Show #48 3/1/2022
Tonight's Guest Is Amy,
I am 38-year-old women with a 6-year-old daughter. My nightmare started ten years ago in February of 2012. I was in a relationship for a year, with a man, that end roughly after a year of dating. Only about 3 months after ending that relationship, he continued to pursue me and tell me he was a changed man. He promised me he would give me the world; we would get married and have children. Our relationship was a normal relationship, with the occasionally arguments, until close to another year later. In the end of 2014, I became pregnant and married within a 4-month period and that is when the tides really took a turn. He began drinking everyday while I was pregnant, claiming he would stop once his daughter was born. But he only ended up showing up to my unexpected c-section delivery wasted. After weeks, that turned to months, and then years he finally almost drank himself to death and I had to drive him to the emergency room at 245am, while my mother rushed over to watch our 2 1/2-year-old daughter. Through all the alcoholic behavior it was always my fault he was the way he was. I work full time and solely took care of our daughter because he was always drunk. I did at one point believe the lies and verbal abusive things he told me. But as I forced him to check himself into rehab for 3 months, I was so verbally abused and beaten down I was guilted to stay in the toxic marriage and horrible situation for my daughter from HIS OWN PARENTS. I thought maybe I should stay for the sake of our daughter, but I was wrong. After his release from rehab, he focused on himself, and by that, I mean abandon his family after 5 months, to have an affair with another women. After I confronted him regarding the affair, he claimed it was over. We went to months of marriage counseling. I knew then I wasn't going to stay in the marriage. I filed for divorce in November of 2019 and kick him out. I have been fighting for my justice, well-being, and safety ever since. The Orange County court system has no regards for women and children's safety. I was verbal attacked and threated, feared for my safety, and tried to get an injunction to protect myself. When I filed for the injunction, I made it very clear how fearful I was for myself in the martial home only to be denied. But one week later, I was assaulted in my own home. Verbally and physically assaulted this time. Finally, the courts recognized that he was a dangerous man AFTER I was harmed. And the bruised he left on me didn't go as deep as the fear of looking over my shoulder wondering if I was being followed or if he would come back to finish the job. I had peace for about 5 months until we had to go to court for time sharing of our 5-year-old daughter who has been with me since the day she was born. The hearing was ONE hour long....I wasn't able to say ONE word and he was granted every other weekend. He does not pay a dime in child support or any medical expenses. I am just so discouraged on how the courts can hand over an innocent child to a person because he doesn't have to do anything to prove he is a good parent; it is just assumed because he "is one". It's heartbreaking.
https://soundcloud.com/bailey-smith-369208333/do-not-stay-in-a-toxic-relationship-for-your-children?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_
