Yeah, why doesn't she just leave. In my case, a better question would have been "Why doesn't he just leave?" This book contains the answer to that question and, more importantly, the answers to the question my friends and family were asking: "Why doesn't she make him leave—throw the bum out?!" The title is the last thing he said when I finally did. Why it took me so long is a question that took me a few years to answer.
He was right about one thing: I can smile now. It may be the only thing he ever said to me that was true.
For a long time I thought it was an internet thing, that it all happened because I fell for him online. It's true I probably wouldn't have been interested if I'd first met him in person, but I could just as easily have met someone who could pull it off without the help of a computer. The computer only made it easier.
This is the story of my silly online romance, my crazy 2-year trip to the brink of destruction with a nice widower who turned out to be something else, and another few years of reality-facing and recovery. It's just my story—what happened to me and why I think I did what I did. I hope it will give some insight to anyone who's been in an abusive situation or cares about someone who's in one now.