Corrine’s Story: Part 4

I always thought that Brandon was a decent human being. For me, the good times came down to the fact that he treated me with respect and genuinely seemed to love my children and me.

As a young woman so conditioned to unhealthy relationships, I thought Brandon was a “great guy.” He had a loving and kind family. His parents, sister, and he were all close. I also remember the wise people in my life that told me, “you can tell a lot about a man and how he’ll treat you when you see how he is with his mother or sister.”

My family was so dysfunctional and chaotic that I found myself attracted to guys who had opposite families (even if the guy himself was dysfunctional). I enjoyed being around Brandon and his family. They welcomed me and gave me a roof over my head when my own family threw me on the street. His dad went out of his way to give me rides to places I needed to go. Brandon seemed to have a loving family, and I was drawn to him because he and his family felt safe. Life with Brandon was good until it wasn’t. He flipped a switch on me. I never saw it coming. I would never have anticipated him to turn into the monster that still haunts my sleep.

People often asked me how I did not know that he would turn on me. How did I not see the signs? Brandon turned out to be like a devastating car crash that destroyed many lives. He left only wreckage and pain in his path. And just like a car crash, we are left with so many unanswered questions. How did this happen? Why didn’t you pay attention to the signs? And all the other questions that follow a tragedy that our brains can’t grasp.

The good times did exist, but unfortunately, those memories are clouded by the pain he caused.