My ex-partner is a darling when he is in ‘good guy’ mode, but he can switch into ‘bad guy’ very quickly.
Bad guy doesn’t involve physical violence towards me, it is more telling me how hard and cruel I am, how I have hurt him, his children, how much money he has spent on me, done for me and the lies I have told.
He becomes threatening and intimidating when I leave the house. He will then become desperate and throw my belongings about, hide my keys, or even try to destroy something precious to me. This behaviour is frightening as he is suddenly unpredictable and very irrational. He is good with words and uses convincing arguments. Later it is clear how twisted it all seems. When he batters my brain with his words of attack, I can only feel numbness.
In the past he has managed to wear me down and seduce me to going back with him. This time I have enlisted the help of more people. The DV division of the police have been very supportive and understanding. Next Link has given me the courage and resolve to stick to my convictions, especially as the visits are weekly – they keep me on track.
I have now made plans – things that I want to do at weekends, targets to achieve, and I hope to join a few groups where I can meet people and possibly make new friends.