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| MY AGGRESSIVE HUSBAND |
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When Steve’s* behaviour began to endanger their children, this mother tells us how she fought for her kids’ safety.
“If Steve had one too many drinks, he’d come home aggressive and violent. Some nights, he’d even force me to have sex. I remember feeling extremely frightened and repulsed whenever he came near me. My naivety gave Steve the opportunity to control every aspect of my life. We got engaged when I was 19. I thought that the engagement would make him a better man, but instead, he became even more possessive.”
A ROCKY START
“It was only a few months later that Steve started acting immature again, spying on me whenever I met my clients for work. But when I became pregnant with our first child, Alice*, two years later, his focus shifted to her. In fact, we started spending more time together as a family.”
MY PAINFUL MARRIAGE
“One night, my maid had run away. She managed to record a conversation between Steve and her. I could hear my maid saying, ‘Sir, you can’t do this. Ma’am is not around.’ He replied, ‘It’s okay, we’re just playing the fool.’ Then, the maid screamed, ‘Stop it! Stop it!’ Nevertheless, I convinced myself to stay with Steve for our daughter’s sake. But by the time our son, Benny*, was born, Steve threats and verbal abuse escalated to physical and sexual violence.
THE FINAL STRAW
“The last straw came when Steve stopped me from visiting my parents. He locked the front door and jailed me in my own house. Then, he opened the kitchen window and threatened to throw our kids and me out. He said that if I wanted to see my parents, we had to go out by the window, and he’d help us. We were staying on the 12th floor. After much struggle, we managed to escape. Following that incident, I reported the abuse to the family court and got a protection order. I realised then that I couldn’t continue living in fear. Who knew what Steve was capable of next. Killing us? I couldn’t risk staying with him.”
STARTING ANEW
“Finally, I was free from Steve and I was granted sole custody of our children, though he has visitation rights. After being a single mum for four years, I have now remarried. My current husband is supportive and kind. Now, I know how it feels to be truly cared for and protected. The most important thing now is that my children and I are happy.”
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