They warned the new girl about Jim. After enough voices, she assumed it part of the terms of reference.

Jim was not particularly attractive, young or rich, just needy.

The new girl, as all previous new girls, would be approached by Jim, and invitations made.  But as the new girl would have been warned;

“If you are seen with Jim, his ex-wife Flora, her sister, and their handicapped child
appear, and set about making your life miserable,”

she would decline.

Sixteen years ago, when Jim  separated from Flora, she learned she was pregnant. Told the child would likely have Down’s syndrome,  abortion suggested, Flora declined.  She didn’t decline because of  ethical objection
to abortion, but because this would give her a permanent hold over Jim.

Hence Jim, who had left Flora to reclaim his life was now forced back into halter; a stronger more perversive connection.  A connection to a woman he never should of married.

Men who had become involved with Flora quickly discovered that her elder sister, Bea, occupied the centre of her life.  What Bea decided  or thought was always paramount. Most men perceived this after the
second date, so there wasn’t a third.

Jim hadn’t, and rolled along into marriage with Flora, then found himself in an uncomfortable position of being secondary to Bea.  He was still young enough to get out and find someone else; which is why Flora decided not
to abort.

Had Esta not been born, Jim would have divorced Flora and gone on to marry someone else.  But Esta was born.  To divorce Flora would mean he was rejecting Esta.

So he didn’t divorce Flora.
Not immediately.

Shirley came into Jim’s life seven years ago.  So committed was he that he went for the divorce he ought have gotten nine years before, and now as a ‘free man’ he would marry Shirley.

But Jim would never be free.

Although he’d given Flora everything, hoping to buy his way out, he would never get out. War was declared on Shirley. Esta the weapon.

Esta was upset her father wasn’t home. Esta couldn’t sleep anymore. Esta didn’t understand what had happened and thought her father rejected her. Esta. Esta. Esta.

So Jim, feeling guilty and obligated would leave Shirley in their apartment to spend the night on the couch at the house he no longer lived to please Esta. Esta. Esta. Esta.

When the phone rang he had to leave Shirley; leave her if she was sick,  if she needed him, if…any if. Because Esta ‘had’ to come first.

Shirley had no choice but to break up with Jim.

Yes, she loved him, and they had been happy together, but there could be no together, not with Flora and Bea and of course, Esta.

Jim so needed to love and be loved, he found every new girl a possible. Always imagining that there could be private moments, loving moments, moments as he had with Shirley.

But new girls,  not willing to complicate their lives with a man’s baggage, gave Jim a wide berth. 

Which was exactly why Flora had Esta.