It was a last-minute decision, taking Charise years of disappointment and heartache to make. She was nervous but full of excitement as she looked forward to creating a new life away from the prison where she lived. The first stop on her journey was a visit with her sister, Ethel. Charise's husband's combative spirit drove a wedge between them that kept the sisters out of touch for years. Aware things needed to change, Charise was finally ready to cut away her baggage and reconnect with her estranged sister.

She gathered her children's backpacks, filling them with their favorite books and toys to keep them entertained while she drove. As Charise worked, she thought back to the day that sealed her sister's hatred of her husband, Ron. Ethel witnessed him grab and pull her sister mid-sentence from their conversation because he was ready to go. Stunned by his behavior, Ethel stood there, frozen. With anger brewing in her heart, she watched the back of his head, full of wild brown hair, bob away as he clutched Charise's arm.

Her mouth hung open, and for the first time in years, she was speechless. Ethel stared in the wake of Ron long after they disappeared. The embarrassed look on her sister's face would haunt her for the rest of her life. Unaware of how much time had passed since their departure and shaking with rage, she vowed to help her sister break free of his stronghold.

"He hates me. He hates us." Ethel brought up Ron during a conversation following his manhandling episode.

"No, he doesn't," Charise insisted, wishing one of their last heart-to-hearts before her sister moved wasn't about Ron. She yearned to hear about Ethel's goals so that she could live vicariously through her.

"He does. He especially hates our relationship. My calling him out for his wrongdoings angers him. He's afraid of the impact I have on you." Ethel nodded her head, agreeing with her own assessment.

Charise sighed. She didn't want to argue.

"He's a monster, and it shows with his brown, bloodshot eyes glowering at us when he talks. He is untidy. If he doesn't care about himself or his appearance, how can he care for you?"

"I think you dislike him," Charise corrected.

'Truthfully, I wished he took care of himself, but what can I do? Short of bathing him. It's his body.'

"Charise, maybe you should rethink this marriage. A decent man would never maltreat a woman, not for any reason."

Charise sighed; her sister would say and do anything to break them apart. The friction she caused during her visits weighed heavily upon Charise's heart, almost making her wish her sister wouldn't come over - almost.

"Ron's done you wrong on more than one occasion! You weren't raised to settle for an abusive, disrespectful jerk." Ethel verbalized, her hands dancing around as she spoke.

"Ethel..." Charise rolled her eyes.

"I can only imagine what he does when I am not around," she persisted, bent out of shape over the mistreatment of her sister.

"He's different when we're alone."

Doubting her sister's reply, Ethel said, "Come on! You are one of the smartest people I know. And a smart woman would never allow herself to be treated in such a way - not by anyone!"

Charise loved her sister. Growing up, Ethel offered excellent advice, but this time, she didn't ask for her guidance. Charise sometimes wondered if Ethel was upset because she lost control of the one person she had sway over. Whatever Ethel told her to do, she did it. Charise usually put her sister before her boyfriends, but she was no longer a little girl. She'd grown up, and she loved Ron more than she'd ever loved anyone. He had walked into her life, stealing her heart, after a terrible breakup that left her feeling worthless. He made her feel wanted, even needed.

Their relationship didn't just cause division between the sisters; her whole family had issues with Ron: how he spoke to her, the way he separated her from loved ones, and his withholding necessities from her while he had everything he desired.

Charise's family criticized her unmercifully for hitching herself to Ron's useless wagon, constantly tearing into her and her marriage. They didn't understand; to them, her reluctance to leave proved she had a lack of intelligence and common sense; when, in reality, it was her love for him that made her stay. She believed if her love were true, it would change him - make him a better person.

She felt torn. Out of all her family, she wished her two favorite people, Ethel and Ron, would work to get along. Being at odds, and both fighting to have a position in her heart, made it impossible for them all to spend time together.

Needing to prove her sister wrong, she tried to include them both in outings with the children. They still fought. Charise hoped after her last visit with Ethel that the complaints and the fighting would stop. She was at her wit's end, having tried everything in her power to make their relationship work. She needed them to cooperate with her.

Done defending her marriage at family gatherings, Charise decided she wanted no further relations with them. She walked away. Ron was pleased, saying now she could focus on their marriage.

Night after night, she prayed for her relationship with her husband to grow and improve. She read and studied multiple books on how to strengthen your relationship to bring them closer together. No matter what she tried to connect with Ron, every action backfired.

Her dismissal of family and friends, along with her dedication to Ron, destroyed all of Charise's outside relationships. It was a slow process that she wasn't aware was happening until she found herself alone.

Charise cried for two days after Ethel announced her plans to move. She wept over the loss of her sister, and she moaned over the loss of her freedom. Plugging into their sisterly bond recharged her, allowing her to recoup and return to Ron rejuvenated. Now, the only source of her hope and joy was leaving.

On moving day, hugging and fighting back the tears, Ethel encouraged her sister to come and visit her new place. Charise promised she'd stop by. Deep in her heart, she knew Ron would never allow her to travel, much less to see someone he couldn't stand. Unless Ethel visited her, they wouldn't see each other for a long time.

"I am going to miss you," Ethel yelled out the window as she pulled away, putting distance between her, her sister, and her vicious husband.

"We won't miss you," Ron muttered. The farther she drove away, the wider his smile became.

Charise cried a river's worth of tears before coming to terms with her new living situation. She was alone. She'd have to do whatever it took to make her marriage come to life and to prove everyone wrong about their relationship.

Pleased by Ethel's disappearance, her husband knew there was no one to come to Charise's defense. Charise was stuck. She was alone. He knew it. She knew it.

Ron freely expressed his anger, not caring who witnessed his rage. One day while they were out driving, Charise waved, with a smile, to an older man, in response to his greeting. Her husband slapped her bare thigh, causing her pain and leaving a red handprint behind. The violent action took her off guard. It stunned her because she never thought he would touch her in such a manner; it left Charise speechless.

"How dare you flirt with someone while I am in the car with you!" Ron's icy words sent shivers down her spine.

"He's an old man. I wasn't flirting, just saying hi," Charise softly corrected. "He reminded me of my grandfather."

"Right!" Ron never apologized, only accused her of inappropriate behavior, swearing she was looking for someone new.

Fighting for her marriage took all her energy, leaving her strained and drained. It robbed her of her dreams and took a toll on her mental health. Month after month, year by year, Charise lost her confidence and any desire to fight the enemy living within her house.

Ron hated her accomplishments. It didn't matter what she was doing; in his perspective, she was wasting time and bringing too much attention to herself.

"Your primary purpose in life is to meet my needs and to make sure I am satisfied."

He encouraged her to develop a relationship with the women in the church. He wanted her to follow their examples so she could be a real Christian wife.

"As a wife and a mother, Anita is someone you could learn a lot from her if you'd only take the time to get to know her," Ron often bragged about the perfectness of his boss's partner.

She'd heard his words many times before, and they stung every time.