Violent True-Life
I thought I’d met the man of my dreams. Little did I know, it would all change in the blink of an eye...
Leonie Waldock, 24, from Chatham
Walking into my local cafe, the man stood behind the counter had caught my eye.
Meeting Nuno, 28, in the summer of 2021, I thought that he seemed lovely.
We already knew each other through friends, and he was cheeky and charming.
Bumping into each other a few more times, we started talking more on social media.
And by November, we had progressed from a few flirty messages to meeting in person.
While our relationship was not official yet, he introduced me to his family. I felt myself falling head over heels.
‘I think I’ve met the right person,’ I’d told my mum Ali, 49. Nuno was so caring.
He would wake up early to make me breakfast and start my car before I went to work.
In February 2022, we flew to Madeira for a week on holiday and had an amazing time.
Only getting home, things seemed to fizzle out.
Nuno was becoming more distant – I thought he didn’t want to be with me anymore.
Texting me less and less, I felt that he didn’t like me anymore.
Choosing to work on myself, I got my teeth done and spent time with Mum and friends. ‘I want us to try again,’ Nuno came back to me after a few weeks in March. ‘I’m sorry.’
Receiving a message from his ex, I found out he’d been unfaithful.
I was devastated – it was such a huge betrayal.
‘How could you do this to me?’ I asked, tearfully.
‘It was my turn,’ Nuno said, justifying his behaviour. The night he’d been unfaithful, I’d chosen to go for a drink with Mum rather than staying in with him.
He made me feel guilty. We agreed to give things another go, making it official this time. I hoped this was just a bump in the road. But in July, Nuno’s behaviour changed again.
We’d been saving for a mortgage when I found out he had gambled the money and cheated again.
‘I don’t want to make up this time,’ I told him.
It was like a switch flipped – Nuno became aggressive.
‘I’ll burn your dad’s house down,’ he threatened me.
He even said he’d post intimate pictures of me on social media.
I couldn’t believe it – I wasn’t sure he was serious.
I didn’t tell my friends and family what he said – for the past six months I’d had no inclination he could hurt me.
And Nuno always made me feel at fault. So, I forgave him, moving in with his family.
Just a couple days after getting back together, I met up with friends to go for a meal and some drinks.
And all night Nuno wouldn’t stop texting
