It started off as the perfect marriage.

 

Everyone who witnessed us together often told me how lucky I was to be with such a nice husband. And for our first year or marriage, it was. He told me to quit my job as he made a lot of money and that all I was expected to do was cook and clean. I was happy to do it for him.

 

The abuse started in 2013. He began to drink more heavily and in the middle of the night he would kick me in bed, unexpectedly. He did it repeatedly and when I asked him to stop, he would do it again.

 

I told him I would call the police and he told me that nobody would ever help me because I could not speak English. He told me that he has money and power and I have nothing. 

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The following months, his behavior became more erratic. He would monitor everything I did. He would kick down the door of the bathroom if I took a shower without his permission. One day,

 

I asked if I would be able to go for a walk around the block just to get some fresh air. He told me if I walked out of the front door to not bother coming back. 

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The physical and verbal abuse continued to escalate. He had managed to put himself into a position of power over me. Because I had no job and could barely speak English, I relied on him for everything. I did not think I would be able to live without him.

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After a fight over dinner, he brought a knife to my throat and held it there for 3 minutes while I cried and struggled. The knife slit my arm. When he fell asleep, drinking in the living room, I finally called 911. 

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With the help of BPSOS – Houston, I was able to get my I-751 petition approved. The BPSOS legal team worked tirelessly to remove the conditions of my residency on my green card. With them, I was also able to successfully file for divorce.

 

I can now go where I want, when I want, without the permission of anyone. None of this would have been possible without BPSOS.