19With this isolation, I had no one to count on but
him and somehow that seemed okay. He was so
good at acting the part. I didn’t know that while
I was surrendering all my power to him, Joey
made sure everyone thought I was the one pulling
the strings. How absurd not to see that he had
developed the perfect cover. How could he be a
perpetrator if he was, as it seemed, the weak one?
But he couldn’t fool everybody.
Several people, including my mother, saw what
he was doing. They all tried to make me open my
eyes, but I was too invested in the blindness. I
would insist, “You don’t know him like I do!” But
they were right. It was not until I went to Spain,
my home country, that I recognized my foolish-
ness. Somehow, it’s not the same to hear it from a
stranger. The objectivity of someone with nothing
to gain or lose finally opened my eyes. After nine-
teen months, I took my last bit of strength and—
as a free bird—I flew away and never looked back.When people hear my story, they often ask why
I stayed for so long. The answer is kind of sad. I
thought I could save him. It seemed as though I
had been groomed to feel that way. All kinds of
movies have an incredibly appealing bad guy, who
ends up changing for the better because he finds
the right girl. I wanted to be that girl, the one who
saved a lost soul. No one told me that I would lose
myself in the process. That’s why I want to share
my story. People need to learn more about abusive
relationships, so they can end the misery they call
“being in love.” If he loves you, he won’t hurt you.
And if you relate to this story, please seek help.
I get to live my life the way I want to again. You
should, too.María Horna is positive and persistent. She plans to be a lawyer and help
people in need. María loves listening to music, dancing,
reading, and spending time with her best friend. Her favor-
ite singer is Romeo Santos. Her favorite movies are the Fast
& Furious and the Resident Evil sagas. María was born in
Spain and immigrated to the U.S. two years ago. She grad-
uated high school with a bi-literacy seal and as a member
of The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) in
recognition of her academic achievement. She adores her
siblings and aspires to make her parents proud.People tried to make me open my eyes, but I was
too invested in the blindness.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you think there might be a problem with your relationship, there probably
is. Please speak with a trusted adult. School counselors can direct you to appropriate services.
Check out helpguide.org for more information. Please read “How to Get Out of an Abusive
Relationship” at http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/getting-out-of-an-abusive-relationship.htm/.July/August 2019