Tainted Love

by Debi V. Smith

One man's obsession is another woman's living nightmare. What could go wrong when Ariana Baraquio runs into Lance Byun, an ex-boyfriend, while out with her current boyfriend? After all, running into people you know in Honolulu happens all the time. You say, “Long time, yeah?” catch up fast kine and hele on. The chance meeting alters the course of their lives and her boyfriend’s, James Devlin. Finding out where she lives, Lance calls her incessantly and sneaks into the building, leaving presents at her door. Managing the stress of being stalked with the responsibilities of college, work, and living on her own overwhelms Ari. Lance’s actions culminate in a night of violence as he holds Ari and J.D. hostage. He disappears after that, but his actions create a rippling effect of trauma for her and J.D. When he returns, repeating the same pattern, they eventually put their faith in the justice system. Ari and J.D. know they’ll survive if they continue to support each other while also recognizing that Lance can and will destroy what they’ve built at any time. Ari’s experience make you question why we put so many expectations on victims to do and act as we think they should. Hopefully, her story will not only make you wish for a better future in which the system, institutions, and individuals take victims at their word and do more to protect them, making them feel safer to report in the first place, but to understand that it’s not hyperbole when Asian-American women say their lives are in danger because they’ve been fetishized.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2021

About the author

Debi earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa and worked with children and adolescents for ten and a half years, then with adults for two years as a mental health professional.

She currently resides in Ohio with her husband Chaz, but Hawai`i will always be home. She is a voracious reader with an appreciation for music and movies.

Reviews

[Katie Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Ari, J.D., and Lance is a complex story of love, friendship, family, and obsession. It’s hard hitting, honest, and unflinching in its portrayal of a young Filipina woman’s ongoing battle with a relentless stalker and the havoc he wreaks on her life. It isn’t always an easy read. It pulls no punches. There is a happy ending, of sorts, but it comes at a cost.

It’s a story you won’t soon forget.

Originally published as a series of blogs, Tainted Love dives more deeply into Ariana’s (Ari’s) background…her family, her first years away at university, and her relationships with both J.D. and Lance. I especially appreciated the vivid descriptions of Hawaiian and Filipino food interspersed throughout, and the pidgin English patois that peppers the dialogue.

Ari finds that the system designed to protect her - the law, the courts - is merely a temporary impediment to Lance, the stalker determined to circumvent any obstacle to make her his own and prove his “love” for her. Restraining orders are ignored. Counselors ask Ari, “Did you know him? Did you date him?” as if knowing him somehow explains/excuses his behavior. Ari’s frustration with an imperfect system grows as Lance’s tireless pursuit ramps up. Where will it end? Will it ever end?

You’ll root for Ari as she fights to break free from the dark, terrifying reach of Lance’s obsession. Her relationship with J.D. grows in strength despite the strains Lance’s stalking puts on them. Love triumphs, but at great cost to Ari and to those she loves.