It took Susan a while to finally and totally break free. If you thought an anaconda had a tight grip, then you never experienced one from a sociopathic, alcoholic, narcissistic demon. There was a lot of back and forth. Pleas for her to help him get better, showing up with self-inflicted wounds. The list went on.
One thing he taught her that helped was growing a stone hard skin and cold heart. It is how she was able to look him in the eye and slam the door in his face. Now she could be free.
At least that is what she told herself and others. In her mind, he was still there degrading her. When she drove anywhere, Susan always kept a close eye on cars that followed for too long. Her doors were triple locked. Anxiety would cause her to pace back and forth as she tried to convince herself everything he said was a lie.
It helped to be back home with the two youngest of her daughters. They understood and reassured her he was evil. Being around her mother again was something else.
Her mother wasn’t causing problems, though. It was the past. Sure, there were plenty of little things that irked Susan about the woman, but she no longer yelled or hit her. She even went out of her way to think of Susan’s well-being. It was like a totally different person.
Susan’s mother had sought help with her mental difficulties. She guessed it was time for her to do the same. What could it hurt? Hell, even her sister was doing it.
Reluctantly, she went to a counselor. That’s where she truly found out the damage that had been done. Things like PTSD, depression and borderline personality were brought up. This stemmed from way back in her childhood and all the way to him.
She slowly learned what was real and what wasn’t. Phrases were given to her that she could repeat when her thoughts were cruel. The medicine helped with the rage. That was usually when it all went downhill. With her anger under control, Susan could handle most of the rest. Going to a store was possible now and meeting people’s eyes.
Her relationship with her mother grew better. They watched movies together and went places. Her mother wanted to hug her more often and even made sure to wear lotion that didn’t cause Susan to have headaches. It was strange but wonderful. Even the snide comments during holidays stopped from her mother. Her aunt? She couldn’t seem to help herself.
Eventually, Susan even went back to work without fear of him finding her. She wrote a few books and self-published them. Trips to her sister, father, and oldest daughter happened frequently. Life was finally looking up. There were still hard times mentally and emotionally, but she fought through them.
Susan even started dating a wonderful man. His family loved her and she loved all of them. It seemed like all the hard times were behind her. Then… she was left behind again…
