According to Pepa: I had spent years in denial, running, hiding and covering up for my ex-husband, who I will call "Brad." So many times I went places bruised and having to wear sunglasses or heavy makeup to cover it up. It was embarrassing but for some reason, I rationalized it to myself. He was sick and I was the only one who could make him healthy.

Actor/Director Charles S. Dutton tried to help me move on. He was the director on a movie, "First Time Felon," that Brad and I did together. It also starred Omar Epps.

Wasn't Treach in this movie? Hmmm.

One night Brad and I argued over nothing in particular and he slapped me in my face. He was usually careful about hitting me in my face, especially if we had an appearance or something to do. He had slapped me so hard that my cheek was swollen. The next day, the makeup artist did her best to cover it up but Charles Dutton noticed it.

He didn't really say much to me but he invited me to stay in his apartment for the night while he stayed somewhere else. Charles told me it might be a good idea to clear my mind and be alone.

After the movie wrapped, I got an invitation to hang out with a friend, her fiance was actor Omar Epps. They shared a beautiful house in the hills of California. The fun we had came to a halt when "Brad" showed up unexpectedly.

Omar told me, "Just hear him out, you don't take him back but he did come all this way."

I guess men stick together on things like this.

"Brad" put his stuff in my room, he really didn't have much to say. That night, I fell asleep in his arms. The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and he's standing over me.

He screamed, "B**ch!, I want a divorce!"

He then grabbed my ring off my finger and threw it at me with all his might. It was like a five-carat diamond and it hit me right in the middle of my forehead.

He grabbed me and yanked me out of the bed. He started slamming me into the headboard. He picked me up by my throat, choking me and he slammed me into the footboard. I felt as if my back had cracked open on the hard metal.

He kept yelling, "F**k you, b**ch!" as he kept punching me.

He then banged my head into the wall several times and continued to choke me, I was scratching with my hands, trying to pull off because I thought he was going to choke me to death. He pulled me back by my hair and slammed me into the railing again. He was going crazy.

Finally, the door swung open. Omar ran in and Kalima was right behind him, screaming and hollering for him to get off me.

Omar was trying to be real calm and cool. "Come on, man, Stop."

Kalima was calling Brad every name in the book and making him angrier but he let go long enough for me to make a run for it. I hit the door and headed to the stairs. He ran after me, and caught me at the top of the staircase. And, he had a handful of my hair with one hand and was choking me with the other one. I was practically dangling over these stairs.

Omar was screaming, "Man, let her go," she's not worth giving up your whole life. Let her go." Brad released his grip and I turned around and hauled ass out the front door. I ran down the streets screaming, "He's trying to kill me."

I know I woke up the whole neighborhood. But, a house two doors down opened its doors to me. I was beaten, bloody, half-naked and scared for my life. And while I knew I was never going back, I also wasn't strong enough to tell the truth, I couldn't press charges. I couldn't make him pay. So I lied.

Omar had taken Brad to a local hotel to get him away from me and the police. I didn't speak to him for a long time after that and I never went back.

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