Member-only story

The Hidden Threats of Child Sexual Abuse in New Relationships

The perils of dating for a single parent

Abril
ILLUMINATION
4 min readDec 16, 2024

--

Photo by Cathal Mac and Bheatha on Unsplash

He was the best thing that happened to me and my two daughters after their father passed away. He was caring, supportive, loving, and, most importantly, treated my daughters like his own.

After two years of living together, I had my third child with him, and we were a happy family. However, when my eldest daughter turned 14, she no longer wanted to stay home and preferred spending time at her friend’s house. My second daughter, who was 12, became a recluse.

Initially, I thought it was just typical teenage angst or that they were enjoying their independence during this stage of life.

Emma’s storytelling was interrupted by one of the ladies at the party, who asked us to take photos together. We were at a Christmas-themed gathering, and it was the first time we had met each other.

I didn’t expect our seemingly light-hearted conversation to turn dark. Emma continued:

When my 14-year-old daughter told me she was moving out but wouldn’t say why, I sensed something was seriously wrong. Only when I took her and her sister on an out-of-town trip did they tell me what had been happening.

He was touching them inappropriately…

--

--

ILLUMINATION
ILLUMINATION

Published in ILLUMINATION

We curate and disseminate outstanding articles from diverse domains and disciplines to create fusion and synergy.

Abril
Abril

Written by Abril

Sharing my own stories and those of others I’ve met along life’s highways. As Dostoevsky said, “But how could you live and have no story to tell?”

Responses (1)