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- by Sheldon Harrison.

He’s the love of your life, but what happens when you discover his secret second life?

From Sheldon Harrison,

Blackpool, UK.

I was with my partner for two years. He was the love of my life as soon as I met him. He was a curious bi and a pure virgin. At the age of 16 I was young, dumb and head over heels with him. He told me it was our secret and I couldn’t tell anyone. I couldn’t have him as a friend on Facebook or see his family and it was special because when we were together it was just us, passionate and loving. He was everything a queen could ask for – big, muscly, beautiful blue eyes, and romantic.

Sometimes we would have days out to the park with his nephew who looked just like him. Although our relationsh­ip was secret it felt exciting and passionate. I always wanted more, like for him to move in, but he’d come up with excuses saying he couldn’t afford to. He started seeing me less. It went from seven days a week to four days, then two days and so on. I asked him if he was cheating but he denied it and said he is mine and only mine.

But it all came crumbling down on the 14th of February, 2013 when he couldn’t see me on Valentine’s Day. He said he needed to spend time with his mum. He hadn’t seen me in three weeks and didn’t even spend Christmas with me.

I made a fake account on Facebook and sent him a friend request which he surprising­ly accepted and to my horror I saw that his relationsh­ip status was with a girl. So I added her, too. Then devastatio­n kicked in when I saw pictures of him, my boyfriend at the time, with the girl and the baby he said was his nephew. Turned out that the baby was actually his and he had been cheating on me for 15 whole months. I was devastated and heartbroke­n.

I messaged the girl on Facebook, explaining that we had been sleeping with the same guy. As expected she asked for proof so I sent her snap screens of pictures of his van outside, etc. She then asked for me definite proof, asking if he had a birthmark or scar above his penis. I replied to her question and she believed me. So obviously my relationsh­ip with him was over, and so was his girlfriend’s.

A week passed of arguing, mind games and heartbreak when I received a call to meet him. He picked me up at my sister-in-law’s. He wanted to see me one last time. My gut instinct was that something bad was about to happen so when I got in the car I started to remove my facial piercings. He sped past red lights, overtaking cars. He said we was going to my f lat but then drove right past it. At this point I knew something bad was going to happen. He pulled up at a f ield car park and we walked to the f ield. He said he wanted to try outdoor sex. I said okay. I went into the f ield with him, we had a bit of an argument and he kept joking around saying, “You have ten seconds to start running,” then laughing and saying, “Only joking.”

Then he put his hand down my trousers, undone them, and started to give me oral. It was exciting but I still felt like something bad was going to happen. After he finished he gave me a cuddle and said I could’ve had it every single day. I laughed. He then picked me up by the waist and ran towards a bush and just dropped me. I panicked. I was frozen to the ground. He pinned me down and struck me in the face. I begged and pleaded with him to stop but he just kept attacking me. Then he got off me and took a picture. I was injured and really

“Then he put his hand down my trousers and

undone them. It was exciting but I still felt like something bad was going to happen.”

confused. He carried on attacking me and grabbed my phone and money out my pocket. He said he was going to kill me for telling his girlfriend. I just kept repeating sorry and that I loved him. I tried to get him calm.

When he stopped he started to cry. He told me he loved me but couldn’t leave his girlfriend or son and walked off.

I called my brother and explained what happened. He told me to go to the police but I still loved him so I forgave him. A few days later a mutual friend messaged me on Facebook and said that he and the girl were back together, and that she had said he had to teach me a lesson to prove that he loves her. So he did.

Since the attack I have not been able to meet a guy. I’m too scared it will happen again. It’s been a year since the incident and I still can’t forget what he did to me. I don’t think I will ever love a man like I loved him. I’d do anything to sit and talk to him. My friends say I’m mad. Deep down I feel that if he could have been with me he would. Now the emotional and physical harm he caused me has left me with my walls barricaded. I’d love to fall in love again but I’m stuck in the past and can’t get out :(

I share this story to warn other people who are dating, because people aren’t always what they seem.

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