My name is Christine. I am a 38-year-old single mother of two, an 18-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. I was always raised that the father is the head of the household, and some things are appropriate for girls and some things suitable for boys. I got pregnant in college and received no family assistance, even before enrolling in school after turning 18. I could not continue studying with a newborn and quit school due to family pressure. A good girl needs to get married and be a stay-at-home wife. I moved back in with my parents after my father got sick to help my family, and my daughter's father and I separated. I got a low-level job at my local hospital and saved enough money to put a downpayment on a house. Due to family pressure, I married an abusive man and spent the next seven years being financially, emotionally, and physically abused. I was so anesthetized to the abuse I did not know some of the things that were happening to me were abuse. During arguments when my ex would get angry with me, grab me by the shoulders, and shake me until I was quiet. I am a woman that stands at 5 feet, and he is 6 feet 2 inches and over 150 lbs heavier than I, so fighting back was not an option. He broke my daughter's arm and even attempted to choke me in my driveway in front of my children. When I called the police, they did nothing. Although I owned my car, I had to ask my husband's permission to leave the house and ask him to babysit. I worked full time and turned my paycheck over to my husband. I had to ask for money to do anything. I was not allowed to go grocery shopping because I bought the wrong things. I finally kicked him out when we started to go into foreclosure because he was spending too much on his girlfriend. I worked cleaning houses for groceries and moved in with a friend to pay bills. My ex publicly embarrassed and slut shamed my daughter, so she now has nothing to do with her stepfather. My ex does not pay child support, although I have my son 75% of the time. I am now no contact with my family. They stopped talking to me after I came out as bisexual, had a girlfriend, and the divorce. Although this relationship came to its end at the beginning of covid, I made significant personal growth. I started therapy to address PTSD from abuse and enrolled in school. I have made friends and have developed the hobby of sewing. My children and I have volunteered for the Medieval Faire, something we were not allowed before. Last year during the height of covid, I would do a lot of double shifts for overtime, handing out masks to everyone that came in. One night after getting yelled at by a man in the emergency room because I told him he had to put on his mask correctly, I decided that I needed to better my education. I am now entering my second year in school and doing well. Every day my life gets better; I have done more in the last two years than in the previous ten. I want to better myself and help others get out of situations like mine, help them realize that they can leave too.

My name is Christine. I am a 38-year-old single mother of two, an 18-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. I was always raised that the father is the head of the household, and some things are appropriate for girls and some things suitable for boys. I got pregnant in college and received no family assistance, even before enrolling in school after turning 18. I could not continue studying with a newborn and quit school due to family pressure. A good girl needs to get married and be a stay-at-home wife. I moved back in with my parents after my father got sick to help my family, and my daughter's father and I separated. I got a low-level job at my local hospital and saved enough money to put a downpayment on a house. Due to family pressure, I married an abusive man and spent the next seven years being financially, emotionally, and physically abused. My ex was just like my father. I was so anesthetized to the abuse I did not know some of the things that were happening to me were abuse. During arguments when my ex would get angry with me, grab me by the shoulders, and shake me until I was quiet. I am a woman that stands at 5 feet, and he is 6 feet 2 inches and over 150 lbs heavier than I, so fighting back was not an option. He broke my daughter's arm and even attempted to choke me in my driveway in front of my children. When I called the police, they did nothing. Although I owned my car, I had to ask my husband's permission to leave the house and ask him to babysit. I worked full time and turned my paycheck over to my husband. I had to ask for money to do anything. I was not allowed to go grocery shopping because I bought the wrong things. If I asked my husband to buy the kids shoes, I would be yelled at because all I wanted to was spend money. I would argue that I asked for permission to spend the money, only to be told that he would only say yes because I would nag him about things we didn't need, things like shoes or groceries. One day a certified letter came in the mail. I was not going to open the letter because it would upset my husband, but I had a friend over that said," This has your name on it. It's from the mortgage company; open it." I opened the letter to find out my mortgage company was getting ready to start foreclosure, and I was three months behind. I got access to my bank account and found out that my ex was spending over $1000 a month on himself. He had a football satellite TV package that was $60 a month on top of a $150 satellite bill, but we could not afford internet. He was spending $15 to $20 twice a day while at work, buying breakfast and lunch, but I went hungry if I forgot my lunch or had nothing to take. He would turn off the alarm to wake up or change the time so he was not disturbed and would only wake me with 20 min to dress myself, two children, and make lunches, so I frequently went without. He spent money on the WWE network and audible for himself, but I could not spend money on clothes because I needed to lose weight and fit into my pre-baby clothes. He spent hundreds of dollars going to sports bars for ultimate fighting and football games. He was also spending money on his girlfriend. He would take her to steakhouses, and I got Captin Ds for date night and nothing for my birthday because he could not afford the $10 house plant I wanted when he went to buy it. I am currently in the process of divorce from my husband, and for the first time in my life, I am free to make my own decisions, although my divorce is taking over a year because of covid. I worked cleaning houses for groceries and moved in with a friend to pay bills. My ex publicly embarrassed and slut shamed my daughter, so she now has nothing to do with her stepfather. My ex does not pay child support, although I have my son 75% of the time. I am now no contact with my family. They stopped talking to me after I came out as bisexual, had a girlfriend, and the divorce. Although this relationship came to its end at the beginning of covid, I made significant personal growth. I started therapy to address PTSD from abuse and enrolled in school. I have made friends and have developed the hobby of sewing. My children and I have volunteered for the Medieval Faire, something we were not allowed before. Last year during the height of covid, I would do a lot of double shifts for overtime, handing out masks to everyone that came in. One night after getting yelled at by a man in the emergency room because I told him he had to put on his mask correctly, I decided that I needed to better my education. I am now entering my second year in school and doing well. Every day my life gets better; I have done more in the last two years than in the previous ten. I want to better myself and help others get out of situations like mine, help them realize that they can leave too.