How I Left an Abusive Marriage Twice: Survival, Patterns & Choosing Peace with Rhona Vega Pt. 1

Podcast
Written By Liv Lewis

What does it actually look like to leave a marriage when leaving feels impossible and dangerous?

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Livd Divorce Stories host Liv Lewis sits down with Rhona Vega for a raw, deeply personal conversation about surviving emotional and verbal abuse, escaping a controlling marriage, and the quiet, strategic work it takes to get out safely.

Rhona was 20, pregnant, far from home, and surrounded by "stay married" messaging when she first found herself walking on eggshells. What followed was years of survival mode, two marriages, and a hard-won education in the tools she never had growing up, including boundaries, self-worth, and learning how to vet who you let into your life.

This episode covers what so many people are afraid to say out loud: how faith communities can keep women stuck in unhealthy marriages, how shame and isolation silence survivors, and why leaving an abusive relationship is statistically one of the most dangerous moments.

Rhona shares the exact steps she took, saving money quietly, securing documents, creating distance, and why her daughters' wellbeing became the catalyst to finally break generational patterns of abuse and control.

She also gets honest about repeating the cycle in a second marriage, the unexpected wake-up call that came through her daughter's therapist, and what it meant to finally start asking: what do I actually want?

If you are currently in an unsafe relationship, supporting someone who is, or rebuilding after divorce and still trying to understand how you got there, this episode is for you.

You'll walk away understanding:

  • Why leaving an abusive marriage is a process, not a single moment, and what safety planning actually looks like.

  • How childhood exposure to domestic violence shapes what feels "normal" in adult relationships.

  • Why support without judgment can be life-saving for someone not yet ready to leave.

  • How controlling relationships and emotional abuse can hide behind church involvement and a "good family."

  • What happens to your nervous system when you finally create space from chaos.

  • Why patterns repeat without boundaries, standards, and self-awareness, and how therapy can change that.

  • The truth about what your kids sense even when you think you are protecting them.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where Rhona continues her story and the strength it takes to begin again, again.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 (or your local emergency number). Additional resources:

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Liv Lewis
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Beginning Again, Again: When Life Leaves You Stuck and Starting Over Feels Impossible