Supposed to be til death do they part, maybe it would have been if either would have been more tolerant; less critical. While they figured out neither were either, two sons were born.
She was a lousy wife, a good mother, and a sloppy housekeeper.
He was a lousy husband, a decent dad, and determined to have full physical custody.
The State favors keeping arrangements the way they have been. She was a stay-at-home and he worked full-time.
Needing an edge, he began taking photos of the messes.
The custody investigator laughed at the photos; her bruises, not so much.
[100 words]
This is a fictionalized true story.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is the welcoming host of Friday Fictioneers.
Tao Talk 
Only.one winner in that case, and he may end up getting a visit from the police.
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Thanks for the comment, Iain. Around here, DV is not taken as seriously as it needs to be. There would have to be a treatable injury. Depending on how severe the injury was, a judge would be more likely to grant a personal protection order (restraining order) than police involvement.
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Great last line. That put a whole new complexion on it
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Thank you very much, Neil.
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Excellently done. Domestic Violence is still often seen as “just a private matter” when it ought to be taken seriously RIGHT AWAY, and when the health of the children ought to be directly measured in proportion to the violence (physical and otherwise) they are exposed to.
Lousy housekeeping needs to be pretty extreme to harm most children. Domestic Violence harms them almost by default, and with a dose-effect.
Well done!
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Na’ama, thank you very much.
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A peek into a number of homes today. Sad but true story, JadeLi.
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Thank you, Len.
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I like how you address a very serious issue through a story, and a good one at that. Very good last line.
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Gabriella, thank you very much.
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Custody battles are such a mess with the kids being the losers.
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Yes, Sadje. The kids always lose. Always.
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I know. 😞
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it’s a case where there are no winners. poor kids.
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Yes, the kids are always caught in the middle. When parents split, life as they know it ends 😦
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DV is the elephant in the room that you succinctly addressed, Li! Too many lives traumatized by it.
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Thank you, Punam, yes 😦
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You are welcome.
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Last line had quite a punch (no pun intended!). Yeah, messy housekeeping is nothing compared to violence…
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The husband was blind to the violence. He felt her housekeeping was her duty and she had failed. He felt it was his right. When asked by the investigator about the violence, he said, “I thought that’s what you wanted.” 100% true!
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Yikes, I know this type of thing does happen, but still, yikes!
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Still not taken seriously enough. Which is why women fear speaking up. And, as everyone has pointed out, the children get the hardest knocks. (K)
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No it isn’t not by a long shot. And they get tired of hearing shaming questions like, “Why don’t you just leave him?” It’s a messed up situation and yes the kids suffer a lasting legacy from it 😦
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Nasty man, he really shouldn’t have brought an investigation into his home. Hopefully she’ll press charges,
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What a powerful punch these 100 words were Jade! Wow! I can see the purple bruises clearly. I’m in awe of writers who can deliver such impact with such few words. This is an entire memoir.
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Arti, thank you. It brings back memories that have now lost their sting after 25+ years, but still alive today for so many.
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You constructed this story really well, leading me along to that powerful last line. Well done!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you, Susan.
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The last line was like a punch in the stomach. Very powerful story, well told.
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Thank you, Jolly.
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Dear Lisa,
It sounded like a stalemate until the last line. So very well told. And after reading your note I see why it rang true.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, thank you for your kind comment.
Shalom,
Lisa
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You certainly know how to surprise us. As if things weren’t bad enough already.
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Thanks for reading and your comment, Keith. It was tough times for awhile…
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Lousy husband and wife, not neat freaks but good parents…
Not so much when that last line was read!
Well done, Andrea.
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Thanks, Dale.
Lisa
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Oh dear. That last line is cutting!
Well written
DV is simply horrible, especially in lockdown. And to prove it to police there needs to be ‘damage’
Just horrible
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Oh my…I did divorce law until I just couldn’t do it anymore…this is far from fiction. Well written.
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Thank you very much.
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So well developed, Jade! It’s good the investigator saw the bruises.
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Thank you very much, Brenda, yes.
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A surprising, but poignant story Ms. Jadeli. Really well done!
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Thank you so much, Girl.
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It seems those little things grate on people, when underneath deep issues are unresolved.
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Yes.
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Interesting story. When I read memoirs from adults who grew up with fighting parents (not necessarily DV), I find that all think parents should remain together for the sake of the kids.
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It’s a no-win situation. Kids idealize their parents no matter what, and in an idealized scenario the family would remain intact and live happily ever after. It’s very difficult to compete with that fantasy. I feel sorry for every child of divorce, regardless of the reasons for the split.
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It dawned on me one day (years ago) that I was the first person in my family to be raised by both biological parents. Death (most often), desertion, or divorce took their toll.
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Fictionalised true, I think there’s many examples and he’s that nasty and full of himself he doesn’t realise two can take photos. I hoope he gets everything that’s coming to him, which won’t include the kids. well written with a very satisfactory end.
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Thank you very much, Michael.
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Rings so true. There is never an excuse for DV, looks like the custody investigator is on the right track.
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Unfortunately the investigator didn’t think much of the bruises and believed him when he said, “I thought that’s what you wanted.” It did stop him from getting primary custody but he still got the standard amount, which was every other weekend, a few hours one weeknight, half of every school holiday, and two whole weeks in the summer.
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Powerful punch line.
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Thank you, Sandra.
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A well-structured story with a powerful last line. How ironic that the pictures he took were what ended up incriminating him.
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I love your comment, Magarisa. Yes.
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💗
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Wow. Powerful last line. Yes, domestic violence is no laughing matter.
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Thank you very much.
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You’re welcome 🙂
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