Chattanooga resident Willie Bell Ratliff was in her 50s working on a bachelor's degree in psychology when she met the man who would abuse her for at least two years.
Ratliff shares her story to encourage others who may experience abuse in her book, "Women, Get Out of the Domestic Violence Relationship."
By the time her connection with the man ended, she was embarrassed that she had continued in the relationship, and she felt like her two adult daughters were ashamed of her.
The ordeal ended after Ratliff's boyfriend beat her and pulled her hair out while they were at Hamilton Place mall. Later that day, Ratliff called the man back to her home and told him if he hit her again, one of them would die. Then she grabbed a lamp. He asked her to allow him to leave her home, and he never came back.
The book is available at local bookstores. It can also be ordered online at xlibris.com.
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