Mark had been dating his girlfriend Berlinah for several years before he decided the relationship wasn't what he wanted; he broke things off, moved out, and started dating someone new.

Berlinah could not accept Mark's decision and made repeated demands that he hear her out and talk to her about their relationship. She planned her retaliation that would assure Mark could never be with anyone else if he wouldn't be with her. The resulting months of suffering are more than anyone should ever have to bear, and in the words of Kees Van Dongen: there were only losers in this case.