Nearly a decade ago, Wellspring’s counselor Jeslyn Lewis was trapped in an abusive relationship where she experienced beatings between her lunch breaks and being held at gun point multiple times.

Now, the multi-book author is free from violence and travels across the nation to share her story in hopes to end domestic violence.

Lewis was the guest speaker for “When a Relationship Becomes Abusive” Thursday afternoon in the Student Center.

Lewis said the first time her boyfriend beat her, she forgave him but as the years went by, the abuse grew worse.

“We were joking about something, and I said a word he didn’t like,” Lewis said . “Not knowing how mad he was, I said it again and that’s when he slapped me.”

Lewis said abusers like to feel powerful and in control. At one point Lewis’s boyfriend made a rule where the bell couldn’t ring on the microwave once the food was finish.

“I still get nervous when I watch the timer get close to zero,” Lewis said.

Her moment of reality was when her boyfriend said, “You see what you made me do to you?”

“When he said that, it resonated it my mind that I was a victim of domestic abuse,” Lewis said.

From that moment on, Lewis removed herself and her kids from him, called the cops and pursued help.

International student Soowon Yu was shocked by her story. “I never saw abuse,” said Yu. “If I had the same situation, I don’t know if I could do like her.”

Jaiuante Singleton, a visitng student, said she was happy that Lewis heavily relied  on God.

“I learned a lot,” said Singleton.