Jenny had just turned fourteen when her mother was taken away from her by a tragic illness. Unable to take care of her on his own as an engine driver, Jenny's father left her with her godparents. It was hard for him to say the least. First, he lost the love of his life, and then, he was not going to see his only child as often. Having four daughters and a son around the same age as her, Jenny's godparents were glad to take her in. But the thought of being away from her father, her only direct family at the time, terrified Jenny. On some nights, Jenny's godmother would find her crying in her room. Jenny would quickly mask her tears, but it was all too evident. Fearing for Jenny's mental health, her godmother called Jenny's father. She wanted him to take Jenny back—that maybe he could get someone to look after her while he was away. Jenny's father didn't want to trust an outsider with his daughter's life, but he knew he had no other option at the time. So, he hired servants to take care of her while he was away, but the events that followed were just as terrible as what he had feared. A few years passed, and Jenny grew up to be a beautiful young girl who turned the heads of many people; one of them was a distant relative who exploited the love and affection she missed receiving from her deceased mother and busy father. He used her to fulfill his own selfish desires and then abandoned her, scared and with child. Jenny's father was devastated, as it was a time and culture that looked down on a girl being pregnant out of wedlock; but he vowed to protect her and help her through that hard time. She was able to make up her mind and have the child, even though the thought of them being fatherless frightened her. Not long after, one of Jenny's cousin's arrived at their door with a friend of his called Alfred. Nine years her senior, Alfred was enchanted by her beauty, and Jenny felt the same about him. After that day, Alfred started visiting the house by himself to meet Jenny and, as their relationship grew, she felt she couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret from him. He said that it didn't matter to him because he loved her. He promised Jenny the world, and she trusted him. Eventually, they both got married, and Jenny soon gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. But, when it was time to take her child home, Alfred insisted that the baby be temporarily given to an orphanage as they were just starting off a new life and needed time for themselves first. He promised her that it would only be for a short time. Reluctantly, Jenny agreed to it, but Alfred didn't keep his word. He said he didn't want an illegitimate son. Broken-hearted, Jenny visited the orphanage one day without Alfred's knowledge, but it was too late: her son had already been adopted. Jenny longed to see her son again, but stayed quiet, hoping that one day, she would meet him. Unfortunately for her, that day never came. Time passed by, and Jenny and Alfred had four more children. But, soon after, Alfred began to change. He became an alcoholic and a cheat. But Jenny never said a word against it; she didn't want to fight in front of their children. And so, Alfred kept to his ways until he began spiralling out of control, forcefully taking the money her father would send her to spend it on liquor. Jenny was frustrated—she wanted to leave Alfred. She knew her father would look after her and her children if she went to him, but she had not the strength to do it. In her mind, Jenny didn't want to burden him more than she thought she already did. Jenny's father always saved money and saw that she and her children received the facilities they needed. He saw to them more than Alfred ever did. Not long after, however, Jenny was pregnant once again. This time, it was a girl. Unable to take all the abuse from Alfred, Jenny decided to abort the child, but her father persuaded her not to. He promised to take care of her new child. However, he passed away just two months before he could see his new granddaughter. As the months passed by, things went from bad to worse. Alfred began to show up at the doorstep drunk and angry, shouting obscene words at her and the children. Even the neighbours could hear his insults, which brought down the hammer of shame on Jenny and her children even more. This even pushed her second son to leave the house at the age of 16 and join all the wrong crowds. Alfred's lust for brew soon grew to the point where he began selling their belongings for it. When Jenny tried to stop him, he would threaten to beat her up; and those threats eventually became a reality. He hit and kicked her repeatedly, and this led to a couple of miscarriages in the years that followed. Even though Alfred made her life a living hell, Jenny stayed with him. She was eventually gripped by cancer's cold embrace for nearly six months before succumbing to it. Jenny died at the age of 60. Alfred followed her nine years later. He died of a stroke.