“I was pregnant and with my kids’ dad at the time, so I didn’t give him the time of day. He told me he had herpes. Just like that. After a year, and he is just now telling me.”
‘He wouldn’t give me my son. He slammed me into the wall so hard I blacked out.’: Woman shares heartbreaking story of abuse, ‘You don’t realize it’s not right until it’s too late’
‘Domestic violence is a funny thing. It can take YEARS to untangle the toxic beliefs in our minds.’: Woman celebrates 6 years of ‘freedom’ after getting out of abusive relationship
“She has taught me so much, led me home, and reminded me of my humanity. I love her.”
‘I couldn’t find an Uber. A few drinks in was the sweet spot. I needed to go home. In the moment, I felt sorry for him.’: Abuse survivor recounts chilling night
“At about 4 a.m. we were winding down. I needed to get back to my daughter. I wish I could say I ended it right then. We loaded up and headed back to the hotel. I should’ve gone home. I thought somehow I could fix him.”
‘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
“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.”
‘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.’: Woman overcomes domestic abuse, meets man she deserves
“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.”
