Jotting down a customer’s order in the cafe where I worked, I groaned inwardly as All I Want For Christmas Is You played for the third time that morning. I was a few hours into my shift and my feet were already aching, but then a tall, well-built man in a leather jacket came in and sat down. ‘Merry Christmas,’ he grinned.
‘You too,’ I laughed. His name was Adrian Permetter and the hairs on my arms prickled, the tinsel in my hair crinkling against my shoulders, as weflirted. Adrian, then 31, gave me his number, and after several dates, I introduced him to my daughter Asthon, then nine, and son Destin, seven. They adored him immediately, especially when he spoilt them with PlayStation games and trainers that Christmas Day in 2012.
In April 2014 we moved in together, and were happy, with Adrian treating Asthon and Destin like his own. Until one night, without warning, Adrian crashed into our bedroom, drunk, at 1am, ranting about me cheating because I hadn’t answered my phone. Grabbing my hair and pulling me out of bed, he swung his foot into my ribs. ‘Stop!’ I screamed, terrified, as his fist crunched into my cheekbone, the pain taking my breath away. ‘This isn’t you,’ I gasped, shaking and sobbing as I cowered on the floor.
Ready to run
‘This is me, Stacy,’ he sneered, before storming out of the house. I had no idea what to do. In shock and agony I crawled back into bed, where I fell into a fitful sleep, terrified he’d return.
Thankfully, the kids had been staying at their grandparents’, but arrived home to see my swollen cheek and bruised jaw. ‘Poor Mummy,’ said Asthon when I lied, saying I’d been hit during a row at the petrol station.
This story is from the November 09 - 16, 2020 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 09 - 16, 2020 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is it ever OK to lie about your age?
Kaye Adams has done it, and even Mel B jokes that she doesn't believe friend Geri Horner is 51. We ask...
‘I DIDN'T THINK.I'D SEE MUM AGAIN'int ICAT AFAR
MelB on rebuilding her life rebuilding her life after her abusive’ marriage
8 WAYS TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON
Improve body and mind with just a few simple tweaks to your daily routine
WHY YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE
(laire Dore, 50, learnt a lot from her first serious relationship
WHAT'S THE NAKED ATTRACTION ?
After a host of celebrities admitted to stripping off behind closed doors, Natalie Brown, 43, decided to bare all to find out just what all the fuss was about
MY FURY AT BEING A GRAN AT 52
Shona Sibary was far from excited when her eldest daughter welcomed her first child
A YEAR IN THE MAKING
Many of us shy away from drastic change but for these three women, it was just what they needed
I LOST 6ST AND FOUND THE REAL ME!
Shay Al-Ajami May, 32, was fed up pretending to be happy, so she decided to make it a reality
WHAT DO YOUR FEET SAY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH?
From heart disease to arthritis, here’s what they might be trying to tell you…
HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CHILDREN?
With more young people facing mental-health crises, we investigate what needs to be done