When I was 19, I was pregnant and in an abusive marriage. I was able to leave my abusive marriage and gratefully, my daughter and I moved in with my family. I was not able to escape or leave my abuser. I lived an hour away from him but lived in total terror. It felt easier to be with my abuser than to feel like my family would be harmed, so I would move back and forth.
One weekend, I was living back with my family, and he stated that he had a gun and was coming to my parents house. He stated the gun had two bullets, for each of us. The fear that I was endangering my family gave me the strength to call the police. He was already on probation for domestic violence involving me, but his parole officer did not have a current address for him. I left her a voicemail, accusing her that if he shot me, it was her fault. I did not mean that. I was truly terrified.
The police found him a couple days later. I’ll never forget how I felt, the fear and the guilt.