Chapter: Chapter 10: Laid Plans
Sometimes you make a choice to change the environment two chapters ago and it comes back at the best time. Paper window hearts for MVP.
(The P stands for pmotif.)
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TRANSCRIPT
Panel 1 (Imogen comes back downstairs with her duffel bag as Alex leans against the kitchen door)
Imogen: Is he gonna come in?
Panel 2 (Imogen passes Alex)
Alex: No, Jackie’s got him.
Panel 3 (Imogen looks out the kitchen window, in disbelief)
Imogen: Jackie?
Panels 4-6 (textless; Jonathan and Jackie in the foreground, while Imogen watches from the kitchen window; Imogen and Jonathan’s eyes meet, and Imogen gasps)
Panel 7 (Alex puts her hand on Imogen’s arm)
Alex: Come on. We gotta go.
I don’t know what it is, but Jonathan’s stare like that gives me the fear that if this cycle continues and Imogen threatens to leave, it might become physical abuse
I don’t know that he would go that far. Not all emotional abusers become physical – even when they are faced with losing their object of control. I would be more scared that he goes after the kids (i.e., making the custody battle very difficult, and when he does get the kids for visitation/his custody time, turning them against her just to hurt her). I’ve seen the aftermath of that – where the perpetrator was the mom and where the perpetrator was the dad, and fallout for everyone involved is horrific and lasts for years.
He had no problem swinging a fist at Alex, that’s proof enough that he’s willing to physically assault a woman.
Honestly if this were real life, Imogen would be shooting herself in the foot by leaving the family house. Even moving next door.
If you’re in this situation – women’s shelters and domestic violence resources can help you find lawyers that work pro bono or sliding scale. Some places have legal advice clinics for free as well. Please speak to a divorce/family law attorney before taking any steps.
The law is super varied from place to place and the wrong move can really hurt your ability to get custody.
The quickness with which Jonathan swung a fist at Alex leads me to think he’s “spoken” with his fists before and either Imogen hasn’t said anything or didn’t know. Callback to Lucas getting in trouble for fighting at hockey practice (which yeah is part of the sport to a point), I wonder if the kid has had to throw up hands against his stepdad, for whom he harbors little to no affection. That glare says a LOT, none of it helpful.
Jackie’s great. I’m glad that she’s really been stepping up for Imogen and Alex.
From my experience in family law, this situation is rife with all sorts of dangers.
Agreed. Very glad this is fiction where we know there’s going to be a happy ending and this is just the conflict to make a more interesting story.
im wondering if he’s been drinking excessively also …and if Alex was getting the kids off to school where was he ?
this comic is always as good !! i really hope you publish the whole story one day ^^
I don’t know if John would actually get physical/throw blows with Imogene. Yes, he threw a punch at Alex, a woman; but there’s a difference between your woman and someone you think is taking your woman from you. Also, if Imogene reacted like this just to texts that make it 90% sure John is cheating on her, but not guaranteed, nor showed how much that cheating was (all the texts show was that he probably kissed someone else), I doubt she would have stayed if he had actually laid hands on her or any of the kids. I don’t know. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but that’s my two cents.