I was 19 years old when I had my daughter. I had nothing else in the world it seemed like but her. Her father was not around and I was lonely, very very lonely. I met my abuser when my daughter was 6 months old. Immediately he became attached to her and vice versa. In the beginning he was alittle bossy, kinda wanted to have things his way all the time but I never put two and two together. He went out alot and stayed out late even more.

I was married for 6 years and had 2 small children. I was married to my high school sweetheart. After the birth of our 2nd son, he began to become MORE controlling than ever. One evening with both my children in the room, my husband beat me. He abused me over and over beating me from my face to my back. All I could do was lay over my son praying for it to stop and not hurt my children. The next day came and went, he was apologetic and we were back to the “happy” family. It didn’t take long to start the feeling of “egg shells” in my home and the cycle began to repeat itself again.

The Short Version I grew up in a really nice family ; lots of opportunities, lots of love. I just veered away for some reason; all the other kids turned out fine. I guess sometimes I wonder if I wandered to look for trouble, because I found it.

At a young age I lost my neighbor to suicide, someone I had played with as a child, he was an adult figure. I ended up losing two boyfriends to death at young ages; one was my childhood sweetheart right out of college and one later in my life, when I was in my thirties.

In my wedding vows I said, "I do." It was my decision to enter into an abusive relationship; it would also be my decision to leave an abusive relationship. For fifteen years my three children and I succumbed to the tyranny and oppression of my brutally violent ex-husband.

Throughout my marriage I was isolated from my friends and family. My ex-husband was trained as a sniper in the military and constantly warned me of the consequences if I was to ever share with friends and family the things happening in our home.