I. Was. Done!
By: Samantha
I have been married to an abusive husband for two years. For the three years prior to that, I was also with him. I spent five years being abused and hiding in secret about what I was going through. I have been through constant struggles and still stayed to try and make it work, hoping my son wouldn’t grow up in a broken home. What I didn’t realize was that the abuse already caused a broken home.
When I was done, it was something that just came out of the blue. He has cheated on me many times, but this final time was the last straw. Previously, he was with a girl for about 7 years and broke up with her when he moved out of state. Before we got married, he was texting her, telling her he wanted to leave me and be with her. When I found out, he promised he would never speak to her again. Up until the day I left, I believed him. When I saw her calling him on the morning of me ending the marriage, all I said was, “Someone who loves me would love me wholly, not with someone else in the background.”
Before he understood what I was talking about, I left. After returning a couple of hours later, he was with a friend. So, I ended up going upstairs to figure out my new living situation. Within two minutes, he told his friend to leave, came upstairs, and locked the door. He turned on me, grabbed me by my arm, and threw me onto the ground. Before I was able to get up, he got on top of me and started hitting me in the face. When I was able to break free, I ran to the staircase. But before I was able to make it, he grabbed me by my neck and threw me down the stairs. I ended up hitting my head and twisting my ankle on the way down. But that didn’t stop me.
With a twisted ankle and shooting pain, I ran out of the house with no shoes or keys. All I had was my phone, and I ran down our street as fast as I could without looking back. When I was far enough away, I called the police. After that, I was able to go back to the house and grab my keys and leave to my family’s house.
In the end: Following this situation, I found out that more women are killed in domestic violence incidents AFTER they have ended the relationship. I learned that I should have snuck out quietly, but at that moment, all I thought about was leaving. I learned that your decision is yours alone, and you must do everything in your power to make sure you are safe. I was not safe, and I was not loved. I knew my worth and I knew how much I was worth someone’s time. I left because I knew I could find better. I learned that you could always find better if you know that you are enough for it.