Jasmine Beverley, 26, a math teacher, author and Christian from Croydon had a whirlwind lockdown that changed the course of her entire life.
At the age of 24, Jasmine was encouraged, mainly by the church, to marry a man 10 years her senior after a short period of dating. During the lockdown, she found herself married, pregnant and a new mother suffering alone in an emotionally abusive marriage, ostracized, abandoned and rejected by the church to which she had given so much. No one to turn to.
After suffering a nervous breakdown and receiving the support she needed to leave this abusive marriage, Jasmine began her own healing journey and wrote a book called “The Unseen Veil” to empower women in similar situations.
“The Unseen Veil” is a faithful account of her journey, which she refers to as “a chapter of my life, not the whole story,” of escaping an emotionally abusive marriage, reclaiming her power, and finding freedom.
When Jasmine entered into a hasty marriage, she believed it was God’s will for her life, but she quickly realized what a dramatic impact it had had on her mental health, causing her a torrent of emotional turmoil that she could never have imagined.
Having thought this was the relationship she had always dreamed of, Jasmine prepared for marriage within months, believing it was the start of a new chapter. However, lockdown restrictions were the least of her worries as her husband-to-be begins to display red flags ahead of getting married.
Continuing with her marriage, Jasmine found herself locked in a whirlwind of emotional abuse, mind games and loneliness during her pregnancy. With virtually no support and facing stigma from the church, she was forced to step down from her role as a church leader and face the abuse on her own.
“The Unseen Veil” takes you on a journey from struggle to freedom as Jasmine finds her power to break away from everything that makes her feel defined, labeled and silenced.
“In The Unseen Veil I address hidden emotional abuse, abuse that is invisible, no one knows what is going on. No one can see, the abuse is calculated and precise. Involves manipulation, lighting gas, a sense of entitlement,” says Jasmine.
This is my story and my journey. Although it is distressing and extremely scary for people to read about what happened in my life, I need to be a voice, I cannot be silent.
On International Women’s Day, an elderly lady approached me and thanked me for writing this book. “We all go through it, but we don’t say anything, so thanks for speaking up!” She said! Unfortunately, thousands of women experience abuse, and while it is extremely difficult to talk about it, emotional abuse can be even harder to tell because it affects your mind and mental state.
Jasmine’s book is available now and her book launch will take place at The Venue, Middle Street in Croydon on Saturday 16and April.
Written by: Daniella Blechner
