Battered And Bruised : When Love Hurts

When you're in a toxic relationship, the smart thing to do is get out of it, right? But what if you can't? What if you're so scared because you're being threatened that if you leave, you will be harmed or worse, killed? So many women are in situations like this, believing that their only option is to stay and suffer in silence because they have no one to help them. No matter how bad things may seem or how helpless one feels, there is always someone, somewhere who can help you. All you have to do is speak up! Take a ride with authors, Sherri Marie and Cherice Harris, in this Domestic Violence Anthology as they dive into the lives of two completely different couples dealing with the same thing; abuse.

Mariah isn't your typical teenager. Having to deal with a drug-addicted mother who constantly abused her emotionally and sometimes physically, had Mariah feeling down more than she could count. Not to mention, still being in high school at nineteen didn't make anything better. It wasn't until she met Tevin that things started to look up for her, or so she thought.

Her father died when she was younger, and Mariah never had a man in her life to show how a lady is supposed to be treated. So, when things become hectic between her and Tevin, Mariah feels like it's okay and tries to endure it, thinking things will get better. When she realizes that they aren't and things get worse, her fight for survival begins.

Simone was dealt a bad hand from the beginning. Growing up in foster care and not really having anyone in her corner, but her friend Myia, Simone pushed and worked hard to get where she is. That is until she meets Drew, a prominent time lawyer. Everything isn't what it seems, though.

After giving up her dream of being a lawyer herself, Simone marries Drew. She gives birth to his daughter, only for her to become his punching bag and the laughing stock of his peers as he constantly parades different females in her face, in and out of the home they share. As bad as she wants to leave, she feels that she can't.

When Simone reaches out to a friend from her past, only then does she realize her worth and decides to leave. Not only for her but for her daughter as well. However, what will it cost her?