Jill grabbed what few belongings she had, and with an attitude of determined defiance, removed her wedding ring and left it on the dresser before walking out.
After that episode, Jill decided she had enough of life in Virginia and went to live with her Aunt Jane in North Carolina. Soon after she had moved in, she realized that she was pregnant with Ryan's baby. Jill decided there was no way she was going back to Ryan, so she decided to return to her hometown. At that point, she resumed a relationship with Tony, a former boyfriend.
Jill miscarried the baby shortly after returning to her hometown. After the miscarriage, she continued to date Tony, who found pleasure in drugs and always became violent when he was using. Their arguments were frequently physical, and Jill, with her small stature, was no match for Tony. He would chase her threatening to kill her, and Jill would do her best to find a place to hide.
The bathroom was her favorite hiding place. If she could only get there before he did, she could go in, lock the door, and brace her legs up against it as she sat against the bathtub. Having been a dancer since the time she was young, Jill's legs were strong, so this made her method very effective. She would often have to sit this way for hours at a time, calling out for help through the bathroom window until she was hoarse. This would go on until Tony finally regained his senses.
Roughly six months after the miscarriage, Jill became pregnant with Tony's baby. He wanted nothing to do with any baby, so his immediate response was to demand an abortion. In fact, when she resisted his demand, he came right out
and added this threat: "You will have an abortion or I will kill you!"
Jill did not want an abortion, but she felt that she had no choice. She was too frightened to leave Tony. Feeling completely trapped, she went into survival mode. Tony had told her that if she ever left, he would find her and kill her, so any thought of leaving was quickly dismissed. The situation left her feeling hopeless, and the danger only got worse.
Fortunately, Jill was able to confide in one of her aunts, who promptly staged an intervention. Jill was in no shape mentally or
emotionally to leave on her own. Her aunt went to their apartment and moved all of Jill's things out while Tony was at work, allowing her to take refuge in her grandmother's basement.
After Jill was gone, Tony decided to make good on his many threats, and systematically began stalking her. One day as she was leaving work, Tony ambushed her in the parking lot. He began beating her and she screamed for help.
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