Content Warning: Chapters 7 and 14 contain descriptions of domestic violence and abuse. Chapters 12, 13A, and 13B contain descriptions of psychological abuse.
If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship abuse, free and confidential help is available 24/7.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (US): Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text "START" to 88788.
• Love is Respect (Youth/Young Adults): Text "LOVEIS" to 22522.
Domestic violence refers to a pattern of coercive behavior used by one individual to maintain power and control over another within a relationship. This can manifest in various forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological abuse:
• Victims of domestic abuse may also include a child or other relative, or any other household member.
• Domestic abuse is typically manifested as a pattern of abusive behavior toward an intimate partner in a dating or family relationship, where the abuser exerts power and control over the victim.
• Domestic abuse can be mental, physical, economic or sexual in nature. Incidents are rarely isolated, and usually escalate in frequency and severity. Domestic abuse may culminate in serious physical injury or death.
Editor's Note:
Part 1 | Chapters 1 through 10:
This is a complicated, multi-layered narrative about a young teenager and her connection with her oldest sister's married boyfriend, who is 17 years her senior. The story progresses into adulthood, ultimately culminating in marriage and divorce after he physically assaults her.
Part II | Chapters 11 through 21:
The narrative then resumes, where she meets the man who would later become her next husband, who is a toxic narcissist. After she seeks a protective order to gain unhindered access to her pets, he initiates divorce proceedings. During the hearing for the protective order, he fabricates numerous falsehoods to conceal his actions. Consequently, the wife finds herself without a home or financial resources as she struggles to navigate through a flawed system intended to assist those in need.
