My Ex-husband Broke Into My House at Night While My Daughter and I Were Sleeping – Suddenly, I Heard Her Scream

My ex-husband’s selfishness ruined our family, but I thought we had left the worst behind after the divorce. Then, one night, I woke up to my daughter’s scream, and what I discovered had me sending her away and installing security cameras only for my ex to show his worst side.

A few weeks ago, my divorce from Liam was finalized, and as I prepared to go to sleep one night, I remembered all he put me through. Honestly, the entire process had felt like trying to pull a thorn out of my side.

Woman in her late 30s in a bedroom at night with thoughtful look | Source: Midjourney

Woman in her late 30s in a bedroom at night with thoughtful look | Source: Midjourney

Liam gave me only years of irritation and pain. I’m not saying marriage should be easy, but life with him wasn’t just hard; it was unbearable.

He had this incredible ability to make everything about himself. We were always second place to his gadgets, schemes, and so-called “investments.”

Let me give you an example. About two years ago, when our daughter, Danielle, was 10, she begged me for ballet lessons. I was ready to make it work by cutting some costs here and there to make her happy. Any parent with a child in ballet can tell you that lessons and clothes are expensive.

Children in ballet class | Source: Pexels

Children in ballet class | Source: Pexels

But just as I had arranged everything and was about to call the academy, Liam came home grinning like he’d won the lottery. He said he’d used all of our savings to invest in a cryptocurrency his buddy said would soon blow up.

He swore we were going to be rich. That didn’t happen. The entire thing was a scam in the end, and I had to tell my daughter was ballet wasn’t possible for us at the moment.

As you can imagine, my husband just shrugged it off, saying, “These things happen all the time. The next venture will be our golden ticket!”

Man in his early 40s shrugging and smiling in the living room | Source: Midjourney

Man in his early 40s shrugging and smiling in the living room | Source: Midjourney

But I was tired of going broke with insane “investments” or having someone buy gadgets to their heart’s desire without thinking about what was best for the family.

Months after the scam fiasco, I found Liam watching videos about trading and finally sat down with him for a serious talk.

“Liam, you can’t keep doing this,” I urged. “You have to think about our family’s future. We might have an emergency. We have to build our finances properly. Not only that, but we also have to think about Danielle’s college.”

Woman in her late 30s sitting on couch with a serious expression | Source: Midjourney

Woman in her late 30s sitting on couch with a serious expression | Source: Midjourney

He wrinkled his nose and waved his hand dismissively. “I AM thinking about the future. We’re going to be rich thanks to one of these things. You just don’t believe in me.”

“It’s true,” I nodded. “I don’t believe in you. This needs to stop or…”

“OR?” he challenged.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Well, then. Since you don’t trust me, let’s get a divorce,” Liam said, crossing his arms and leaning on the sofa.

Man in his early 40s sitting back on a couch with pursed lips and an unapologetic expression | Source: Midjourney

Man in his early 40s sitting back on a couch with pursed lips and an unapologetic expression | Source: Midjourney

“Liam, please,” I sighed. “Be serious.”

“I AM serious,” he spat.

My mouth closed, and I stared into his eyes, searching for any sign of remorse or understanding. But there was nothing. He wasn’t going to change. He wasn’t going to fight for our family. So, why should I fight for him?

“Fine,” I replied, my resolve solidified.

Unfortunately, divorce takes longer than you can imagine. Years, actually.

Danielle was now 12, and the separation had been hard on her, particularly because Liam rarely called or visited since he moved out.

A 12 year old girl looking sad while sitting in bed | Source: Midjourney

A 12 year old girl looking sad while sitting in bed | Source: Midjourney

It was a small comfort that my daughter and I got to stay in the same house as it had belonged to my late grandfather. He’d died suddenly years ago, and my mother said he always wanted me to have it.

I should’ve felt light after my divorce was finalized. But as I drifted off to sleep that night, I considered how my heart still hurt when I thought of Liam. I wished he had been the man he’d promised to be. But most of all, I wished he wanted to be a good father.

Danielle’s shrill scream ripped me from sleep hours later. My heart pounded as I bolted upright, every nerve screaming in alarm.

Woman in her late 30s bolting awake from bed looking scared | Source: Midjourney

Woman in her late 30s bolting awake from bed looking scared | Source: Midjourney

“Mommy!” she shouted again, her voice high-pitched and terrified. I ran down the hall to her room faster than I thought possible.

I saw a shadowy figure rushing toward me when I got to her door. Before I could react, he shoved past me, slamming me into the frame. The impact sent a sharp pain through my shoulder, but I was more worried about Danielle.

