If You Love Me: True love. True terror. True story.

If You Love Me: True love. True terror. True story.
Jane Smith

Alice Keale

'You said I was the perfect boyfriend. If you can prove you really love me, perhaps I can be that way again.'This is the chilling true story of a woman trapped in a devastating relationship as she tries to prove her love – over and over again.Within days of spending their first evening together, Alice and Joe were talking about getting married and spending the rest of their lives with each other. Everything about Joe seemed perfect, and Alice was the happiest she’d ever been.Then one day Joe saw a message on her phone from an old love, and that changed everything. He ignored Alice’s explanations and desperate pleas. And soon the violence and abuse began.As she attempted to prove to Joe that he really was her world, Alice gave up everything that mattered to her, including her family, her friends and her job. But still it wasn’t enough.Then the ‘challenges’ started, and finally Alice dared to hope that this time, maybe this time, Joe might just believe she loved him …

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Copyright (#u94ea0871-3b54-5d93-aa5e-2ec80357e316)

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.

HarperElement

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First published by HarperElement 2017

FIRST EDITION

© Alice Keale and Jane Smith 2017

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017

Cover photograph © Stephen Carroll/Arcangel Images (posed by model)

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Alice Keale and Jane Smith assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008205256

Ebook Edition © January 2017 ISBN: 9780008205263

Version: 2016-12-20

Dedication (#u94ea0871-3b54-5d93-aa5e-2ec80357e316)

For my family and friends, who never gave up on me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their continued love and support.

Contents

Cover (#ue2189e62-78b0-5e10-8ff9-f2f81f28e11f)

Title Page (#ub3c2b5c6-6b86-5f08-b137-59143d99c5ef)

Copyright (#u4b6f9ce8-9ea6-5837-8baf-d3bc57da2104)

Dedication (#ud4b1df1b-c785-57c8-9627-dd400c184db4)

Prologue (#ucb8b2205-b62d-5f83-a7ef-e83bd248987b)

Chapter 1 (#ufe5765a5-6d3e-5193-b0e5-d54eeaf375fe)

Chapter 2 (#u54707c30-2656-5bc2-bbc6-71894342006b)

Chapter 3 (#uf629b170-92dd-5695-b24f-d11b5393e546)

Chapter 4 (#u6ad55ab4-3a1a-52e9-93e5-aeb69492210f)

Chapter 5 (#u99e26a2d-7e50-5a6b-99c6-7eeaeb9146f7)

Chapter 6 (#u76bfcb5d-b395-5ca5-b6c1-57b8fed60abf)

Chapter 7 (#u674db384-1394-52d1-b4af-ff3711235bb4)

Chapter 8 (#ue6876932-94c7-5262-be94-2e107fbcf28e)

Chapter 9 (#u2c7a3cfd-c592-5c6c-b576-b3282a9abb5c)

Chapter 10 (#ua315460a-71d9-5885-b4e3-9d9471e30b0d)

Chapter 11 (#u73ed2e76-8175-522a-a21f-26078337c4eb)

Chapter 12 (#udcee9dfa-92e3-5ff2-b799-21e66a2687a9)

Chapter 13 (#u6fa6d327-91eb-5bbe-9c77-6cef4d5b8d16)

Chapter 14 (#u87591799-8a7b-55ba-8f59-f3ed47f8bb31)

Chapter 15 (#ud17f9cb5-9193-58d5-87c4-01e930348781)

Chapter 16 (#u99ea5554-7ae6-519c-9dd1-76cee2cdc1a7)

Chapter 17 (#ue97a7a8d-04f9-5b26-befe-7854f817ca4a)

About the Author (#u265c93d6-2c80-59b7-85d5-8e0e34a608f6)