Based on the true story of Nicole Beverly — as seen on Inside Evil with Chris Cuomo – Til Death Do Us Part and also the title of Beverly’s top-selling book, Finding Nicole: A True Story of Love, Loss, Betrayal, Fear and Hope — this film is all about Nicole (Kaiti Wallen), who at one point fell in love with football player Warren (Mari G.). Love, as they say, blinded her toward the red flags that he showed untik it was too late.

Directed and written by Harley Wallen, along with Geoffrey D. Calhoun, the story moves to the couple having two children, Carter and Myles (played by Isaiah and Ayden Franklin). Time has not improved the relationship between husband and wife, as what were small bits of jealousy have become full-blown rages. Throw in some alcohol, and you have a man who continually beats his wife, so much so that the cops know their home without needing the address. The problem? Warren used to be an officer, so the blue line protects him until he puts a gun to her face.

This leads to a trial, where attorney Cameron Banks (Sean Whalen) even discusses the size of her intimate areas to try to convince the jury that she’s a woman of loose morals. With the help of her lawyer, Shonda Wright, Esq. (Shawntay Dalon), Nicole wins the case, only to learn that her ex has ordered a hit on her and the children while he rots in prison.

The good news? Today, Nicole has “taken her traumatic experiences and turned them into a springboard for helping others understand and recover from their own trauma while working to create societal changes and viewpoints about trauma survivors.” You can learn more about her and her story — not just from this movie — at Finding Nicole.

This site usually covers horror, but not the real kind. Domestic violence is a true and terrifying ordeal. According to Break the Cycle, “in the United States, nearly every 1 in 2 women and more than 2 in 5 men reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime.” If you or someone you love is dealing with it, don’t stay. Call 1-800-799-SAFE, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline or text START to 88788.