The Rest of My Story

The winds of change rush into the innocent world of six-year-old Lydia when her mother Ettie marries a man with a hidden agenda. The scoundrel Chip soon begins grooming Lydia to satisfy his twisted sexual desires. Lydia’s naiveté combined with the subtlety of Chip’s advances keeps young Lydia unaware of the mistreatment she is suffering at the hands of her own stepfather. The abuse continues in secret for nine long years.. . When a young man from church asks sixteen-year-old Lydia to be his girlfriend she agrees. Chip’s subsequent jealousy provokes him into fits of rage. Ettie questions her daughter about why Chip may be targeting her with his anger and is shocked to hear Lydia’s response. Tackling her overwhelming fears that Chip will intercept them on the way to the airport Ettie flees to safety with Lydia and her two brothers.. . Family and friends support Ettie and Lydia as they deal with the aftermath of abuse and betrayal. Although Lydia meets regularly with a therapist who specializes in helping sexual abuse victims she struggles with her identity as a victim. Hiding behind a mask of happiness is Lydia’s way to cope with the vortex of pain swirling in her heart. Can God’s love break through the pain to write hope and healing into the rest of her story?