I know that it's been a minute since my last post, but with good reason. My dream is calling true. As you all know I have been writing a long time and my passion for becoming a published author is something that I always speak about. Well, that dream is finally coming to reality. Yes, my first novel "Deadly In Stilettos" will be published and ready for purchase this coming June. I am truly excited beyond belief. It has been a long time coming, but it is here. I will keep you guys posted so that you can go out and get your copy. The book is a good read if I don't say so myself! LOL
I will also be doing book signing. If anyone would like me to come to their city, let me know and I'm there. Your support is greatly appreciated. Without you, there is no me. I will also have other items available that I know you will love. God is truly an awesome God, and I give him all the praise. I will be posting something new soon, but until then, be inspired, be encouraged and be YOU!!!
If you have any questions or would like any more information send an email to me at: passionatebutterfli@hotmail.com or follow me on twitter @keke_chanel. *pumps fist in the air* I am so excited ya'll just don't know! Here is something that will hold you over, hoprfully.
Chapter 1
Revenge was now her main objective in life, next to finding unconditional love. Deminis Bradshaw knew how to do many things, write, cook, shop, have a fun time, but dealing with a broken heart wasn’t her strongest. She just wanted to be loved, truly loved without hidden agendas, or because she was beautiful.
At a young age she was thought to be very intelligent, wise beyond her years. However, the hardships of the various relationships throughout her life, caused emotional damage so severe, Deminis had never experienced a successful one. All the people who deceived her would be sorry. Capturing her prey was on the top of Demi’s list of things to complete. She planned to accomplish all of them real soon.
Being as what any people would call high-yella, Deminis Bradshaw possessed the beauty of what most women would pay thousands of dollars to obtain. Her big, slanted, marble-shaped, light brown eyes gave her an exotic look men admired, becoming hypnotized at first glance. With a perfect size six body, curves all in the right places, men constantly fell under her spell. Too bad when she finally let down her guard, they all tried to manipulate her mind; leaving her once again wounded. When they realized she had brains to go along with her beauty, they couldn’t handle being with her. She was always left with loneliness, something she was determined to get over once and for all. Deminis Bradshaw considered herself a woman built for what tragedies life had to offer, but couldn’t understand why she had endured such hardship along her journey.
Deminis gave much thought to the names she wrote down on the long list laying in front of her. She gazed at each name carefully, making sure she left no one exempt. Each person on it was someone who had hurt her in a most critical way that left her feeling unloved, disrespected, and downright dirty. It was only a matter of time before Demi’s list was complete, casting out all who ever made her cry. Right now her father was about to feel the impact of her wrath. And if she had to add a name or two along the way, then so be it.
When her mother died giving birth to her, her father held her responsible, treating her like an outcast. If not for her mothers’ sister Charlotte, Demi, as most people knew her, would have died. Melvin Bradshaw simply despised his only child. The pain of losing the love of his life was too unbearable. How could he ever love the child who took her from him?
A father’s love was something Demi never received, so when she got old enough, she looked for it elsewhere. That careless behavior only led to broken heartedness, misery, and aching in places she did not know existed within her. She felt that pain each and every day in some way or another. Her mind constantly relived her past.
Demi wanted the pain to be over with, so she could move toward a life of happiness, one she could tell her future children and grandchildren about, without having to lie or feel shameful of.
At first, life was great. Aunt Charlotte made sure Demi knew many things about her mother. She learned from pictures, home movies and other sources, as well as her Aunt’s vivid stories, that her mother was a well-rounded person. She was a great student, Captain of the basketball team, also one of the best debaters on the school’s National winning Debate Team. Demi was in awe as her eyes sparkled each time she learned of how special, talented and intelligent her mother was. She wanted to be just like her, so she studied hard. Books became her best friend.
Reading at the early age of two, Demi stunned many adults she came in contact with. Aunt Charlotte put her in ballet classes, tap, jazz, and any other form of training she could afford. Demi was engrossed in learning something new daily.
By the time she was eight, she was fluent in Spanish and French. Her teachers loved her. A shining star ready to soar to higher heights was what they all called her, according to her Aunt Charlotte.
Demi loved her childhood until whenever her aunt had to go away and she was taken to stay with her father. Having no other relatives in Dallas forced her aunt to leave her with him. Although, Charlotte tried on several occasions to allow Demi to stay with friends, one night at a friend’s house, a drunken husband came home and raped her. While the wife watched out until it was her turn to take advantage on her innocence. Demi was never the same after that. It was the first of many tragic experiences she would later encounter. Aunt Charlotte pressed charges on both the husband and wife tag team pedophiles, telling Demi she would have to stay with her father when she was out of town that day forward. Demi wondered why she was never able to go with her aunt, but later discovered that, which changed her life forever.
Demi remembered the first day she was dropped off, how her father stared at her with a look so disgusting, she wanted to run and hide. Melvin Bradshaw simply hated her. The scowl across his face told her just that fact. There was no excuse for the terrible things he did to her. In his mind, he was justified by having his wife stolen from him by birthing her into the world. It wasn’t fair and he no longer the child he was so excited to have a part of his life.
He beat her just for asking to have a glass of water. Night after night, Demi cried herself to sleep. He locked her in the basement in complete darkness for several hours without food or water, sometimes just until hours before her aunt was scheduled to pick her up, to bath and eat. Melvin told her if she said a word, the next time would be much worse. So Demi kept what happened inside. Suppressing all the hurt and pain eventually grew into anger and rage. The once happy little girl became dark and withdrawn.
When Aunt Charlotte returned from one of her trips away, she noticed the coldness in Demi’s eyes. Her entire demeanor was changed. Something was different. Aunt Charlotte worried about her, but she was too weak to focus on it more with her ailing condition.
When asked what was wrong, Demi lied. She loved her father in spite of his abuse, and she did not want to get him in trouble. Now, all the secrets and lies protecting him were over. Melvin Bradshaw would pay with his life.
A father was supposed to protect his children not contribute to their pain. Melvin Bradshaw was a prime example of what a father should not be. Demi fought back tears. It was too late to turn back now. Time would only tell how she would gain the life she was destined to have. No one was supposed to be this mistreated in one lifetime, she told herself, especially the innocence of a child.
The Flight Attendant informed the passengers that they would be landing in Dallas shortly. Demi felt a charge through her entire body. Her throat felt dry. The feeling of rage overpowered her. The current moving through her body sparked a feeling she quickly found intoxicating. It was almost as better than having a much needed orgasm.
She was finally returning to her place of birth for the first time since she was fifteen years old, after running away with the one person she thought at the time was the love of her life. Feeling stupid and naïve, Demi did not return when the guy left her in the middle of the desert. Instead, she made a new life for herself all the while hoping her father would finally come and rescue her. Demi smiled thinking about when she first met Troy.
Troy Dunbar was the most handsome man she ever laid eyes on, other than her father. Standing over six feet tall, with a flawless caramel complexion, dark penetrating eyes, that hypnotized even grown, married women, Troy would smile and everyone around him was under his spell. He always smelled nice and dressed even nicer.
When he approached her one day walking home from school, Demi did not hesitate getting into his car, or doing anything else he wanted her too. Six years her senior, Troy made her feel like a woman in every way possible. All of her friends envied her, one in particular, that later turned out to be a tad bit crazy.
Ignoring the crazy looks from Anya Bankston was Demi’s way of staying out of trouble. She and Anya had been friends for a long time, but there was something about her that Demi could not put her finger on. Especially when wherever she and Troy went, Anya just so happened to show up or hide out thinking no one saw her.
Demi did not pay too much attention to Anya after losing her virginity to Troy. All she wanted to do was go to school then see him. All of Demi’s friends envied her but they did not know all the abuse she endured when they were behind closed doors, shortly after the beginning of their relationship. The once nice, caring, respectful Troy disappeared. He became a total stranger, a monster.
