By Survivor Ebony
I’m from a beautiful small town called “Ocean Springs, MS (Mississippi). Born in Biloxi, MS but raised in Ocean Springs. I had both parents (mom and dad). I have the middle child of 3 children. I have a younger sister and an older brother. My parents were NEVER married but have always been with each other for 17 years. They ended up splitting up (if I’m not mistaken in 2010). There was really no drama between my parents. I always went to both parents households without any problems. Any who! I graduated Ocean Springs High School 05/28/2013. A huge accomplishment for my entire family including myself! Of course I thought I was an adult because I was the ‘magical’ 18 years old.. “That I don’t have to listen to you anymore, I’m grown, I do what I want motive”… I never really had a “boyfriend” in middle school nor high school. I always seen other girls holding hands in the hallway getting in trouble for “P.D.A- Public Display of Affection” ha. Well I did a little something outta mind… I made a Plenty of Fish (P.O.F) dating profile. Mind you… I just graduated high school (18 and a few quarters). I didn’t think anything would come from it. I met someone on there. If I’m not mistaken, I sent a dude a message and they responded. Well… I took off from there! We stayed on the app chatting until our first date at Ruby Tuesday’s in D’ Iberville, MS… Date went well.. I was nervous the entire time tbh. After the date we ended up going back to his place where he was living with his roommates. He had two awesome dogs! I do love animals
animals have a weak spot in my heart… Back to the story! He drove me back to my mom’s house. We kept talking… Fast forwarding a few weeks. My body wasn’t acting like itself. I know my body. So he bought a pregnancy test… (+) I flipped out! I didn’t have a career, I had a Pontiac Trans Am (had no a/c), lived with my mom, had a dog (Harmony)… He was extremely ecstatic because he’s always wanted to be father. He called all of his family. I didn’t know how I was going to tell mine… 9 months later in 2014, I gave birth to my first child ever.. my little boy
6lbs 7oz 21in… I loved being a mommy! And, in 2016 I married my son’s father while I was expecting our 2nd son. Gave birth to our 2nd son in 2016
. I was living in Jacksonville, FL with my now ex-husband’s mother while he traveled the roads for work. He was in Sioux City, IA. I had 0 family around when I was in J. Just his mom. I feel deep into post partum depression. I never had it with my first son. I was scared, lonely, felt like I wasn’t giving my sons the best mom they could ever have. I was put on an antidepressant for 9months close to a year. I ended up moving back to Ocean Springs, MS with both of my sons. Felt soooo much better, I was with my family, I had help, I was around Harmony.
Too fast forward to the F.V…
We moved to southeast Texas at the end of 2017. We were renting. Of course no family. Just my two kids and my now ex-husband. We did things as a couple but rarely. In 2018, we bought our first house. Literally across the street from the rental house we moved from. Everything was great! I met amazing moms. I was a stay at home mom and they were as well. We started hanging out with each other with our kids. My now ex worked in a city 30min away. We barely had date nights but tried to please him… Well… In 2019, we had a fall out. A fall out to where my ex moved his mom in our martial estate (she was there supposed to help me while I finished college) turned out she was moved in to watch my every move. The next day, my ex went up to his lawyers office to file for divorce and he also placed a temporary restraint against me so I couldn’t take my kids outta the state of Texas. Mind you, no family, no money, was in college, two small kids, everything was in HIS name. The abuse started… I was made to sleep on the living room couch for 28 days, my kids had their own room, I checked on them throughout the night. His mom had her own room. I didn’t have the immediate funds for an attorney. He had one. He told me to follow what his attorney had placed on the paper. I was fighting time for my kids and myself. I ended up getting an attorney. Ex was happy I was fighting back. I was given $950/month CS and $2k (hush money, I call it). I was looking for an apartment for the boys and I. We had mediation. I won’t lie, I BEGGED to go home to MS with my family. He kept saying no. In my mind, I kept trying to figure out how I was going to do all of this without any family. Mediation didn’t go through. We ended up having a trial 11/18/2020. It was on zoom during COVID. My ex lied through his teeth… Used my postpartum depression against me, saying I was depressed still, kept a letter I wrote when I was going through postpartum depression and his lawyer read it during the trial. The worst of the worst happened to me. The judge gave the boys to my abuser. He was given primary custody, I was ordered to pay him $200/month CS. My ex smiled in the camera and high fived his attorney.
Ever since that da… My ex-husband has taken me to court EVERY year since 2019. I haven’t missed a year. CPS, the police was called on me…
Yesterday, 1/24/25 we had mediation because he started an abuse allegation towards me knowing it wasn’t true. He fought to keep primary (all about control). I won’t EVER shut up about what I went through.
In all of the chaos, I finish college with my surgical technology degree! Please keep fighting. Your kids need you.
