Jane found herself trapped in an abu.sive marriage after her husband lost his job. When she realized both her own safety and her stepdaughter’s could be at risk, she finally gathered the courage to make a “pizza order” call that would change everything.
Denise worked as a dispatcher at a 911 call center. With her father being a police officer, she had always dreamed of protecting others just like he did.
She once tried to join the police force, but the physical training at the academy was impossible for her to complete because of her disability — she had both legs amputated after a car accident.
She believed that meant her dream was over. But her father encouraged her to try out for the 911 communications team, and that’s where she discovered her true role in law enforcement.
The job demanded strength — and wasn’t suited for anyone easily shaken. She dealt with intense emergencies day after day. Still, Denise felt she was meant for this career, and she genuinely loved her work.
One afternoon, she picked up a call that seemed unusual. Prank calls were common for her, and at first she assumed this was just another joke. It wouldn’t have been the first time someone dialed 911 pretending to order pizza — yet something immediately felt off.
“Hi, my name is Jane. C—could… Could I please get 2 pizzas as soon as possible? Please, I’m desperate!” Jane whispered, clearly terrified.
“Sorry, ma’am, I believe you have the wrong number. Goodbye,” Denise answered, starting to disconnect.
“No! Please don’t cut the call!” Jane pleaded.
“Ma’am, if this is a prank, I promise you—” Denise began, but Jane cut her off.
“Are you in danger?”
“No… I didn’t make a mistake. This is the pizzeria, and I desperately need 2 pizzas from you,” Jane insisted. Denise could hear the fear — and the sound of tears — in her voice, making her reconsider.
“Alright, ma’am. I’m sensing that you may not be calling to actually order pizza. I’m going to ask you a couple of questions. Just answer yes or no. Understood?” Denise said, steady and composed.
“Yes,” Jane replied.
“Are you in danger?” Denise asked.
“Yes,” Jane replied.
“Don’t worry. I’m tracking your IP now. Is there anyone else in the room?” Denise asked, typing furiously on the computer, trying to track the IP address.
“Yes. Please make it quick. My daughter and I are starving,” Jane said.
“Okay, so you and your daughter are in danger. Is this a domestic case?” Denise asked, opening her notepad and jotting notes.
“Yes. P—Please deliver the pizza as soon as possible,” Jane replied.
“Okay. Just stay calm, Jane. So, it’s a man?” Denise asked.
“Yes,” Jane said.
“Is he armed? Is he alone?” Denise asked.
“Who are you talking to? Hang up!” the man shouted.
“Yes… And, yes… Please, we are hungry,” Jane said softly.
“Alright. Just hang in there, Jane. We are almost done, and we have your location. Does your house have a back entrance?” Denise asked.
“No, just the front door,” Jane said. Then, suddenly, Denise heard a man yelling on the phone.
“Who are you talking to? Hang up!” the man shouted.
” I was just getting pizza for—” Jane started before a sharp knock sounded over the phone then it cut.
“Hello? Jane? Jane, are you still there?” Denise asked, but the phone had been dropped.
Fortunately, Denise had already located their address and had a team on their way to Jane. The brigade team arrived at the house shortly after Jane had cut the phone. They arrived just in the nick of time too.
They kicked the door to find Jane’s husband drunk. Meanwhile, Jane and her daughter hid in the next room, weeping bitterly. The place was a mess, with beer bottles and pizza boxes everywhere.
The brigade arrested Jane’s husband on the spot and ushered Jane and her daughter to the police station. Jane always knew the requirement of her job and tried not to get too attached.
But something about this case made her want to inquire further. All she wanted to know was that Jane and her little girl were okay.
As fate would have it, Jane requested to speak with Denise, hoping she could thank her personally. One of Denise’s detective friends handling Jane’s case reached out to Denise, and she scheduled a meeting with Jane.
Jane and Denise met for lunch. Jane even came with her daughter, Matilda. Jane and Matilda were both very grateful for Denise’s help. Denise was just grateful that they were both safe.
Jane explained that things weren’t always like that with her husband. They had married several years back.
Matilda was Jane’s husband’s daughter, and she became her own after they married. Denise learned that before he became a tyrant in their home, he was pretty normal.
However, after losing his job, he started to drink heavily, and his behavior changed. He started not treating Jane and Matilda right. By the time things got terrible, Jane truly saw Matilda as her own child and could not just up and leave the relationship.
A week ago, he saw Jane talking to a man at the grocery store and completely lost it. He locked Jane and Matilda at home and did not let them out.
Jane’s story touched Denise deeply, and she promised to help however she could. In the end, she didn’t have to. Jane’s husband was arrested, and the court denied him his parental rights. Jane took sole custody of Matilda and loved her as her own.
Jane and Matilda underwent therapy together, and after a couple of months, with the help of their new friend, Denise, they were able to piece their life back together again.
What can we learn from this story?
- Sometimes you have to make a difficult decision to save yourself and your family. Jane had to decide to make the difficult decision that would separate her and Matilda from a dire situation. While it wasn’t easy, it worked out in the end.
- Sometimes, be open to giving people the benefit of the doubt and hearing them out. If Denise had decided to sum up Jane’s call as just another prank, their circumstances could have ended fatally. Fortunately, she gave Jane a second listen and finally heard her plea for help.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
Source: amomama.com
Note: This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.
