I had no idea I was falling into crazy love

I was a very strong woman in love with a deeply troubled man. I loved him more than anybody else. He felt like the whole world to me, I wanted nobody around except him.
I’m about to tell a story of crazy love, a psychological trap disguised as love. One that millions of women fall into every year.

I met Daniel on a cold raining Saturday, he sat next to me and started chatting me up. What made the biggest impression on me at our first meeting was that he was smart and funny, dark in complexion with nice trimmed beards and he seemed so sweet.
One of the smartest thing Daniel did from the very beginning was to create elusion that I was the dominant partner in the relationship.
We started dating and he loved everything about me, that I was smart, intelligent and passionate about helping teenage girls and my job. He wanted to know everything about me, my family, my childhood, my hopes and dreams.
Daniel believed in me as a writer and as a woman in a way that nobody had.

He created an atmosphere of trust between us. I told him my deepest secrets but he seem to had none, which I didn’t give a thought.
If you had told me that this smart, funny, sensitive man who adored me would one day dictate whether or not I wear make up, where I lived, the clothes I wear, who my friends were, where I spend Christmas, I would have laughed at you because there was no hint of violence or control or anger in Daniel at the beginning.

On this fateful day, I went over to visit Daniel’s apartment and he said we should start living together as we would be getting married soon. At first I didn’t like the idea of staying together with my man because I spend quality time with him on regular basis, I’ve had sleep overs, I’m at his place all the time. I eventually agreed after he made me realize that I can always get to know him better that the visits weren’t enough.
He said we would be moving out of the city, which means I would be quitting my job and leaving my friends but that wasn’t important because I was leaving with the man I love.
We moved to another city, it was really fun at first, we enjoyed every moment together until one day, I was sorting the clothes for laundry and I accidentally found pocket knives inside Daniel’s pocket, I got really scared and at that spot I didn’t know what to do or who to call.
I waited for him to get back from work, after he showered, we went downstairs for dinner. After the meal, I told him about the pocket knife and he was able to convince me that it was for our protection, I believed him.
On one Sunday evening Daniel said we should hangout with his friends, I put on a red gown and I was about wearing my heels when he said the gown was too revealing, meaning it brought out my entire shape. I sighted jealousy at first, not until I teased him about not pulling it off, I immediately saw a figure in the mirror next to me, it was Daniel pointing a knife to my neck, threatening to kill me if I don’t change the gown. I thought it was a joke at first until he pulled one of the pillows closer to my face and kept my face under the pillow for minutes till I lost the energy to fight back.
I woke up in the hospital the next morning, hoping to see my friends or mom but the only person in the room with me was Daniel. I didn’t know how to deal with it, that was an attempted murder, who do I tell about that?, what do I do?, these were questions in my head until I felt someone touch me, it was him again. This time he was on his knees apologizing and saying it won’t repeat itself.
We left the hospital back to our apartment and I told him to explain what prompted him to point a knife at me and even made him want to kill me...

He then explained his childhood experience to me, how he was physically abused by his step father at age four, he talked about how he spent twenty years rebuilding his life. I felt pity for him but the last thing I would take from a man is to physically abuse me , no matter how much I loved him, I could have lost my life a night before, he could have accidentally killed me and thrown me out. He didn’t make my friends know where we lived not even my family. I wasn’t ready to stay with him or live with him anymore.
I managed to sleep that night, the next morning after he left for work, I immediately packed my bags and went far away to where I know he wouldn’t find me. I didn’t contact my family nor friends, I left my phone in the apartment because my location was on. That was how I escaped from Daniel.