So glad to be out of it for good

Submitted by Bluecloud (United States), Jun 16, 2018 at 09:52

2 weeks ago I returned from a trip to Europe. I visited Amsterdam, Bruges, Ghent and Vienna. I enjoyed eating in nice places, coffeehouses, museums, parks and just enjoying western culture.

The last five years prior were spent in Egypt. Unfortunately not enjoying the amazing ancient art or temples but with a family of Egyptian parasites.

I had met my "true love" while visiting the portrait gallery in London. He was a engineer attending a conference. From the moment I saw him my heart was in fire. Talk dark and handsome. Perfect English and very knowledgeable about archaeology and history. We spent the next 2 weeks together exploring line and even venturing out to see Stonehenge. He would always bring picnics which I thought was incredibly romantic but in reality he had no money to go out and eat. I found out later that he had stolen the breads, meat, cheeses and even wine from the common refrigerator at the cheap hostel he was staying.

By the end of this whirlwind i was totally and completely in love. I am 8 years older than him and previously was married to a really nice guy but divorced because I was bored. Stupid and selfish reason I know as I look back. My new Egyptian man told me muslim men love older women because the prophet's first wife was older. I bought this and a thousand other lines hook line and sinker.

Long story short i ended up giving up my life and marrying him and moving in with his family in a dilapidated old building outside of Cairo. More and more restrictions were put upon me until I descended into a deep depression. My bank account was emptied everything and everyone I treasured was out of my life. I felt life a strong mountain that had been worn down to a grain of sand by systematic mental abuse and manipulation. Nothing i thought about this man turned out to be true. Everything was a lie.

I will never get back the five years of my life I so willingly gave up. I will never trust anyone again or even my own judgement. But now that I have extracted myself from that nest of vipers i will always appreciate and treasure what it is to be a independent Western woman.

The pain and horror of what I went through will always be etched in my soul but the light has started to shine again. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories they have helped with the healing process.

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