I am no longer A VICTIM

She endured years of abuse but Sarah* finally found a way to heal

As I listened to the disturbing claims of domestic violence, on both sides, in the defamation lawsuit between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, I was immediately transported back to a painful time in my life when I suffered abuse at the hands of my then boyfriend.

I was 16 when Carl** and I started dating. We went to different schools and were both living with our parents, just around the corner from one another. I don’t remember where we met – maybe at a party – but sporting a rock band T-shirt, Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, and smoking Dunhill cigarettes, he was one of the cooler kids roaming the streets of our small town. I couldn’t believe that someone like him would be interested in me.

He was the jealous type and, at first, I mistook his unhealthy behaviour for love. For example, I dreamed of being an actress, so I was often performing in plays with our local community theatre. Once, after a rehearsal, I found him waiting for me in his car. I was touched he’d taken the time to pick me up. But then on the drive home, he claimed one of the actors had been getting too close to me and that I should consider dropping out of the production, which I later did.

Out of control