Beyond This Life

By Eleigh Strong

Beyond This Life is a heartbreaking but beautiful story of a young womans journey through domestic violence. It is a story of a woman who was abused by the man she thought she loveda love that left her nearly dead. As the author recounts the abuse she endured, it is easy to recognize her pain and her resilience.

This powerful true story will hopefully awaken you to the reality of domestic violence. As it reveals the cycle of violence, as well as the difficulties that lay in getting out, it is also meant to inspire those who may feel like they are alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984517814

Eleigh Strong

I am a 27-year-old Canadian woman born and raised in the beautiful Northern Ontario. I am a traveler, an urban explorer, a photographer with a gypsy soul. I am a mother of two beautiful children, a daughter to two wonderful souls, and an older sister to one lovely woman. I have a college diploma in social services, a diagnosis of both depression and anxiety, and I am an advocate for those who may feel they do not have a voice. I am a social activist passionate in everything I do. I am a huge believer in self-care, in self-love, and I am simply inspired to inspire. I believe in throwing yourself at life, and taking chances like vitamins. I open my chip bags from the bottom, but hate when toilet paper comes off the roll from underneath. I believe in being different, and I embrace the fact that I am often what people describe as being weird. Writing has been my chosen therapy, because I find my strength when I am alone. I am open minded, I love to learn, and I enjoy not having too many friends. Lastly, my best friend in the world, is probably my cat.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Eleigh Strong.

Library of Congress Control Number:             2018903743

ISBN:                         Hardcover                             978-1-9845-1783-8

                                  Softcover                               978-1-9845-1782-1

                                  eBook                                     978-1-9845-1781-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/27/2018

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 Honeymoon Stage

Chapter 2 True Colours Shine Through

Chapter 3 The Tension-Builder

Chapter 4 The Vicious Cycle

Chapter 5 The Emotional Roller Coaster

Chapter 6 The Change

Chapter 7 Summer Time Madness

Chapter 8 The Return

Chapter 9 The final Round

Chapter 10 One Final Goodbye

Chapter 11 After Goodbye

Chapter 12 Moving On

Chapter 13 The Long Road to Recovery

Chapter 14 Signs and Deadly Details

Chapter 15 Beyond This Life

Dedication

To my little sister:

I am sorry for the things your young eyes were forced to see. I am sorry for taking all of the attention away from you. I’m sorry for all times I let you down, instead of being a better role model. I am so proud of you for never following in my footsteps. I know times are tough, but remember, you will always be tougher.

I love you.

To my readers:

They say you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, but sometimes, you don’t know how lucky you are until it’s over. Unlike the average love story, these stories are rarely shared—and even when they are, they aren’t actually being heard. This leads many women to believe they are truly alone.

This book is dedicated to those women. The survivors. The women who learned how to hide the pain when they are dying inside. For the women who have (or possibly still do) believe that there is no way out…there is. You are on the right track to recovery, and surely—you are not alone.

Acknowledgements

To my parents:

For not only always sticking by me, but for always believing in me. Even as parents, there are things the two of you have done for me that you should have never had to do. I have said it many times before, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life: I am so sorry for the unimaginable pain I caused you both, for putting you through things I wouldn’t wish upon anybody. Mom & Dad, I am forever thankful and ever so grateful, because if it weren’t for the two of you, I wouldn’t be here today.

To my teachers:

I hate that I can’t name you all, but I feel you will know exactly who you are. Thank you for never taking no for an answer. Thank you for never giving up on me, and proving to me that with hard work and dedication, there is not a thing I cannot do. Because of all of you, I will forever hold on to my joy to continue learning. Thank you.

To those I’ve lost:

Thank you for showing me I can make it. I don’t need anyone to show me my worth; that is all up to me. I could never live up to your expectations, and for this I am thankful, because I would have never learned to be happy with just being me.

To the friends who’ve turned into family:

Thank you. There are no words. Like my parents, no matter how difficult the situation, you stuck by me with patience and gave me just enough room to be able to breathe. You’ve shown me that people are capable of having the same heart as you. You’ve helped me gain the strength, the courage, and the motivation to move on. With constant love, support, and more importantly, patience, I learned that even if I think I can’t get through it—I did, I can, I will. Thank you for allowing me to continuously be grateful for something, for giving me something to believe in, and ultimately, for giving me hope when there was none. Thank you for being my family when I believed I wasn’t a part of one.

To my abuser:

If you ever pick this book up, there is no doubt in my mind you will know who you are. You thought you broke me. Maybe you did. But I learned that my will to survive is much stronger than you are. I forgive you. Not for