It was as if something took over his body causing him to do horrible things to her. He became extremely jealous. His temper was downright insane. No one would have ever guessed it because of the way she carried on and on about how nice and sweet he was. Troy promised to love and take care of her forever, which Demi believed like the naïve little girl she was.
The abuse started a few months into their relationship when he saw one of her classmates and good friends, Stanley Cruz, hugging her after school when he came to pick her up. Demi did not expect Troy to be jealous; after all he was in college and looked like a Roman God.
When he took her back to his apartment that day, their relationship turned from sweet to sour. Before Demi got in the door good her face burned from the slap landing across it. That was the beginning of her nightmare. Each time Troy hit her, he apologized by buying her expensive gifts. That made up for it in Demi’s eyes because she always had the latest fashion trends and shoes.
At fifteen, Demi’s love for stilettos came to life. To this very day, she loved them and rewarded herself with a pair as often as possible. Her closet was filled with over a thousand pair and counting, in which she could choose without the blink of an eye. Demi didn’t wear the same pair twice, never had, never would.
Men and women complimented her on her shoes everywhere she went, even the grocery store. Demi simply never left home without wearing a pair of stilettos. They washed away pain that refused to leave her alone. Stilettos gave her a light in the dark tunnel she called her life. A slight rock of the plane caused Demi to pop back into reality.
As the plane descended from the cloudless sky, Demi was full of excitement. Melvin Bradshaw was in for a big surprise, one that would surely knock him off his feet. As she buckled her seatbelt, Deminis smiled. She was about to embark on a great expedition that would impact the lives of the people who used and abused her over the course of her life. Sadness was her compass; revenge her map, pain the journey that would eventually lead to a future much deserved.
Demi closed her eyes remembering the day she learned the meaning of her name. Her father told her he gave her the name because he felt she would become a menace to all she came in contact with, beginning with his wife. He told her that no one would ever love her. That she would become nothing, and live a sad, lonely, pathetic life.
The words from her father tormented her each day. The only positive thing in her life was her education. Demi knew that life for her was about to take on a much better meaning. A woman scorned, neglected, punished for simply trusting and loving with all her heart, was now about to take the world by storm. Whoever was on that list was in big trouble Demi concluded, lying back relaxing in her first-class seat. She sipped the last of her champagne thinking, today is such a beautiful day.
Looking down at her “Something Blue” Satin, silver tonal, crystal broach, 4”, Manolo Blahniks, Demi took a deep breath. She picked those out specifically for her father, since he would not be at her wedding to give her away when she married the love of her life one day, those made the perfect choice.
Even though Demi had a rough life when she went to visit her father, Aunt Charlotte made sure she was happy when she was with her. Knowing something horrible must have taken place; Charlotte gave Demi more and more love and affection any child could handle. If she had ever learned of the things Melvin subjected upon her precious niece, she would have killed him herself, Demi thought thinking of how much her aunt loved her.
When Charlotte passed away from breast cancer, Demi was left to fend for herself. She then understood why she wasn’t allowed go with her aunt whenever she had to go out of town. It was hard at first, but Demi focused on survival and staying out of the system.
Aunt Charlotte owned her home, so Demi was safe there. No one ever came to the house in fear that they would tell her secret. All of her friends wanted to know why they were not invited over, but Demi told them her aunt was strict and they would not have any privacy. Troy never asked to visit because of the age difference between them. He did not have time to deal with some old lady putting him in jail for rape. Although Demi was a minor, he liked her. She made him feel good about himself. Giving up basketball because of failed grades depressed him, so when Demi came into his life, she gave him the boost of confidence he needed.
It was funny just how having a young-tender alone made him feel like a God. She didn’t see him as a failure like the rest of his family and friends, who turned their backs on him when he couldn’t get them any free tickets to any basketball games. People never amazed him, Troy thought. But Demi was different until she made him angry. If only she wouldn’t laugh in every dudes face. He didn’t like hurting her, but she made him do it. It was all her fault he kept telling himself after he struck her.
