Brave: How I rebuilt my life after love turned to hate

Brave: How I rebuilt my life after love turned to hate
Adele Bellis

Control. Jealousy. Isolation. Blame. Anger. Violence.The inspiring true story of a young woman who suffered a terrifyingly abusive relationship culminating in a horrific acid attack from the man who claimed to love her.Adele was just 23 years old when she was scarred for life by an acid attack arranged by her ex-boyfriend, Anthony. The attack left her partially bald and she lost her right ear. This was Anthony’s attempt to stop her from ever being attractive to another man – a final act of ‘control’ over her and the horrific end to a terrifying case of domestic abuse.The acid attack came after she had ended her relationship of several years with Anthony Riley, the man who said he couldn’t live without her. Anthony Riley was convicted in October 2015 and was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison.This is Adele’s brave story, the story of one woman’s incredible fight to recover from the most appalling injuries and to decide that she would not be controlled, she would be strong.

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Copyright (#u5267be30-3979-51c5-bacd-7dff8fa89951)

Certain details in this book, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect those involved.

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First published by HarperElement 2016

FIRST EDITION

© Adele Bellis 2016

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2016

Front cover portrait © Johnny Ring; newspaper headlines © News Syndication

A catalogue record of this book is

available from the British Library

Adele Bellis asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008182090

Ebook Edition © September 2016 ISBN: 9780008182083

Version: 2016-09-14

Contents

Cover (#uff2d8e23-6dfd-5ba2-b3e0-2df903424b8e)

Title Page (#ulink_f54a8f78-b2c9-5035-b878-fd12c145104a)

Copyright (#ulink_ea45f9c8-a0f9-50e8-a94f-e258bba52f1d)

Prologue (#ulink_0e0fe6f0-b47e-54be-a61b-9ae4c764a748)

1 Intensity (#ulink_aaf5b6db-7abc-5c02-b449-2202ddc55439)

2 Control (#ulink_8a57b196-0fd6-55cb-903c-7818b1a9026f)

3 Jealousy (#ulink_86a96dbb-8ea4-5400-9aaf-a73d4cd41f43)

4 Isolation (#litres_trial_promo)

5 Criticism (#litres_trial_promo)

6 Blame (#litres_trial_promo)

7 Sabotage (#litres_trial_promo)

8 Anger (#litres_trial_promo)

9 Hostage (#litres_trial_promo)

10 Revenge (#litres_trial_promo)

11 The Attack (#litres_trial_promo)

12 The Hospital (#litres_trial_promo)

13 The Recovery (#litres_trial_promo)

14 The Court Case (#litres_trial_promo)

15 A Real Future (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

Moving Memoirs eNewsletter (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue (#u5267be30-3979-51c5-bacd-7dff8fa89951)

There was smoke, I remember that. As I ran into the road, my body consumed by pain, my flesh, my hair, my clothes were actually smoking. The rest of it still comes to me in flashes … The eyes of my assailant, a look of pure evil in those deep, dark pupils buried between his hoody and the black scarf covering his mouth and nose.