Yayyyyy!!!!

My Book Is Here!!!

I cannot tell you all enough how truly excited I am to finally become a published author, but I am truly excited, overjoyed, and any other word that can describe my mood right now. I have worked long and hard to achieve this accomplishment, and I will continue to do so until there isn't anything left in me to do. Next up, best-seller's list.

Deadly In Stilettos is here and can finally be enjoyed by you all. Go to my website www.Kekechanel.net for more information.

The book is also on ebook and can be purchased through Authorhouse.com Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Please like me and join my friend circle on Goodreads.com just search Keke Chanel or "Deadly In Stilettos".

I will be forming a "Deadly In Stilettos" group on facebook so find me(KekeChanel2012) and send me a friend request so that when the group is formed, you can be a part of it. There, we will discuss the book without any spoilers to anyone who hasn't read it and would like to do so in the future. I will also be doing book trivia for prizes. Information on upcoming events will also be posted within the group. I will begin book signings soon and may be in a city near you, so please come out to meet me personally and get your signed copy of "Deadly in Stilettos". I think I will add the first few chapters of the book to my website and goodreads page. Yes, that is a great idea. Go check it out. I will also post new material in the group to get your input, comments and thoughts. This will allow us to get to know each other better. There is nothing like interacting with your readers!!!

I want to thank each and every one of you guys for your love, support and prayers. Without you, there would be no Keke Chanel. I write for enjoyment, but for my readers. Purple hugs and kisses to you all my Passionate Souls!!! Until next time, be inspired, be encouraged, be blessed and BE YOU!!!

Smooches,
Keke Chanel

In fact, here are the first two chapters of Deadly In Stilettos!!!!

Chapter 1       

            There are some things men should not do and pissing off a woman is top of the list. They take and take giving nothing of great use, only to leave you heartbroken, wounded like an animal. Never again, thought Deminis Bradshaw. She was a woman with one broken heart, too many. All the men she let get close in her life caused nothing but great pain, beginning with her own father. Before she allowed anyone else to take advantage of her, they would die first.

            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 that would soon have a pair of Stilettos standing over his body, when she stormed his life like Hurricane Katrina.

Chapter 2

         Melvin Bradshaw, quietly set in his living room, rocking in his chair. Night after night, he rocked and rocked. The guilt he felt for neglecting his only daughter got the best of him, which led to him taking refuge in the form of alcohol. The dark house was the perfect match to his dark soul. Satan himself would have cringed at the sight of the desperation lingering in the room. The stench of regret filled what was left of Melvin’s life, as he came home each day from work. Nothing would have prepared him for what would happen next.

          Several years ago, he tried finding her only to be left with more guilt than before. Everyone who knew Demi knew of her nonexistent relationship with her father. They would not give him any information that would help him locate her. It was his entire fault. Why had it taken him all these years to want a normal relationship with his daughter? Was he worthy of that connection after treating her like an outcast?

            All the abuse, neglect, hatred, no one deserved that much pain. Maybe one day she would forgive him and they could finally have a father-daughter relationship they should have had the first day she was born, Melvin hoped. There was still part of him that wanted to continue the search. But the fear of rejection got the best of him.

            He gave up like a coward, turning to alcohol and a younger woman to fulfill his desires. His beloved wife would have turned flips in her grave if she could see him at that very moment, knowing that he had turned away from the one person still linking the two of them together. A child they created through love was now the object of his hatred, Melvin declared sipping from a bottle of his only friend called alcohol, night after night.   

            All of his time and money went to booze. The local liquor stores knew Melvin by name. They knew what he liked, often having several bottles waiting for him when he stopped by. It was a shame, but that was the only way he was able to sleep at night without nightmares. His little girl was all alone in the world with no one to love her like a father should and he only had himself to blame. Things should have been different but Melvin allowed darkness to feel his heart where there should have been love, for his only child, his beloved daughter.

            Dozing in and out of sleep, Melvin finally got up from his chair, went upstairs to his room, falling face down on top of the bed covers. Up until the day his wife died, Melvin could not wait to have children. They talked about it constantly. When she told him she was pregnant, he was determined to be a better father to his children than what his father was to him and his brother Pat.