Demi got a job working at a local grocery store in Dallas to make sure the electricity, water and other utilities were paid. She did not watch much television so she did not keep the cable on. Books kept her company when she was not with Troy. Thinking she was too mature and cool for the rest of her friends, with the exception of Sidney, Demi did not spend much time with them. Being popular had its’ place, Demi just did not find it enjoyable being around too many people with all the bruises she tried to cover with makeup.
Although she had all the freedom in the world, Demi stayed on top of her studies. Even when Troy left her in the middle of the desert, she paid a homeless woman to pose as her mother so she was able to enroll in the local public high school.
Once, the Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Pennington, asked to meet with her mother to see about placing her in advanced classes, but Demi came up with a thousand excuses why her mother was not available. Finally, Mrs. Pennington took it upon herself to put Demi in the classes, prepared to deal with the consequences if need be.
Surprisingly, Demi excelled in the classes. All of her teachers praised her. That was the first time she received any kind of recognition in her life, and she loved it.
Aunt Charlotte had been there for her, however, it was not like having the bond most kids had with a parent. The only thing focused on in the household was cooking, cleaning, and doing well in school. Besides, as time progressed, Aunt Charlotte’s out-of-town trips got longer and longer.
Demi was glad when she turned fifteen so that she could take care of herself when it came time for her aunt to go away. Getting a job down the street from her house was another way to make sure she would not have to go stay with her father. At first, Aunt Charlotte didn’t want her to work, but when Demi started paying the bills, that thought was quickly replaced with more love and gratitude.
Being a failure was far from Demi’s mind. She focused really hard on her school work. Maybe if she performed well in her studies, got recognition for it, her father would come for her. They would finally be the family she dreamt of each night, Demi thought each day as she read several chapters in books, mastered math problems the teacher could not find the answers to, and expelled further in her studies.
Unfortunately, that never happened. When Aunt Charlotte died, Demi continued providing for herself. All the while, she wanted desperately to please her father so that he would come looking for her and mend their dysfunctional relationship. That never happened and Demi grew more and more determined to succeed. She didn’t want to fail at everything else. Her relationship with her father and Troy had already proven to be that, and Demi wouldn’t travel down the same road twice. Not if she had anything to do or say about it.
Up until the day she left with Troy, Demi hoped that once her father learned of her aunt’s death, he would come to bring her home. Wishful thinking gets the best of us all, Demi realized after she waited two full days before telling Troy she would run away with him.
After being in the new town for more than three months, Demi lost all hope in her father coming to rescue her, but continued pursuing her education.
Graduating top of her class, she received a full scholarship to Princeton University. Receiving two Bachelor Degrees in Fashion and Merchandising and Finance in only three years, Demi went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Mathematics, securing a job in New York, as a buyer for a major department store chain. Life was looking hopeful for the young country girl from Dallas, Texas.
Demi loved her job. She went shopping, getting paid for it. Plus, she received discounts on her most prized possessions, Stilettos. The hassle of not having someone constantly standing over her, watching her every move was one of the things Demi also loved about her job. She was simply her own Boss. All she had to do was find new designers, purchase merchandise for the stores, and oversee any changes, per request the CEO of the company.
The money she made provided her a great lifestyle, filling her closet with more and more Manolo Blahniks, Jimmy Choos, and other expensive designer items. Her high-priced, high-rise condo was simply remarkable. Demi filled her home with lavish art pieces, custom made furniture, and many other expensive things to make up for not having them as a child.
Even though she enjoyed material things, it was nothing like having real love to fill the void in her heart. Demi would soon learn another hard lesson in love when she met a certain professional athlete. He too was another name on her list who would soon have a pair of Stilettos standing over his body, when she stormed his life like Hurricane Katrina.
No comments:
Post a Comment