He used me.
He came into my life not with love, but with a plan — one I didn’t see at first. He couldn’t get health insurance on his own due to his age. So he found someone who could give him access to what he needed. That someone was me.
He stayed just long enough to complete his treatment. But the moment he got what he came for, he left. Not before, of course, leaving me with the health insurance premiums, outstanding bills, and the financial burden of a life we were supposed to be building a new life together in Spain. Only I didn’t know I was the only one doing the building.
And then came the next blow.
The announcement of a new girlfriend — brazen, immediate, public. No time for mourning, no space for closure. Just a new chapter for him, as if the previous 32 years never existed. As if I was just a footnote in his story — a stepping stone. A resource.
Then the final twist: physical abuse. As if the emotional betrayal and financial manipulation weren’t enough, he turned violent. Because when someone sees you as something to use, they no longer see your humanity. And when control slips away, abuse often takes its place.
This man’s actions speak volumes. Not about me — but about him. His integrity. His character. Or rather, the lack of it.
And let me be clear — this isn’t a pity post. This is a power post. Because I am no longer silent. I am no longer carrying the shame of what he did. This is the truth. And if my truth helps even one person spot the red flags earlier, to listen to the uneasy feeling in their gut, to walk away before the cost becomes too high — then it matters.
So many people have no idea what it looks like to be emotionally and financially abused in real-time, especially when the abuser hides behind a carefully constructed mask. Charming. Polished in public. But vile, self-serving, and cruel in private.
This is not just about betrayal. It’s about awakening. About reclaiming my voice and refusing to carry the weight of someone else’s manipulation any longer.
To anyone out there who’s ever been used, betrayed, or broken down by someone who only took and never gave — I see you. And I promise you this: you are not alone. You are not crazy. And you will heal.
Because the truth always rises. And from that truth, we rebuild.
#NotThePersonYouThinkTheyAre
#EmotionalAbuseAwareness
#DomesticAbuseSurvivor
#ReclaimYourVoice
#HealingIsPower
#LifeAfterManipulation
#WomensVoicesMatter
#ThisIsWhatSurvivorsLookLike
— Linda C J Turner
Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment
