Happily After is set in the Rocky Mountains of Montana where small rural communities, ranches and towns dot the landscape. This documentary follows the lives of women who face the challenges of rebuilding their lives after escaping abusive relationships and dealing with the impact of the abuse.
On a cold winter morning on an isolated ranch in the Southwest Montana we meet Billie, a 58 year old woman, feeding her horses and checking cattle. Billie escaped with her life from an abusive relationship that lasted 23 years. Threats had been made over the years by her then husband that if she ever left he would kill her father; Hattie, her most treasured horse; and Dutchess, a dog she loved with all her heart. At that point the threat to her life seemed insignificant and felt she needed to protect others, so she stayed and endured the physical and emotional abuse. Once her father, horse, and dog had died she was divorced within one year. Billie's fear of losing her own life was overcome by a desire for freedom from her demonstrative marriage and her love of life.