“I felt a sense of self-empowerment, confidence, and security within myself that I’ve never experienced. True healing required me to sit with, embrace, accept, and finally love every aspect of my past hurts. They are a part of me, but no longer define me or control me. That past becomes more distant each morning as my daughter tells me ‘it’s a beautiful day’ and I’m filled with joy.”
‘I looked my friend in the eye and said, ‘I’ve got to break this cycle. I’ve got to change the future for myself and my daughter.’ We did an emergency move-out in just 3 hours.’: Woman escapes abusive relationship, begins new life with her daughter
‘He can’t save you.’ I was 5, lying on the floor with the covers pulled tight, my father holding a gun to my mother’s head.’: Woman overcomes abusive childhood, relationship, ‘I’m fighting to break the cycle’
“He cheated when I was 8 months pregnant. Somehow, it was my fault. ‘I’d never cheat and the baby isn’t even mine,’ he told me, even though I hadn’t been with anyone else. The next time he cheated, it was with my best friend. ‘Did you know Mary was opening a diner?’ It all made sense now! He had been having an affair and they were opening a cafe together! I knew I needed to file for divorce, but how?”
‘When he hit me the first time, I fought back like an animal. Until I had to decide if I wanted to be the woman who fought back or the woman who lived.’: Woman details journey through physical, emotional abuse, ‘I have an incredible life now’
“He showed up at my house. I was convinced I was going to die. I was obsessively checking my yard each morning for rat poison in case the dogs went out. I was afraid. Afraid I’d have to fight him off. I just wanted to be strong enough to survive. When I realized I could deadlift his body weight, I felt less afraid.”
‘On the night of our honeymoon, I saw the DARKER side of my husband. My heart was beating out of my chest. He crouched down and whispered in my ear, ‘You… are NOT going to tell me what to do.’ I felt instant regret.’
“I went to my bedroom and packed everything as fast as I could. My phone pinged. ‘You’ve got 1 new voicemail!”
‘I saw adulterous texts on his phone. I had a dress, the church, the bridesmaids. The wedding was already planned.’: Adopted woman overcomes affair and domestic abuse to find two half sisters
“He went from leaving his phone out and unlocked to taking it to the bathroom with him when he’d shower and keeping it in his pocket when we were home. After I thought he was asleep, I went searching for his phone, frantically digging in his multi-pocketed fishing coat. He heard me and came at me like a bat out of hell.”