            Pat died from being kicked in the ribs repeatedly, when he was only five years old. Their father had a drinking problem, coming home taking his anger out on him and his mother. The night Pat died, Melvin wasn’t home. When he got there, the police had his father in handcuffs. His mother was taken to the hospital for treatment. She too had been badly beaten that night, but Pat never had a fighting chance. A rib punctured his lung, killing him instantly, while their father continued beating him. To this day, his father was serving a life sentence without parole. His mother was never the same after Pat’s death. Their relationship was nonexistent, just as his and Demi’s. She blamed him for what happened, as he blamed his daughter for the death of his wife.

            When Demi’s mother, Beth, came into his life, he felt hope again. They dated only months before he asked her to marry him. Melvin worked two jobs, saving money to buy a house for them. Beth was a nurse, she loved helping people. That was one of the things Melvin loved about her.

            The day she died changed his life forever. He was lost again, just as when he was a boy, only this time he had a baby to take care of. He took one look at his daughter, falling in love with her. When it was time to bring her home, that was when he realized his wife was dead. He would have to be responsible for another life other than his own.

            His heart broke into a million pieces when he took his daughter to live with his sister-in-law, which was the best for both of them. The beatings when she came to visit were just punishment, reflected by his past. The drinking problem he had suddenly developed hadn’t helped the situation either.

            Melvin became his father, his worst nightmare, so he pushed his daughter further and further away. He was trying to protect her. If she would have stayed with him, she could have ended up like his brother Pat. Although Demi did not know it, her father saved her life by not being in it.

          ***********************************************************************

            Demi waited. She listened before making any moves. Learning how to pick locks had its advantages, she thought as she stood on the outside of her father’s house. That was something she learned while living alone in her teenage years. Some nights Demi found an empty house, breaking in to stay warm on cold nights. No child should ever live the way she had.

            The neighborhood was dark, so Demi did not have to worry about being seen. Slowly, she pulled out her nail file, placing it inside the lock. Within seconds, the door opened. Demi stepped inside cautiously. She was prepared to face her father if he had heard her and was waiting for her when she entered.

            When she was sure no one was waiting for her, she continued. Demi did not know her father’s whereabouts inside the house, so she had to take off her stilettos. She didn’t want to make any noise, bringing attention to herself or what was to come. Again, Demi smiled looking down at her shoes. Oh how she loved her Blahniks. Although she loved all stilettos, Manolo Blahniks were surely her first choice.

            It was Troy who first introduced her to them. On their first month anniversary, he surprised her with a pair, in which she still owned. Thankfully, her feet remained the same size since she was fifteen years old, a perfect size 8, but it didn’t really matter because she never wore the same shoe twice.

            Looking around the house, Demi saw many pictures of her mother, of all ages. She was just as beautiful on them, as she was on the one she carried with her at all times. Demi touched her locket, holding it in her hand. She closed her eyes knowing that her mother wouldn’t be pleased with her actions. Her aunt gave her pictures of her mother, so that she would always have her close. No matter where she went, her mother was always there. Aunt Charlotte had the locket made for her thirteenth birthday and Demi had never taken it off.

            A foul smell filled the air. Demi held her breath trying not to cough from the terrible stench. There was an old rocker recliner in front of a small television in the living room. She figured that was where her father spent most of his time. By the smell of alcohol, Demi also knew what kept him company.

            Dirty dishes filled the sink in the tiny kitchen, hence the foul odor. Demi almost cleaned them up. Aunt Charlotte did not tolerate a dirty kitchen, ever, so Demi knew all too well how to keep an immaculate house. At times her cleaning skills got her in trouble, because she would go behind her aunt redoing what she had just completed.

            The memories of Aunt Charlotte suddenly brought tears to her eyes. She missed her so much, and maybe life would have turned out differently for her if Aunt Charlotte would have still been alive. Demi also thought of her mother. What would life have been like living with both parents? Would she still have received the beatings from her father? Demi brushed her emotions off, remembering the reason for her visit to her father in the first place.

            All at once, the anger and hurt filled her once again. Turning around with each step to make sure no one was behind her, Demi made her way up the narrow stairwell. The house was sadder than she remembered. The dust was working on her allergies overtime. She put her hand over her nose several times to keep from sneezing.

