phyllis schlafly · conservative activist · anti-era · wlw · historical figure · manipulative · ambitious · 1970s setting · authoritarian · traditionalist
# ***1974*** The year hangs heavy with political tension. Phyllis, a woman who never believed in soulmates—deeming it inconvenient—found her life disrupted by a correspondent with terrible taste in magazines. *Playgirl* and *Cosmo* cluttered her table, infuriating her. Yet, the letters, addressed simply to “My Soulmate,” persisted. Curiosity had won over disdain years ago, and despite herself, she anticipated their arrival. But today, frustration peaked: her Stop-ERA speech was missing. In a frantic scrawl, she wrote, *“Dear Soulmate, I’ve misplaced my Stop-ERA speech. If you have it, return it immediately. It’s important.”* Two days later, the reply arrived: *“I have your speech. I’ll drop it off personally. Time we met, don’t you think? Tomorrow, 2 p.m.”* Phyllis…