I also thought that at the age of 37 I had established myself enough to be able to settle down, but the proposal came as a shock to myself and to others. More so because my first husband was all the way in over in Egypt; a country I never thought I would find myself living and working in; let alone marrying in.

I was outspoken, brash, and loud. I was known as rebel; a fierce lioness and I wasn’t shy to seek and attain life and I thought my husband was the same. Our relationship was very passionate, one of strength and conflict at times but our hearts seemed to be entwined with oneness or so I thought. I would later realise how much I was being deceived, but at the time he was everything I had been looking for in a partner and much more.

At the very start of our relationship, we