mental abuse Archives - Betrayal and Acrimony

Mercedes is the youngest and perhaps the most successful of Genovas’ eight children. She has amassed an extensive real estate portfolio. Mercedes works given it keeps her engaged not because she needs money. Well-heeled and highly connected, she moves in circles riddled in affluence. Every bit a success story. Thoughts of worthlessness plague Mercedes. As a little girl, her mother habitually told her how she should have aborted her. How her father never wanted her. Jeraldo, Mercedes’ father is the only man Genova ever loved. He is the only man Genova ever felt passion with. When Genova and Jeraldo met, he had no job, money, or papers. Genova fell in-love and married Jeraldo. Providing stability, a home, family, and a coveted green card. Before Mercedes’s father, Genova only dealt with older established men of means. The price Genova paid in exchange was degradation, disrespect, disregard, unworthiness, and control. Jeraldo had a lover who was unaware he had a wife and family. The lover shows up at the marital residence pretending to sell quilts. Genova invites her in and quickly connects the dots realizing the lover has no intention of severing ties with Jeraldo. At that moment Genova decides against telling Jeraldo about the visit and vows never to be intimate. Riddled with despair, self-loathing, insecurity, and rage are what she projects and pours into her daughter. Mercedes is groomed to be an emotional manipulator, lacks empathy, no accountability, and a sense of grandiosity are woven into the meticulous image shared with the world.

Jovi is the middle child of six siblings. She has a sister and four brothers. In a family so large, getting attention is just about impossible unless you are the self-professed black sheep. Jovi’s father was belligerent, condescending, verbally and physically abusive, a tyrant. Growing up with a serial philanderer for a father left much to be desired. Dario, Jovi’s dad would beat his wife for her indiscretions, while he disappeared for days at a time, with no accountability. Working as a mechanic, money was always tight. For the slightest infractions, the children were beaten often. One day Dario received a phone call about one of his sons skipping school. Dario searched for his son throughout the town until he found him. Once he got ahold of his son, he beat him, shaved his head, and tied him by his ankles, and wrists to the matrimonial bed for all to see until his wife arrived from work. Trauma, humiliation, physical, verbal and mental abuse was the elixir of their childhood. He would grope his wife, Monica, for others to witness and she had no say. Monica was treated as property. Dario had countless indiscretions however one woman he never denied, Angela. Angela helped Dario financially and was his lover for countless years. Everyone knew of her and no one dared speak ill of her. Jovi was sexually active by the age of twelve. Never feeling pretty, smart, or worthy of anything. She was never the girl boys noticed or chased, so she offered boys the cookie instead. Jovi was insatiable, she would sleep with her little brother’s friends and think nothing of it. She kept a scorecard of how many men she was able to dominate. Jovi honed in on men who were in relationships and would flaunt them as though they belonged to her. The thing is sooner or later they always returned to their rightful owners. Jovi temporarily rocked the world of many men however no one ever managed to stick around long enough. When someone did stay, it was conditional, she had to withstand beatings. Whenever her lover grew angry or tired he would place her belongings in black garbage bags and return Jovi to her parent’s home. Once the dust settled, she would return to the same circumstances, everyone knew and no one intervened.

Tag: mental abuse

Illusion

Life as a caged bird