I Own You: She Was an Abused Girl and a Battered Wife - Until the Day She Fought Back

To the outside world, Dawn was a successful businesswoman. No one knew that every waking minute of her day was controlled by her husband Stuart. She had been subjected to years of coercion – belittled, threatened and hit. He told her that she belonged to him, that he would do horrific things to her if she left. Dawn met Stuart when she was fourteen. She had already been abused by her older brother and was all too easily groomed by this local businessman who seemed to love her. Pregnant at sixteen, rejected by her parents, she ended up marrying him. And then it started, the long campaign to break her. She was forced to work all hours for Stuart, making money for him to spend. Then one day Dawn found the strength to fight back – against the brother who abused her, and the husband who made her life hell. To have her freedom and get revenge on Stuart she would risk losing everything . . . Powerful and inspiring, I Own You is the true story of a woman determined to find happiness on her own terms. Powerful and inspiring, I Own You is the shocking story of how one woman overcame her harrowing past to find happiness on her own terms. To the outside world, Dawn McConnell was a successful businesswoman. No one knew that every waking minute of her day was controlled by her husband Stuart. She had been subjected to years of coercion – belittled, threatened and hit. He told her that she belonged to him, that he would do horrific things to her if she left. Dawn met Stuart when she was fourteen. She had already been abused by her older brother as a child and was all too easily groomed by this local businessman who seemed to love her. Pregnant at sixteen, rejected by her parents, she ended up marrying him. And then it started, the long campaign to break her. She was forced to work all hours for Stuart, making money for him to spend. Then one day Dawn found the strength to fight back – against the brother who abused her, and the husband who made her life hell. To have her freedom and get revenge on Stuart she would risk losing everything . . . As a little girl Dawn seemed to have a charmed life, but she was hiding a dark secret: that her older brother, John, was abusing her. Then, aged fourteen, she was groomed by the father of a schoolfriend, a local businessman who seemed to love her. She ran away from home to be with him. Pregnant at sixteen, rejected by her parents, she ended up marrying him. She had no idea that he was a notorious criminal. For years, Dawn suffered horrific abuse from her husband and was frequently hospitalized. She was also forced to work all hours in the bars he owned and realized she was good at business - better than him. As her confidence grew, she found the strength to tell the police about her brother. Gradually, Dawn realized she was more than a battered wife - she was a survivor. When she fell in love with a genuinely good man, she hatched a dangerous plan to free herself from her abusive husband and take the thing he cared about most - his money As a little girl Dawn seemed to have a charmed life, but she was hiding a dark secret: that her older brother, John, was abusing her. Then, aged fourteen, she was groomed by the father of a schoolfriend, a local businessman who seemed to love her. She ran away from home to be with him. Pregnant at sixteen, and rejected by her parents, she ended up marrying him. For years, Dawn suffered psychological abuse from her husband, who belittled and threatened her. She was also forced to work all hours in the bars he owned and realized she was good at business - better than him. As her confidence grew, she found the strength to tell the police about her brother. Gradually, Dawn realized she was more than an abused wife - she was a survivor. When she fell in love with a genuinely good man, she hatched a dangerous plan to free herself from her husband and take the thing he cared about most - his money.