She hears him coming down the hall and knows what will happen next. She then feels the familiar panic come over her as the door opens. He holds her for a moment, caresses her cheek, and talks softly. But then, all of a sudden, he roughly throws her to the floor. She pleads with him to stop, asking why he is doing this to her and what she did this time. As the salty tears slide down her bloodied cheek, she hears him go on his rant. He shoves a pillow over her face, and she hears a psychotic laugh that causes a cold chill to go through her body. She tells herself that she will escape one day and will start a new life. This scenario may seem completely sensational, but for many women, the horrifying scene above is all too real. Domestic abuse is still a prevalent problem for millions of women across the United States. Stephenie Montes is one of these women, and in her honest, frank, and intimate look at her own spiral into an abusive relationship, she reveals the pitfalls of charming...