Domestic Violence Story by Maranda

by Maranda Phillips
(Rainsville, AL)

In 2009, my boyfriend at the time and I broke up. It was very hard on me. So I ran to anyone I could just to get attention from someone. I started talking to one of my ex -boyfriend's close friends. We met up one day after work and started talking every day. We eventually started dating, and my parents did not like him at all, but I did not care. I was sneaking around to see him and so on.

My dad sat down with me one day and told me he could read people and does not want me dating him because he seems to be the abusive type. I did not believe him at all because he always treated me great. Well on his graduation day we ran into my parents at Santa Fa restaurant. His parents, him, my parents, and sister all got into a big argument well my parents told me I could either come home and never speak or see him again or don't come back. I thought I was in love so of course I didn't return and stayed with him and his parents. Within less than a week we were fighting a lot. We would get in my face and yell at me, push me down, and so on. But I kept telling myself that it was my fault.

Then one day he came home we were watching TV, and I started to try to play with him, and he bites my hand hard. It made me mad so I told him not to do it again, and he calls me a bit*** and I tried to walk away. He grabs my arm and tells me I will not walk away from him. I worked so hard to get away that he ends up picking me up to carry me to the porch, and pushes me off the porch. I went down four steps and hit his truck and blacked out. When I came to I was crying so he comes outside tells me to quit whining picks me up shakes me and throws me on the ground. My back hit a rock, and I couldn't move or feel my legs. It was raining hard, and his mom pulled up, and she starts pulling on my arm to try to get me to get up. I was screaming saying I can't move or feel my legs. She didn't believe me, and they left me outside in the rain for three hours then finally called the ambulance. When I get to the hospital, they asked me who they could call, and I was crying and scared. I didn't know if my parents would come, but I told the nurse to call them anyways. They showed up within ten minutes. I was shaking, confused, crying, scared, etc...they took X-rays, pictures, and my statement. Then I finally got to go home with my parents.

The next day I woke up sore and hurting. The next day my dad took me to file a report and to get a police officer to escort me to his house to get my stuff. When I get there, he was in handcuffs, and I was scared because I didn't know if he would ever do anything to me again. For months, I didn't sleep and would barely eat. It took a year for me to get past everything. Today, I am happily married and have a beautiful baby boy. If I ever see him out, I do still get scared and won't sleep for days because I'm afraid he will find me and hurt me again. If you know anyone that is getting abused, please try your hardest to talk to them if that doesn't work, report it. The victim will get mad at you at first but thank you afterward.