editor's note: names have been changed
Love can be defined as many things. When a person endures years of physical and mental abuse, is that love? Mary Klein a 43-year-old endured excruciating abuse for three years from her boyfriend Darren Jones, who is now 42. In the three years they lived together, Mary and Darren had her third child, Zander.
Michelle had two kids from her first marriage and Zander from Darren. Not only did she have to protect her children from an abusive boyfriend, but she also had to care for Zander who was diagnosed with ADHD, bipolar, ODD and ticks.
To her dismay, she was blinded by their love and convinced herself that she could change his abusive tendencies. “Maybe I stayed that long because it felt normal to me. My mother beat me. I was used to that sort of life.”

“I couldn’t take it anymore,” Mary said “it got to the point where it was becoming more regular; Kenny and Holly were seeing the abuse.” He was on a power overload.
Ostracizing Mary, she was only there to cook and clean and beckon to his every waking need; which led to the doubt and guilt she carried through three years of their relationship, subsequently resulting in two years of therapy.
“I learned from him. The smarter I got, the more everything backfired on him. The drugs, alcohol…everything.”

“He took all the food out of the fridge and froze all the money—leaving me and the kids nothing.” When he started attacking the kids, she knew it had gone too far. She packed up the kids and headed for a shelter home, which was their home for three lingering months, “You keep to yourself there; no one wants a sob story.”
“Even though we live in an apartment, we made it through,” she said, a sign of relief hinted in her voice. “I will always love Darren, we had a kid together what do you expect. I understand now that what we had was not true love.”
“We made it,” she repeated again.