My gripping story will have you as angry as I was when I found out the truth behind my husband’s verbal abuse. His brother helped me unravel the web of lies he’d spun throughout our marriage, all in the name of keeping me docile and putty in his hands. Well, one day, I finally made it all STOP!
A woman shouting at a unresponsive man | Source: Freepik
Hi all, my name is Lisa, and I have been married to my husband, Anthony, for over three years. To be honest with you, everything in our relationship has been perfect except for one thing: every single day, at least once, he tells me:
“You smell horrible, Lisa.”
It’s a statement that has become a haunting refrain that Anthony seemed to revel in. This peculiar torment began a year after our vows and gradually morphed into an absurd obsession that seeped into every part of our life together.
A man looking upset with a woman in bed | Source: Freepik
When I met Anthony, I was someone who’d shower daily, each morning I would apply regular deodorant, and my teeth were brushed three times a day. However, because of how obsessive and insistent he’s been about me smelling bad, I’ve become so paranoid about it!
This has led me to up my showering times to, at least, twice daily, apply new industrial-strength deodorant every few hours with the help of a reminder on my phone, use excessive perfume, and brush my teeth anytime I drink or eat something that isn’t water.
A woman applying facial products after taking a shower | Source: Pexels
It’s gotten so bad that I feel like I am going CRAZY! Before I met Anthony, I didn’t think I smelled bad, and to tell the truth, I personally don’t believe I smell bad now either! However, I obviously smell bad to him, right?
This issue has left me feeling heartbroken and confused as to how to handle it. But what I didn’t expect is that the truth behind Anthony’s claim would come out from someone I least expected to tell me.
A frustrated woman laying her head on a table | Source: Pexels
One day, his brother, Joseph, visited us and, feeling vulnerable, I told him my issue with his brother thinking I had a bad body odor. At the time, Anthony was out running an errand, and I just broke down!
I could see how reluctant my brother-in-law (BIL) was to tell me the truth when he said, “It’s what our dad used to say to our mom,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “He said it was a surefire technique to make sure she’d never leave him.”
A shocked woman gesturing with her hands | Source: Pexels
His revelation stunned me so much, I couldn’t get a word out. The air hung heavy with the weight of his words. Apparently, their father once told the siblings this patriarchal advice when they were teens, saying the woman, or their mother in that case, would never leave them because “she will feel too low to cheat, will love only you, and will always be clean!”
This twisted logic, a vile inheritance, was the foundation of my husband’s treatment of me. I had hoped there was another logical reason but hearing this truth left me LIVID and so furious at my husband for treating me poorly over a lie that I had to kick his brother out so I could gather my thoughts.
An angry woman with clenched fists | Source: Freepik
“I’m sorry you had to find out like this, Lisa,” Joseph apologized. He shook his head, his expression grim. “Dad was wrong, Lisa. Horribly wrong. And Anthony… I can’t believe he’d fall for such a twisted idea,” he added as I thanked him and practically shoved him out the door.
My mother was my best friend and since I couldn’t decide what to do with this information, I went to my parents’ house and found my sister there before telling them EVERYTHING!
A woman looking upset while listening to another one talk | Source: Pexels
For all the time Anthony’s been berating me for my body odor, I’d ask my family and friends if I really stank, and their answer was always “no.” Some even thought I smelled quite clean, like a newborn baby!
“How could he?!” my mother replied, looking angrier than I did. “I’m going to make him regret ever doing this to you,” my sister said as she got up and reached for a baseball bat behind the door. I had to talk her down not to go ahead with her plan; she’s a fiery one, my sister.
A woman holding a baseball bat | Source: Pexels
Ultimately, my family assured me that I deserved better than what Anthony had been doing to me all these years. Armed with the truth and the support of my family, I confronted my husband with a resolve that felt like wielding a sword.
“I want a divorce, Anthony,” I declared, my voice steady, my heart pounding.
“What? No, Lisa, please, why?!” he asked, shocked by the finality of my statement. “Joseph told me why you kept insisting I smelled no matter what I did to curb the issue.” My husband’s eyes went big as he realized his plot was over for good and he’d lost!
A man reacting in shock | Source: Pexels
“I… I didn’t mean it. I thought it was for the best,” he stammered, the color draining from his face. “For the best?” My laugh was short, bitter. “Manipulating me? Making me doubt my own sanity? That was for the best?”
He reached for me, desperation in his eyes, but I stepped back, untouchable. “I can’t do this anymore, Anthony. I won’t.”
As I walked away, his pleas fading behind me, I felt the weight of years lift from my shoulders.
A woman arguing with a man | Source: Freepik
Now, recounting my journey from despair to liberation, I can’t help but seek your counsel, dear reader. Was my choice to cut the ties that bound me to a cycle of manipulation and self-doubt the right one?
A teary-eyed and sad woman contemplating something | Source: Pexels
