Heres what happens when a Cinderella story turns happily into horribly ever after. Slim (Jennifer Lopez) works as a waitress in a diner with best pal, Ginny (Juliette Lewis). They spot a good-looking guy, Robbie (Noah Wyle) sitting by himself, reading a book and holding a rose. Whos the flower for? asks Slim. You, he says. The line works, and shes won over - but not for long. Sitting behind Robbie is tall and handsome Mitch (Billy Campbell) who tells Slim that he heard the no-good Robbie making a bet that he could win a date with Slim. Caught out, Robbie exits and Mitch says his goodbyes and also departs. Slim is smitten for the second time in a day, but hesitates. What are you waiting for? asks Ginny, and Slim runs after her white knight.
In quick succession we see Slim and Mitch - whos rich on top of everything else - marry, have a baby daughter and settle into wedded bliss. Well, for a few years. He gets restless, she gets suspicious and soon the fairy tale is over. Mitch is having an affair and when Slim finds out, he tells her that hes glad that its out in the open and that, after all, this is what guys do, but its Slim he loves and he wont let her go. To prove a point he punches her around. End of honeymoon.
With the help of friends, Slim escapes from the house with her daughter, Gracie (Tessa Allen) but not before a scary confrontation with a gun-wielding Mitch, a control freak who is getting freakier by the minute. We know, of course, thats its not going to be as easy as that for Slim. She goes to her ex-boyfriend, Joe (Dan Futterman) who welcomes her, but when thugs trash his place while Slim and Gracie hide in terror, Slim knows she has to move on. She approaches a high-tech tycoon named Jupiter (Fred Ward) for help, claiming that he is her father. Jupiter is unconvinced by her story until later when he is also paid a visit by some of Mitchs oafs and has a change of heart. Changing her name and her appearance Slim moves to Michigan where she hopes she and Gracie will be out of harms way.
At this point, there is a plot disclosure, which, for those who dont suspect it, will not be revealed here, but it concerns a character that Mitch then uses to help him track down his runaway wife.
When Slim realises that Mitch is not going to give up the chase, she decides its time to stop running, summons up some girl power and, after devising a gutsy plan of action, faces her smug husband on his terms.