The Second Time I Called the Police

I was convinced that once I was able to gain some space from John I would finally start to feel safe. In my fantasies of what it would be like without him lurking behind every corner I turned, I was finally able to breathe freely and deeply again without the constant fear I had felt …

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Mandated Reporters

Because I am a teacher, I know the ins and outs of what happens at a school.  I also know the legal requirements and the rationale behind them.  One of those requirements is that anyone who works with children is considered a "mandated reporter" by DCF.  This means that if they suspect any type of …

Carsick

Life with John had quickly trained me to be used to doing things by myself.  I rarely asked for help because when I did he would either purposefully act like he had no idea how to do simple things, or he would have an excuse why he couldn't help.  (For example when I asked him …

Run!

John's fuse seemed to get shorter and shorter with each passing day.  I continued to try to make the best of things, but it started getting harder.  I found myself coming into work flustered and frazzled as each morning would start with him screaming at me for something, or him doing something to the children …

Mirror, Mirror

John's aggressive nature towards me had become my normal.  I imagine that almost all  relationships have moments where one of the partners comes off as aggressive or insensitive.  My relationship with John was made almost purely of these moments however.  At least once a day there would be a conversation that resulted in John chasing …

The Television

  John has always been a person who loves technology.  He is employed as a software engineer at a very reputable company.  At a young age he learned how to program computers and ended up making that hobby into a side job in which he earned additional income.  He had visions of fully automating the …

The Tubes

John was always very rigid when it came to any medical intervention.  He told me once that if he ever developed cancer he would cure it by just "changing his diet".  I used to have to beg him to allow me to give James Tylenol when he had a high fever.  He never really had …