Acknowledgments
I would like to first thank you, dear reader, for taking time and reading my debut book.
Personally, I can't believe that I have written a book. I struggled a lot in school. Especially with reading and writing. It wasn't because I wasn't smart, it was because of all the bullying other kids gave me at school. My grades suffered and I became very angry with everything! A couple of my teachers never gave up on me. They knew I was much smarter than what my grades were showing. I eventually ended up going into Special Ed. My grades drastically improved and I held a GPA of 90 percent or above all through High School. For those teachers who never gave up on me, thank you.
I would also like to thank all who have inspired me to follow my dreams. Especially all of my favorite LGBTQ celebrities who have shown me that people in the LGBTQ communities can have a positive future.
I would like to thank my family. Coming out was one of the most terrifying things I have ever done! Terrifying, but worth it! It was terrifying because I didn't know how they would react. Everyone in my family accepted me right away. The person I was most terrified to come out to was my father. His religion was strictly against homosexuality. My father and I had different religions when I came out.
I couldn't bring myself to tell him, so I wrote him a letter. I remember what he told me. "We finally have something in common, we both like women." He took it surprisingly well. He actually switched his religion to a more accepting one of homosexuals.
The first person I came out to in my family was my grandmother. I figured it would be safe to tell her because she has many friends that are part of the LGBT community. She knew before I told her.
Lastly, I know she can't read this, but I would like to thank my dear girlfriend whom I lost in a car crash a few years ago. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. This book is dedicated to you up in heaven.
Introduction
Love. It is the most powerful human feeling there is. But what happens when hate and fear tries to overcome love?
Mandy, a young woman in her early twenties tries her best to hide her sexuality from her very homophobic father, Lee. She could never open up to him and tell him who she is because he had always expressed much hatred towards the gay community, people in other political parties and those with different skin colors than him. Mandy feared her father substantially!
One day, her girlfriend comes out to her own parents when she introduced Mandy to them for the first time. Her parents were thrilled for them and ended up throwing them a huge party to celebrate their coming out!
Mandy goes into a panic when she finds out that her parents were invited to the party her girlfriend's parents were throwing! She tries to prevent them from going but doesn't succeed.
When Lee finds out about his daughter Mandy's sexuality, he is furious! He ends up attacking his daughter and takes his daughter, Mandy far away. This devastated Mandy's girlfriend! She blamed herself for what had happened to her girlfriend. Her parents tried convincing their daughter that Mandy's father's actions had nothing to do with her, but they couldn't get through to her. She was too distressed.
Young Mandy spent a year in hell, while her parents' marriage began falling apart. However, her mother, Barb, didn't want to divorce her husband Lee because she feared him as well.
When Mandy finally gets rescued, a nice officer realizes home isn't the safest place for her, so he hooks her up with a safe place to stay until she is able to get back onto her feet.
Mandy eventually ends up getting herself a steady good paying job and her own place to live. She never informs her parents where she was living in fear her father would try to come after her. She becomes very involved in the community and the media takes notice.
The owner of the company Mandy works for, Ross, finds out about her sexuality and isn't too happy about it. Little did Mandy know, her boss is old friends with her father. Her boss and her father meet up one afternoon for a business meeting. Love business that is.
The two men agreed to arrange a marriage between Ross's son and Lee's daughter. One day, Ross goes to the store that he owns and kidnaps Mandy during her break! He takes her right to the wedding ceremony. At the wedding, Lee threatens his daughter Mandy by telling her that if she ever divorces her husband, he would harm her!
After Mandy gets married, her new husband's job transfers him across the county. Mandy figured that this was her perfect escape! Little did she know, her husband worked out an agreement with her father that would prevent any chance Mandy could ever get away.
She ends up being a prisoner in her own home. She endures many years of both physical, sexual and mental abuse from her husband. She knew she needed to escape, but she didn't know how.
One day Mandy finds out she is pregnant with her husband's child! Her husband is furious about the pregnancy! He ends up accusing her of cheating and beats her up very badly! Mandy gets a break and is finally able to break free!
As she's driving away, a female officer pulls her over. The officer, Kate, could see Mandy was extremely distressed and full of bruises. Kate has Mandy come to the police station to have her fill out a police report.
Kate ends up sending officers to her house to arrest Mandy's husband. She tells Mandy that she needs to divorce her husband! Mandy is terrified to do that. Kate convinces her and goes along with her to see a lawyer.
Kate knew Mandy had a fear that her father would find out about the divorce, so every day Kate would come over and check up on Mandy's welfare.
Mandy's husband ends up being convicted and sentenced to many years in jail. Mandy figured that if she didn't tell anyone in her family about the divorce, they wouldn't know.
Even though Mandy didn't really need protecting anymore, Kate still came over every day. The two women enjoyed spending time together! Eventually, they became girlfriends.
Soon after Mandy's now ex-husband's conviction, her ex-husband's father finds out what happened and informs Mandy's parents.
Lee is outraged when he hears the news! Mandy's mother, Barb frantically races her husband across the country to try to get to their daughter first to protect her from whatever Lee was planning on doing to Mandy!
Mandy and Kate get surprised by Mandy's parents' visit. Lee tries attacking Mandy as soon as he saw her. Kate steps in and attempts to reduce the tension between Mandy and Lee. She recommends that Mandy's parents stay with them for a little while hoping that if Lee sees just how a same-sex relationship is, maybe he would change his views on homosexuals.
Mandy's parents end up staying with them for a few months and every day, Mandy is constantly trying to avoid her father's attacks on her! Eventually, Mandy's parents go back home but does Lee ever come to accept his daughter for who she is?
Mandy and Kate both become homesick one day, and they go home for the holidays. They had a great family gathering and Kate informs everyone that her job is transferring her back into town.
A few years after Mandy and Kate move back across the country to their hometown, they go on a vacation and Kate asks Mandy to marry her. Mandy says yes and a few years later they get married!
Mandy's parents are both at the wedding. Lee is sitting in the front row, but is he really happy to be there
