I bought new clothes and kept moving forward. I applied to Columbus State University in hopes of completing my bachelor’s degree. I was accepted and I was so excited, until they gave me the bad news. They said the school I attended in California, Heald Business College, was unaccredited. I cried as they told me they could not accept any of my completed courses and I would have to start all over. This was a set-back. I met with my ex mother-in-law and told her the news. In her frustration with my tears, she asked me if I was going to keep crying or start over. She said, “If you’re going to start over, enroll in school and get on with it!”
So I did. When my ex found out, he refused to watch my son. Not even on the one weekend per month he'd previously agreed to. I worked during the day, while my children were in school. In the evenings I would take them to university with me. We made it work. My babies would eat their dinner in the back seat of the car while on our way to school. We sat in the back of every class, where they would do their school work and I listened to the professor. My instructors were so impressed with my determination and my children’s good behavior, they supported my efforts.
Things were financially tough, but were going well. I even made new friends. One of which would prove to be a friend for a lifetime. However, I knew if I was going to make a proper life for me and my children, I needed to move. So, I gave my apartment complex notice, informed my professors, and moved to Atlanta. For some reason, I wasn’t scared. I found a new job before I moved and eventually found a place to live. I never looked back.
When I let my ex know that I was moving, he said, “No matter where you move, I will make you pay for divorcing me.” At the time I couldn’t imagine how, and honestly I didn’t care. I just wanted to move on with my life. Although he had another woman, he was fixated on me. Distance did not keep him from being harmful. He demanded his one weekend per month, and I would later find out why. He started sending hurtful messages through my son. He was six years old at the time.
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