NARCISSISTIC REAL LIFE
Victoria Jackson, 42, from Middlesborough, watched as her hubby turned their home into ahouse of horrors
Sitting on as tool in our at-home bar, it was a place I’d find myself in most evenings.
Stocked up with plenty of booze, it was an idea that me and my hubby Anthony, 47, came up with.
Walking through the living room, we’d converted the spare room into abar, which was ahub for entertainment.
We’d decked it out like aman cave, with asign saying ‘welcome to the mad house’.
Which explained our situation in more ways than one.
With the kids Nicole, now 18, Isabelle, now nine, and Charlotte, now five, ruling the roost, both Anthony and Ihad fallen into aroutine.
He was working long hours as an HGV driver, where I’d get the kids ready for school, before starting my studies in nursing, too.
I quickly knew he was the one
Meeting back in 2012, in his sister’s salon, Anthony and I hit it off straight away.
Lovely from the get-go, I knew Anthony was the one.
Having Nicole from a previous relationship, he accepted my past, and it wasn’t long before we started speaking about having our own children, too.
And even though Anthony wasn’t really fussed about getting married at first, after five years together, we tied the knot on 15 July 2017.
We soon introduced Isabelle and Charlotte to the clan.
Anthony was always such a hands-on dad –super enthusiastic with the kids.
However, even though he was agreat parent, he wasn’t always such agood husband.
‘Do you fancy going out and doing something?’ Isuggested in late 2021, getting bored of sitting in the bar every night.
I didn’t mind it at first, especially when family came over, but then we’d got stuck in arut.
‘NO!’ Anthony snapped. And that wasn’t the worst of his behaviour.
Erratic at times, I felt like I was constantly on edge. He’d go from being on top of the world, the kindest man on Earth, to anasty, manipulative man in seconds.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS...
THE BIG READ
‘I’m thinking of getting my eyebrows micro-bladed,’ I revealed to Anthony one day.
Then, afew hours later, Ihad a 10 page essay sent over by him, explaining all of the cons. In fact, any suggestion of change, from Botox to afacial, would be enough to tip him over the edge.
If Iwanted to switch up my appearance, he wouldn’t let me –I felt controlled.
Not only that, but after coming back from afun Ann Summers party with my friends one day, Anthony got so jealous that he turned physical.
‘I’m sorry –I’ll sort my anger issues out,’ Anthony promised. Only, that time never came. It was abehaviour that continued for years on end. Iknew
