In a women’s prison, Patricia, a traumatized inmate resisting state-mandated group therapy, is forced to confront the abuse that led her to kill her husband, revealing how a seemingly romantic relationship devolved into a nightmare of control, violence, and survival.

SYNOPSIS:

Deceptive Vows is a 120-page domestic violence screenplay, comparable to “Sleeping with the Enemy” and “The Burning Bed.” Patricia Robinson is an inmate at Hanford Women’s Prison, where she resists a mandatory group therapy program for women incarcerated for killing their abusive husbands. Angry, defensive, and emotionally shut down, Patricia clashes with guards, disrupts a group session, and refuses to share her story. Around her, other inmates, including Carol Witherspoon and Sharon Walker, recount their histories of abuse, survival, and the violent acts that landed them in prison. Their testimony gradually shows Patricia she is not alone, even if she is unwilling to admit it.

After a violent outburst in the group, Patricia is taken to a private meeting with Dr. Morgan, the therapist leading the program. He warns her that unless she participates, she may be removed from the sessions. Patricia reluctantly agrees to private counseling and, over time, begins to soften, especially after conversations with Carol, who urges her to stop burying her pain. Haunted by nightmares and memories, Patricia finally decides to tell her story, first to Dr. Morgan and then to the group.

The narrative then shifts to an extended flashback. A year earlier, Patricia lived with her parents, was close to her longtime friends Yvette and Vanessa, and was open to love. She meets Andrew Robinson, a charming computer technician, and is quickly swept up in a passionate romance. Andrew appears attentive, romantic, and vulnerable, especially when he shares details of his traumatic childhood, including witnessing his father’s abuse of his mother. Patricia, drawn by both chemistry and sympathy, falls deeply for him.

As their relationship progresses, warning signs emerge. Andrew becomes possessive, moody, and controlling. He resents Patricia’s independence, her friendships, and her closeness to her parents. He watches her, tracks her, and pressures her to center her life on him. Though he apologizes after angry outbursts, his behavior worsens. Patricia’s friends and father sense something is wrong, but she interprets his obsession as love and commits to him anyway. The two marry quickly, despite concerns from those around her.

Once they are married, Andrew’s mask slips further. He becomes verbally abusive, demanding obedience and control over the household and over Patricia herself. Patricia begins to realize she is trapped in the very kind of relationship she once believed she would avoid. The prison framing story makes clear that the abuse escalates from insults and intimidation to sustained violence, ultimately driving Patricia to kill Andrew. Her imprisonment becomes the aftermath not only of a single act but of an entire cycle of coercion, fear, trauma, and survival. The script presents Patricia’s story alongside those of other women, using prison therapy as both a structural framework and an emotional lens. In doing so, it examines the long shadow of domestic violence, the complexity of victimhood and accountability, and the possibility that telling the truth may be the first step toward healing.

DECEPTIVE VOWS