The life that I have been living the last 10 years, I thought was the absolute greatest thing ever. I was dating a guy who I married, working, and the mama of a beautiful daughter..

Sometimes I thought, "This is too good to be true!" I was right...

2014, I married my best friend and stepfather to my daughter! He always made sure me and my baby had everything that we needed. I thought he would always be there to protect us and never hurt us. However I married a man who lived a double life! Someone I thought I knew, I didnt know at all.

May 2019, my now 15 year old daughter attempted suicide. Getting the phone call from her best friend nearly put me in shock. What would normally take 35 minutes to get to my daughter took me 15 minutes! I was so scared she was gone and I had lost my baby forever. However she was lucky and made a full recovery.

When I got to her, all she could say was her step dad's name. I was not prepared for what she said next. She begin to tell me, that this man that helped raise her for so long, had forced himself on her and raped her for the last couple of years! Why? Why this child? When? I thought I was keeping good eyes on her! The thing I didnt know is he was doing it when I would least expect it. She still says she doesn't understand because they were so close before he started doing this to her. He told her he only married me because she was his type! What kind of man says this crap! I have blamed myself. Ad a mother it is our duty to keep our children safe and when something happens, you have guilt. This has been such a difficult process and I assume its gonna get worse.

He is now in jail. 6 more victims have come forward. So far, he may look at 60 years.

I no longer trust men and neither does my child. I begged her to stand strong and not let him destroy her. Thru it all, she stayed on Honor Roll and never missed or skipped school. She seems to be more like herself again. Now she preaches to me that I need to stay strong. But, this has caused me to have severe anxiety and depression and I dont even like to come out of my bedroom.

How do you get over such a tragic event? How do I stay strong for her, when all I wanna do is give up because I feel that I have failed as a parent?