Someone had called the cops , and they entered the room as we were fighting , shouting at us to stop . I got away to them as fast as I could . My eyes were bloody . My nose was bloody . I was crying in pain . I begged them to take him away and to make it all stop . I told them I ’ d been too afraid to leave and I thought he was going to kill me .
I started to leave , and Brandon said something that made the cops turn around . Then he came over and just hit me right in front of them in the face . As I fell , I hit him with the hot spatula I ’ d been cooking with . I woke up in the ICU .
I spent two weeks there , then another two weeks in rehab to ensure my spinal cord was working properly and so that my body could rest .
Afterward , he found me . He stalked me , sending me pictures of me getting into my car , calling and even showing up at my new job . It was hard to get away from him . I owned my own business , but he would always find out where my office was and what I was doing . He ’ d show up and ruin my life all over again . He ’ s gone to jail multiple times because of the protection and restraining order I had against him . I brought a brand new car and had only been in town for one day when I found pictures on the windshield after work of my friends and I getting into my car .
I sought help from the local law enforcement , but they kept saying they were powerless because they couldn ’ t prove it was him , but if he was ever near me then I could call at any time , and they would arrest him . But he always seemed so close by . I lived in fear for months until I got tired of it . I was so fed up I moved . He found out where I ’ d moved and broke into my home , while I was asleep . He picked me up and threw me against the wall , saying I was coming home with him and that I didn ’ t have a choice . When I said no , he threw me down and had a fit . I found my phone and started dialing the cops , but he left .
I came home from work one day , because of a call from the animal shelter telling me that my dog had been placed in the hospital . He ’ d nearly beaten her to death . When my new community learned about that story , they donated so much to help her fight for a chance to live and even provided dog food for her afterward . The police did everything they could to find something that ’ d prove it was him , but it wasn ’ t working . I felt so hopeless and that it was never going to end . I dreaded the thought of having to pack everything up and move again , just because of him .
The last time I saw him , he broke into my house again one night . I could hear his truck , so when he got through the door it was pitch black , and I was holding a shotgun to his face . I was done . I made him sit in a chair while I called the cops and he didn ’ t move until they came to arrest him .
Ever since my dog and I are happy and I feel like I ’ ve won back our lives . He tore me down in every aspect to the point I hated what I looked like ; I hated what I did for a living , and I hated being alive . But the people I ’ ve surrounded myself with since , have helped me grow and realize who I am . It ’ s so important to be mindful of who you surround yourself with , and it ’ s important to follow your gut . If you ever find yourself in a situation like mine in any aspect , even if he just curses at you , know that you deserve better .
A man who maliciously curses will hit .
* Actual names in submissions are never used . www . creativeartistmagazine . com 103