Karen Kilgariff

What a horrible, like a puzzle to be in at that time. So it's like, oh, so if you have a piece of shit husband like this at that time and it will require you to have these social services, oh, you have to break up with him first. That's because you're... It's because it's on you what he's doing.

What a horrible, like a puzzle to be in at that time. So it's like, oh, so if you have a piece of shit husband like this at that time and it will require you to have these social services, oh, you have to break up with him first. That's because you're... It's because it's on you what he's doing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That only punishes the victim.

That only punishes the victim.

Mickey's forced to move out of the family home, but he ignores this concept of divorce at all. Francine says, quote, things were no different than before. Mickey came and went as he pleased. Yeah. Then weeks after this divorce is finalized, Mickey gets into a car accident that almost kills him. He breaks several bones. He suffers a serious head injury. He winds up in a coma.

Mickey's forced to move out of the family home, but he ignores this concept of divorce at all. Francine says, quote, things were no different than before. Mickey came and went as he pleased. Yeah. Then weeks after this divorce is finalized, Mickey gets into a car accident that almost kills him. He breaks several bones. He suffers a serious head injury. He winds up in a coma.

He spends more than a month recovering in the hospital. Francine, after years of his abuse and manipulation, has been conditioned to prioritize his needs over her own, of course, always, and also to fear his retribution if she does not do that. So she visits Mickey in the hospital. And once he's released, he just moves back into the house with her so that she can basically take care of him.

He spends more than a month recovering in the hospital. Francine, after years of his abuse and manipulation, has been conditioned to prioritize his needs over her own, of course, always, and also to fear his retribution if she does not do that. So she visits Mickey in the hospital. And once he's released, he just moves back into the house with her so that she can basically take care of him.

Francine will later explain her decision, saying, quote, I really felt trapped after this accident. I don't know why I felt so obligated to that man, but I did. Then the real hell began.

Francine will later explain her decision, saying, quote, I really felt trapped after this accident. I don't know why I felt so obligated to that man, but I did. Then the real hell began.

Right. It's like you saw the Twilight Zone movie, right, from the 80s? Which one? Yeah. It's the one that was like it was an anthology. So it was a bunch of different little mini movies and one big movie. But there's a part that's like there's a racist that's being racist and like yelling slurs.

Right. It's like you saw the Twilight Zone movie, right, from the 80s? Which one? Yeah. It's the one that was like it was an anthology. So it was a bunch of different little mini movies and one big movie. But there's a part that's like there's a racist that's being racist and like yelling slurs.

And then he off of the slur, he says to someone is immediately dropped into the situation where that person of the slur, he is that person going through the worst of what that group of people went through. And it is mind blowing. And it's that kind of thing where it's like it would be a great. hologram to send someone. Yeah. It's like, oh, is that your question? Go find out yourself. Totally.

And then he off of the slur, he says to someone is immediately dropped into the situation where that person of the slur, he is that person going through the worst of what that group of people went through. And it is mind blowing. And it's that kind of thing where it's like it would be a great. hologram to send someone. Yeah. It's like, oh, is that your question? Go find out yourself. Totally.

So the problem is Mickey is recovering from his car accident, drinking more than ever. The abuse toward Francine becomes more frequent. He beats her multiple times a week, sometimes for hours at a time in between his trips to the bar.

So the problem is Mickey is recovering from his car accident, drinking more than ever. The abuse toward Francine becomes more frequent. He beats her multiple times a week, sometimes for hours at a time in between his trips to the bar.

She remembers how a few peaceful days would pass here and there, and then she'd live in terror of going to sleep at night when he wasn't there because, quote, I might wake up being slugged. Jesus Christ. Here's another quote from her. Francine says, quote, I thought, well, maybe I could kill myself. But then I thought, if I kill myself, who's going to take care of the kids?

She remembers how a few peaceful days would pass here and there, and then she'd live in terror of going to sleep at night when he wasn't there because, quote, I might wake up being slugged. Jesus Christ. Here's another quote from her. Francine says, quote, I thought, well, maybe I could kill myself. But then I thought, if I kill myself, who's going to take care of the kids?