"Gio! You can’t treat me like this. I’m carrying your child!" Joy cried, her voice breaking into hysterics.

To Georgio, it was nothing more than whining. What he didn’t realize was that his lover was battling the ghosts of her abusive past—trauma born from a toxic family and crushing poverty.

Georgio sighed, exhausted, then noticed the neighbors staring. Embarrassment prickled at him, and he chose to retreat inside, tossing Joy a single line over his shoulder: "Do whatever you ...