Fragmented: A Story of Heartbreak, Healing, and Hope

"That November night, I was paralyzed with fear and dissatisfaction at the track my life was on; I wanted desperately to jump off, but I didn't know how, and part of me doubted if I'd ever be brave enough to take the leap."

'The Year After' tells the story of a young woman who seems to have it all. The looks, the husband, the security of a well-planned life - but behind closed doors, I was suffocating. What seemed to be a perfect marriage was full of anger, my life was being lived in the shadow of my past demons, and a dimpled smile can only hide so much pain. One lonely night, after the worst encounter with my husband, I became to determined to take my life and future into my own hands.

In the year of separation that followed leaving my husband and secure life behind, I began to discover what life is out there beyond the sheltered wing of my husband and family's umbrella. Through tear filled nights, kissing strangers, undercooked soup, and miles ran in the rain, I began to not only take back life for myself, but discover who I truly am. This memoir tells the true story of devastating pain, healing from familial and marital abuse, the search for inner peace and spirituality, falling in love with a best friends older brother, and learning to find a love for yourself first. I discovered there's a lesson found in each step of learning to take your life back, one cheese at a time.

Molly Emma Shutt has written and self-published two new adult novels, has a bachelors in educational studies, and currently works as a nanny in Durham, North Carolina. Raised in a one-stop light town and always homeschooled, Molly knows how it feels to be the odd one out, but she never lets that stop her from making friends and dreaming of exploring the world. Molly writes with a desire to share the truth of her story, which she hopes will inspire other people stuck in abuse relationships and generational curses to live life for themselves, and find their worth in who they are.