Several years ago in 1998 the following account took place and as a result I have never been the same since.

It all started on a Thursday night, I was at work when a man, Mr.X...I will call him, approached me and asked me if I would like to have a coffee with him after work. I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts. I mused there would be no harm in having a coffee with a friend, so I excepted.
My Fiance at the time had resigned his commission a few weeks earlier. I stood there contemplating the reason why Mr.X made the request and whether he had an ulterior motive or not, but I shrugged it off.

When morning came Mr.X was hanging around talking with other co-workers in the plant; I am sure that people were wondering why he was waiting around for an hour and a half after punch out time.
7:30 am day shift came in to relieve the night staff and I went to the womens locker room to change out of my uniform. Ten minutes later I emerged from there and Mr X and I left the plant and walked down the street to the coffee house. When we arrived Mr X placed an order for two coffees. We sat down and made small talk about work and relationships etc;

By 8:30 I politely said to Mr X that I needed to get home; I was tired and ready for sleep. We left the coffee house and walked to the bus stop. I got on the bus and he jumped on the same bus. I turned and said: "Where do you think you are going?"
"With you." I was so sore and tired from working a 12 hour shift that I let it go as an attempt to see that I arrived home safely.

We reached my apartment and I unlocked the door, as I opened it he pushed me inside with enough aggression to throw me to the floor. He jumped on top of me and started tearing off my clothes; first my shirt and then my pants. I tried desperately to release myself from his grip but was unsuccessful.
I could not believe that this was happening to me, I dont think I gave any inclination that I wanted to have a sexual liaison with him, but he had other ideas; what was he thinking? He forced himself on me several different times once over the chair in the living room and then on the bathroom floor.

He stopped when I spoke up: "Please just leave."
He told me he was not done yet and I started to cry. The next thing I knew he was on me again this time forcing his hand between my legs I felt his mouth on my chest; I was terrified.
I felt dirty and humiliated at the thought of someone I had known for three years doing such a thing.

I could not move he weighed at least 70 pounds heavier than me. I tried to push him off, but could not. As luck would have it Mr X got up and left and I hurriedly locked the door sobbing hysterically, I looked in the mirror and noticed that I was badly bruised, cut and had massive rug burn all over my body.
I turned on the shower as hot as I could stand it and tried to wash away the physical marks, but of course I could not.

Darren my Fiance was due home anytime; he would be livid.
6:30 pm came quickly and the apartment door swung open, I was afraid thinking about his reaction once I related the incident to him. So I sat him down on the couch and took off my top and showed him the marks. He asked me what happened and I told him I was repeatedly Raped by Mr X.
By this time Darren was very angry and asked when Mr X was going to be at work. I said: "Tomorrow night." His response was expected:"I will take care of it."

Darren left the apartment came back a few hours later with the smell of booze on his breath, he was screaming for me to get up off the couch, I said: "No." He grabbed me and pulled me off the couch called me every foul name you could call someone. He then closed his fists and punched me in the face three or four times. He then humiliated me by forcing himself on me and having his way; as if it was not enough that I had been raped earlier that day. It was obviously his intention to make me feel like dirt beneath his feet; I cried myself to sleep that night.

The following day Darren said he was going out, I was again scared because I knew where he was going...to the bakery thats where. A few hours later Darren came through the door and seeing no marks or welts on him I thought that nothing had happened, but I was wrong.
Darren had gone to the bakery and nailed Mr X in the head with a steel bar four times, Mr.X had run down into the plant bleeding from the head and screaming.

On Sunday afternoon there was a loud banging on the door and sure enough there stood two Police Officers. "Hi Miss Young is Mr W... here? I told them he was: "Darren you have company."
He admitted to everything omitting the physical abuse he inflicted on me.
"Mr W...grab your shoes, you are under arrest for the assault and battery of Mr X, Miss young who did this to you?" I casually pointed in Darrens direction dropping my eyes to the floor. "Another police car will be here to pick you up Miss and take you to the station for pictures and a statement."
"OK?" I replied.

Darren was incarcerated and I was at the station for five hours as if I had not been through enough already. Then I was free to go back to the hell hole where painful memories haunted me from the events earlier.

This is dedicated to those women who have been
through similar situations...be strong and take back
control; never allow a man to abuse you.