Jennifer

Things were better between T and I. He just hit me that one time, and I forgave him. In my mind it was almost sweet he was that protective over me. I mean yeah, he had a temper with other people, but not with me. Aside from that one time.

Then, I was blindsided again. T and I went into work one afternoon. We were both working the closing shift. We are walking together, heading back to the time clock, and apparently this guy looked at me the wrong way. T turned to me and slammed me into a card table display. The customers behind us helped me up, and T took off. Management was made aware of what happened, and T was going to be fired. Walmart does not tolerate violence, whether it is with an associate, or a pallet.

I got myself together and started my shift.

Shortly there after the phone call came in from T. He had to turn himself in willingly, or he would be arrested.

I lied to my job and told them I had to leave because I was sick. The reality is I drove T to the police station so he could turn himself in. He needed me.

“I am so sorry, I will never hit you again.”

“Please do not leave me.”

“I just thought you liked the dude.”

Once again, I took him back.

I would say my rock bottom happened shortly there after. Christin had a girlfriend over, T and I were getting ready for work in the bedroom. He did not like what I was wearing and made it be known. Apparently my shirt did not cover my bottom, and because of that I was clearly asking for attention. He pushed me, he punched holes in the wall, he called me a whore, and told me “You just want to get fucked by a guy, you don’t care about me.”

When I came out of the bedroom, in a long, baggy shirt that covered my bottom, both Christin and her girlfriend had this look on their face. They were hurting for me. Christin would later tell me “Jen, I was rooting for you, I wanted you to come out of the room with what you wanted to wear, not what he made you wear.”

I was defeated. This was a battle I could not win. In that moment I saw it all. He isolated me, he controlled me, he would come up to work on his days off to monitor who I was talking to. There was certain people I was not allowed to talk to, and if I did, I would get my ass beat. It did not matter if it was at my job or not. At one point management had the police on speed dial. You could never be too careful with T.

But then, when I least expected it. T did something that changed my life forever, in a positive way.

In a very short time, while Christin and Alphonso were fighting their demons, and I faced the fact that I was in a physically abusive relationship, something happened that bonded us.

For a brief moment, we were all on the same side.

That one time.