Dear Outsiders: Letters from an Abuse Survivor

Dear Outsiders,

How were you to know? You saw what I wanted you to see. And what I wanted was for you to see that everything was perfect. I was happy. He was wonderful. There was no trouble. I didn’t cry myself to sleep. He didn’t purposely inflict pain. Our children were unaffected. Everything was just fine. Until it wasn’t, but by that time you’d already been convinced so there was…