"monique jenkins"

⦁ Monique Jenkins—known as the "ex-wife" of Thadeus Jenkins, or "TJ." Monique and Thadeus first crossed paths in Paris, just before the outbreak of WWI. Since then, she has been on a relentless quest to secure financial support from him, often threatening to force TJ to sell his bar to cover unpaid spousal support. However, Monique never truly follows through with her threats. Perhaps it's because she enjoys the perks of free drinks at TJ's bar. Rumors abound that Monique knows more about TJ's mysterious disappearance 25 years ago than she's letting on. The question that haunts everyone: did TJ take the secret recipe for the enigmatic Ladee Joose elixir to the grave, or did he pass it on to Monique's estranged—and notoriously reclusive—father, Jooles Devereaux? Jooles and TJ had formed a close and confidential bond during TJ's childhood. It was Jooles who orchestrated the marriage between his daughter, Monique, and TJ, offering a peculiar "dowry" as part of the arrangement. Jooles himself harbored a controversial past: he was secretly married to Matilda Faraux, a staunch advocate of the Temperance Movement and an unwavering teetotaler in the mid-19th century. Matilda, a self-taught chemist and biologist, acquired her knowledge from books stolen by her mother from a wealthy plantation owner. This family of "chemical engineers from France" had immigrated to America and become one of the richest families of their era. Matilda’s disdain for alcohol—especially its destructive impact on the men of small, lawless towns—fueled her groundbreaking experiments. One fateful night, while studying by candlelight, she stumbled upon a chemical combination that mimicked the effects of alcohol on the brain. However, her formula didn’t create intoxication—it activated a pleasure response so profound that it made people feel as if they could travel back in time, all without fostering a craving for alcohol. This revolutionary elixir had the potential to help people regain control over their desires for intoxicating spirits and, in time, restore their youthful vitality. However, as the formula evolved over the years, a few miscalculations altered its original effects. The elixir became more potent than Matilda had ever intended, with some effects amplified to unforeseen extremes. Monique now faces a grave dilemma. She may have to reveal her true identity and jeopardize her centuries-old mission to prevent people from succumbing to intoxication. To fix the formula, she must find a way to reach her father in the past, where only he holds the key to restoring the original "recipe." Yet, no one can explain how Monique manages to communicate with Jooles, who would be over 100 years old by now. Over time, the elixir—created by Matilda—has been called by many names, its formula constantly altered. Its effects, however, have departed significantly from Matilda’s original vision. Somehow, the name "Ladee Joose" stuck, becoming the moniker for this mysterious concoction that grants its drinkers the sensation of time travel. Monique remains the sole supplier of this exclusive, underground elixir, a favorite among the locals who frequent Sophia's Lounge. Only those who know what to ask for by name can order it. Strangely, no one ever recalls the last time they drank it, yet they always seem to order it again when they return. Monique, however, has never shared the full truth about "Ladee Joose"—not even with Sophia. What it truly does to her customers when they drink it remains her closely guarded secret.