I was a freshman in college. I fell in love with someone who I thought was my soul mate. It was the perfect relationship – until one day I felt his hand on my face. He said, “You will never amount to anything, and you never be with a guy who would appreciate you. You’re an object, and the only thing you would be used for is sex.” From that day onwards, my life was turned upside down. I was mentally, emotionally and sexually abused. He degraded me in public, tried everything in his power to make me drop out of my undergraduate degree, caused me to question my self worth, self-confidence, and my true purpose in life. I thought of committing suicide many times. It was a way out for me. I told no one in the beginning. I was too embarrassed and ashamed to share what I was going through – my family and friends figured something was wrong and decided to intervene. He isolated me from my support system, those who loved and cared for me dearly. Lines of communication with family and friends were limited. I decided to confide in a group of friends in college, and they invited me to a nightly Bible study session.