Dearest Maggie,

First let me say that I absolutely adore your books. Now down to business. About five years ago I was in a relationship that I thought of as abusive. The guy had a loud and starting-to-get violent temper. We were living in a house that my mother owns and as I tried speaking with her about the situation she would get upset and say things like “The wedding is the only thing making me happy!” The only thing I wanted at the time was the support of my mother when I told him to leave. Well the straw that broke the camel’s back came one morning, when he hit my 9 year old daughter. I could have taken him demeaning me, but not hitting my daughter. I told him to get out. He said that my mother said he didn’t have to leave, even if I kicked him out. Well, that night after he left for work. I packed two baskets of clothes and I left. Every time I tried to talk to my mother she gave me guilt trips and turned my thinking very dark and negative to the point that I didn’t want to be here anymore, so I quit talking to her.