On my wedding night, the maid, who had worked for me for a long time, suddenly knocked softly on my door and whispered, “If you want to be safe, change your clothes and leave immediately through the back door, before it’s too late.” The next morning, I fell to my knees, tearfully thanking the woman who had saved me.

Worse still, my new husband had a violent past and a destructive addiction. Two years earlier, a young woman had died in this very house, but her family had covered it up. Since then, fear had reigned in this home. That night, if I had stayed, I could have suffered the same fate.

The maid’s nephew, the man who brought me here, spoke firmly:

“You must leave immediately.” Never return. They’ll be looking for you, and the longer you wait, the more dangerous it will be