I never thought I would come to this point and I’m not a person who shares easily, but today, after another episode of verbal abuse, I told my parents what’s going on in my relationship and that I want a divorce. It wasn’t easy, they get on well with my husband and we also have a baby, but after an initial ‘it will be fine, you’re just stressed’ and after learning the full extent of the abuse, they fully support me and helped me to make a plan to leave safely. For various reasons we need to wait a few more months, but finally I feel that I might be free and safe again. I’m in tears but also I feel more empowered than I ever felt during these past couple of years when his abuse started when I was pregnant.