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Kenyan woman named Mary has shared her compelling story of immigration to the United States, which evolved from hopeful beginnings into a deeply troubling experience of isolation and emotional abuse.
Mary's American chapter began in 2008 when her husband initiated the immigration process for her and her child. Their relationship, which had flourished through online communication, took an unexpected turn upon her arrival at Detroit Airport. The warm, attentive persona she had known through their digital interactions vanished, replaced by a distant, uncommunicative man who remained silent throughout their first journey home. The harsh reality of her new life became immediately apparent when she was led to a room covered wall-to-wall with newspapers.
The situation was further complicated by malicious rumours spread by her cousin to her husband's family, alleging that Mary and her relatives had used witchcraft to manipulate her husband into facilitating their relocation to America. These accusations appeared to fuel her husband's increasingly erratic behaviour, including strict prohibitions against using lights after dark. Living conditions proved challenging as Mary and her child were forced to sleep on clothes near the doorway for two months before they could clear the newspaper-strewn room. Her husband's behaviour grew increasingly concerning, marked by long periods of silence spent watching television and sleeping.
He also restricted their access to food, forcing Mary to rely on her personal savings for basic necessities. The relationship reached a critical point as their immigration-mandated marriage deadline approached. When her husband showed reluctance to formalize their union, Mary contacted immigration authorities, who intervened and mandated their marriage within thirty days under threat of imprisonment. Although they wed within two weeks, the marriage was marked by daily verbal abuse. The situation took a dramatic turn when Mary's daughter expressed fears about her stepfather's potential for harm.
The final revelation came during a hospital visit when medical staff disclosed her husband's intimate relations with another man. Mary eventually secured her safety and that of her child before ending the marriage. Mary story took a positive turn when she met another man who proposed marriage and assisted with her divorce proceedings.