Candice, 35, was forced to leave her husband Martin and mother-in-law under dramatic circumstances. After uncovering Martin’s disturbing secret, she decided to flee with her son, Barry. “It was late, almost 2 a.m. I was frantically packing everything,” Candice recalls. “I glanced at my son, Barry, asleep in his crib, and knew I couldn’t waste another second. I took a deep breath, hoisted him into my arms, and just ran.”

In her haste, she didn’t even change out of her house slippers or robe. “Barry began to stir, crying softly. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to calm him with my sleeve.” Despite the cold and darkness, Candice ran with her baby, fighting through fear and exhaustion. She reached her parents’ home, where she pounded on the door, desperate and out of breath. Her escape set off a chain of events that transformed her life entirely.