            The couch was worn, covered with newspapers. The carpet looked like it had not been vacuumed or cleaned in years. Several bottles of liquor held captive the fireplace mantle, while others were scattered all around the living room. The scene was depressing, yet Demi did not feel sorry for the person living in such disgust. The inside of the house was the picture of her life; sad, depressing, lonely, and messy enough to destroy any living vessel, crying out for a good cleaning. 

            One of the steps creaked as she walked slowly. Demi held her breath. When no one appeared, she continued her journey. There were five closed doors on the second level of the house. Which one did her father occupy? It had been years since her last visit, remembering which room was what clouded her mind.  

            Slowly, she worked her way down the hallway, pushing open the door at the very end. It was a small room, painted with light pink walls. A canopy bed, with several stuffed animals took up most of the room, yet it had a cozy feel to it. As she stepped inside, she saw a vanity, with a white jewelry box on top of it. Demi was confused. Did her father have another child? Did she have a little sister whom she knew nothing about?

            Walking around the bed, Demi saw a window seat, with built-in bookshelves. As a child, she always wanted to have a window seat with book shelves for her many books. Reading was her only refuge until she met Troy. Even still, she made time to read, preferably, a great mystery story.

            There was something about the room that felt familiar then suddenly it hit her. It was her old room. The room she once stayed in when Aunt Charlotte went away. The room she had loved, before getting locked in the basement. These where the things she left just in case he came to bring her home one day. It was also the room she escaped to when her father was drunk, when he couldn’t put her in the basement. The abuse was most intense when he drank, which was all the time.  

            A sound from outside the door bought Demi back to reality. She had to do what she came to do, and get back to the airport in time to catch her midnight flight. Tomorrow, she had to pay someone else on her list a little visit.

            Closing the door quietly as she stepped back into the hallway, Demi checked inside all the other doors until there was only one left. The room was dark and quiet. Demi eased the door open carefully walking inside. An eerie feeling came over her. It was as if he was waiting for her. A cold breeze swept across the dark room causing Demi to shiver. She trembled before easing the door further open.

             There was her father lying on the bed face down. He was fully dressed on up of the covers. The stench of alcohol consumed the air along with the smell of fresh vomit. Demi almost coughed barely able to breathe. She fought the sudden urge to throw up herself.

            The “Something Blue” Satin Manolos sparkled as the light from the full moon coming from the window hit them. They gave her power. Demi walked over to the bed, pulled out the piece of fishing wire from her pocket, then eased it carefully around her fathers’ neck. He surprisingly did not move.

            Demi pulled with all the strength she had. Going to the gym each day paid off tremendously. When she heard his neck snap, she pulled the wire from around it, placed it back into her pocket, walked to the door, opened it then left. Just like that, her father was dead. He could not hurt her anymore. For once, Demi would be able to live her life without thinking he would come for her. That would never happen. He had just entered an eternal sleep.

“Rock-a-bye Baby”, Demi said closing the door behind her as she walked from my father’s bedroom. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She was not sad she no longer had a father, but happy that he was no longer able to keep her from sleeping at night reliving all the horrible ways he treated her or thinking he would someday rescue her.

            Demi did not feel any remorse as she drove her rental car back to the airport. Her flight was in an hour, so she would have time to get something to eat. When she boarded the plane, she took off her “Something Blue” Satin Manolo Blahniks, placing them in their special satin bag before tucking them away in her carry-on sack.

            She rubbed her feet. When she got to her next destination, she would definitely need a pedicure. The bright red polish shined with perfection, accenting her beautiful toes. Demi was blessed with beautiful feet complimented by all who saw them.

            Taking out another satin bag from her sack, Demi removed another pair of Blahniks. Troy Dunbar had purchased those for her so long ago. Now he would see them once again, only this time, they wouldn’t be in a way he loved, but one he was surely never to forget.

            The plane had another four hours before Demi arrived in Chicago, so she carefully placed the shoes back into their bag, closed her eyes drifting off into a much needed sleep. Demi was relieved. She had no nightmares involving her father. Name #1 was crossed from her list.