(Modern Verse inspired by Shakespeare)
As Told by One Who Lived to Speak the Wound
Enter the Lady, cloaked in sorrow, fire in her eyes.
ACT I — The Beginning of the Lie
At first, it felt like a dream
He said all the right things
Held me like I was his world
He looked like love
Sounded like safety.
But it was all an illusion.
He studied me
Learned what I needed
Affection, attention, a sense of being chosen
And he gave just enough of it
To get me hooked
Every compliment was a trap
Every promise was a rope
He made me believe he was my forever
But I was only ever his supply
And I didn’t see it
I wanted to believe someone could love me
Without hurting me
But I was falling for a mask
Not a man
ACT II — The House of Broken Glass
We built a home out of fake peace and shattered trust
It looked normal from the outside
But inside, everything was jagged
I walked on eggshells so often
My feet forgot what solid ground felt like
He twisted my words
Blamed me for his rage
Called me crazy for reacting to his cruelty
He told our children
They were mistakes
Said he’d bury them where no one would ever find them
And then, with that same mouth
He kissed us goodnight
Like nothing was wrong
I slept in my clothes
Sometimes with my boots on
Because I didn’t know
When the storm would come
Only that it always did
He poured drink after drink into me
Trying to break my will
Trying to erase my memory.
But something in me stayed alert
Some instinct
Some piece of me that refused to go completely numb
And that’s the part that saved me
ACT III — The Mirror Shattered
One day, the charm wore off
The mask cracked
And I saw the monster underneath
It was terrifying
But it was also the beginning of my escape
I gathered my children
My courage
What was left of my sanity
And I ran
He took the money
The business
The land
The truck still in my name
Everything that could be owned
He kept
But I took what mattered-
My children
My dignity
My voice
And I held on
Even when I shook
Even when I felt like falling apart
I held on
ACT IV — The Trial of Shadows
Then came the courtroom battles
Endless paperwork
Delays
Lies
Manipulations dressed as legal arguments
He twisted the truth again
Tried to make me look like the villain
Sent his friends to intimidate me
Dragged me back into the same cycle
But now in front of a judge
He tried to take control
Of my daughter’s life
Said no to her future
Just to keep power over mine.
And I stood there
Terrified
Exhausted
But I didn’t move
I didn’t bend
I didn’t break
Because even when the justice system hesitated
I didn’t
ACT V — The Rise
Now I am rebuilding
Not the old life
That’s gone
But something new
Something stronger
Something mine
I write the truth now
With ink that came from bleeding
I walk with scars
But they don’t define me
They remind me
He never broke me
Even though he tried
Even though he thought
He owned every part of me
But the things I took with me
My freedom
My sanity
My voice
He will never touch again
I am not a victim
I am the proof
That survival is possible
That you can crawl through hell
And still rise
EPILOGUE
So if you ever meet someone
Who showers you with praise too quickly
Who needs your attention more than they give you peace
Look twice
Because not all monsters
Come with claws
Some wear suits
And smiles
And say, “I love you,”
Right before they destroy you
But even then
You can still survive
Just like I did
