasily, although she was not entirely sure what topic to discuss. The tension between the four friends grew heavy. It was clear that neither Kleo nor Rachel liked or trusted Paris, but because it was Cecile’s birthday, the girls had no choice but to link up.

Rachel, on the other hand, could not wait to get home. Like Cecile, she hated confrontations. As a typical Libra, Rachel craved peace and harmony. She naturally shied away from anything or anyone that threatened her serenity. Rachel glared guiltily at the clock, hoping someone would comment on how late it was and call an end to the night.

‘I know whose birthday it is. I’m just saying that’s slack behaviour!’ Kleo blurted out, completely ignoring the tension in the room.

‘He told me you guys were not even official,’ Paris responded, looking eagerly at Rachel as though wanting sympathy. Rachel could not believe how contradictory Paris sounded. One minute, she claimed she had done nothing; the next minute, she was excusing why she possibly may have done something!

‘Paris, you don’t touch, talk to, or entertain another woman’s man—let alone a friend’s. That is cheap, inconsiderate, and tramp! Don’t you think he is laughing at you right now?’

One thing Rachel respected about her abrupt friend was her raw and outspoken personality. Kleo was far from diplomatic. She did not attempt to sugar-coat anything. In fact, most people were either intimidated by her or respected her direct approach.

‘I didn’t touch him! He complimented me, and I said thanks. That’s it.’

‘"Babes. You said, Thanks, babes", with a kiss,’ Rachel corrected.

‘I call everyone babes, and I was just being polite. What exactly did you expect me to say—"Don’t say I’m pretty"?’

‘Why not? You clearly gave him the impression that it was okay to speak to you like that!’

‘Don’t mind her, Rachel. She’s a gullible idiot. Probably thought he wanted to wife her,’ Kleo insulted.

‘Rachel, did I not tell you to leave him alone?’ Paris said, ignoring Kleo’s sly comment. ‘Now you want to claim me responsible for his actions. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. That’s why I didn’t tell you everything. You need to be having this conversation with "your man", not me. I already have a daughter. Do you guys really think I have