Photo not that of the actual client
“Becky” met the man of her dreams when she was 14 and he was 18. When she was old enough, they got married.
But soon, things changed. First came name calling, which made her feel worthless. He told her he was the only person who would ever love her, and she believed it. Soon, Becky had to learn how to cover up bruises to more than her ego. She was in a nightmare she couldn’t leave, because she had no money or work experience. And she had a baby.
One day, she went on a ride with her husband and his buddies. She didn’t know what they were doing, but she was told to wait in the car while they went into a house. Later, they were all arrested for grand theft. He convinced her to plead guilty and take the heat because she didn’t have a record, and if she loved him, she would do this one thing for him. So, she did.
A few years later, he attacked her with a pair of scissors. He cut off a bunch of her hair, cut her hands while she tried to defend herself, and sliced up her whole body. She had to go to the hospital, which led to him being arrested. But he reminded her how much he loved her and told her if she loved him, she would help him get the charges dropped. So, she did.
Time and again, the violence erupted. But Becky still had no other means of support, and now she had two kids. She thought she had no way out.
After 25 years, when her teenage daughter became a fresh target, she finally resolved to act. When Becky came to JALA, she told the intake attorney, “I need to get out while I am still alive.”
Becky was terrified to divorce her husband. She knew the reaction would be bad – anytime he found a conversation unpleasant, she paid the price. She worked with attorney Michelle Broyles in JALA’s Family Law and Victim Advocacy Unit and a local domestic violence shelter to create a plan. Becky and her daughter got counseling, and she learned what to do and where to go when she filed the case and her husband was served. During this planning, she also got a job.
Becky’s husband found out about her intentions, but Broyles had helped her get an injunction for protection, so he couldn’t go near her. So, that day while she was at work, he went into the house. Later, Becky’s teenage daughter came home from school to an empty house. Everything was gone – the furniture, the TVs, and most of the kitchen supplies. Only her bedroom furniture, toiletries, and their clothes remained.
Soon, Becky’s divorce was finalized, and she was once again a single woman. Her husband was ordered to pay child support and alimony, which he is paying. He still can’t have contact with her unless it’s about their daughter. The daughter now has a car of her own, a job, and is doing well in school. Becky’s other child, who was already an adult, is also doing well.
Becky got out while she was still alive. And now she and her family are not only alive, but thriving.
Not only is Becky free from her abuser of 25 years, but she was promoted at work, which allows her to support herself and their daughter. She no longer has to look over her shoulder, hide money, or fear for her and her daughter’s safety. After the final hearing, she told the judge she was sent a team of angels that helped her gain confidence, self-worth, independence, and safety.