I stumbled further into her room, flipping on the light.

She was sitting up in bed, trembling. “It was a man,” she stammered, her eyes wide. “He had a crowbar. I think… I think it was Daddy.”

A 12-year-old girl sitting on her bed, late at night, looking confused and scared | Source: Midjourney

A 12-year-old girl sitting on her bed, late at night, looking confused and scared | Source: Midjourney

I froze. “You’re sure?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm for her sake.

She nodded quickly. “I saw his face, Mom. It was him. But his eyes… they were scary.”

My stomach dropped. The thought of Liam breaking into our house and frightening our daughter like that made my blood boil. But I couldn’t focus on my anger just yet.

“Are you hurt?”

Woman in her late 30s looking scared and sweaty in a child's bedroom | Source: Midjourney

Woman in her late 30s looking scared and sweaty in a child’s bedroom | Source: Midjourney

“No,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Tears welled in her eyes. “But what’s going on? Why did he do that?”

I wrapped her in my arms, holding her tightly, desperately trying to shield her from the terror that clawed at my own throat. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re safe now. I’m here.” But was she really safe? Was I?

My mind raced as I tried to figure out what to do next.

When the sun rose, we discovered Danielle’s gold jewelry had disappeared. It was just a pair of earrings and a small necklace her godparents had given her when she was born, but it still hurt to think Liam had taken them.

A jewelry box overflowing with scattered pieces | Source: Pexels

A jewelry box overflowing with scattered pieces | Source: Pexels

The thought of Danielle enduring another such night filled me with dread. With a heavy heart, I called my mom, Helen, and asked if Danielle could stay with her for a while.

“Don’t worry, Gina,” Mom said over the phone. “She’ll be safe here. You focus on getting things sorted. I’ll pick her up soon.”

By that afternoon, Danielle was packed and getting into her grandmother’s car. I hated the vision of my daughter leaving her home, but it was for the best. I couldn’t risk Liam coming back while she was here.

A car driving away on a road | Source: Pexels

A car driving away on a road | Source: Pexels

He’d pushed me… ME!

The anger and fear threatened to overwhelm me, but I couldn’t dwell on it. I needed to make this house safe again. I called a security company and had a top-of-the-line alarm system installed. It consisted of motion detectors and cameras that send notifications straight to my phone.

A security camera in a home | Source: Pexels

A security camera in a home | Source: Pexels

Thankfully, I could afford all of it now that Liam no longer had access to my finances.

I spent the entire day following the installers around, making sure everything was perfect. When they left, I tested the system three times to make sure it worked.

For the first week, nothing happened. I threw myself into work and chores, anything to keep my mind busy. But the fear never really went away.

Woman in her late 30s cleaning the kitchen while looking worried | Source: Midjourney

Woman in her late 30s cleaning the kitchen while looking worried | Source: Midjourney

Danielle wouldn’t be coming home for at least a month. In hindsight, this had been a good decision because around ten days after she left for her grandma’s house, just after 2 a.m., my phone buzzed with an alert: “Motion detected – Front Door.”

I grabbed it and stared at the screen. The app showed movement inside the house and then in the garage. This meant the intruder came in and went through the kitchen to the laundry room, where we had a door leading to the garage.

I exited the security app and dialed 911, whispering to the dispatcher, “There’s someone in my house. Please send help.”

The dispatcher’s voice was calm and steady, but I barely heard it over the sound of my own heartbeat. “Stay on the line, ma’am. Officers are on their way.”

Police officer using the intercom in a patrol car | Source: Pexels

Police officer using the intercom in a patrol car | Source: Pexels

I should’ve stayed hidden, but I wanted to face him, so I crept down the stairs, my phone clutched tightly in one hand. The house was dark, but the light from the kitchen spilled faintly into the hallway.

I moved past the kitchen and walked into the laundry room. After a moment, I heard the sound of something being moved inside the garage.

Pushing the door open just enough to see inside, I spotted a figure in black trying to bring down the tool shelf on the wall. A crowbar glinted in his hand. What was he planning to do with that?

A man in black clothes and a mask inspecting the wall tool shelf of a garage | Source: Midjourney

A man in black clothes and a mask inspecting the wall tool shelf of a garage | Source: Midjourney

I went deeper inside and called out, “Liam?”

The figure froze and turned toward me. It was definitely my ex. His face was partially obscured by a black mask, but I knew those eyes and that stance.

Instead of bolting like last time, he started walking toward me, the crowbar raised like a weapon.

On instinct, I rushed to the other wall, where we kept a button that opened the garage door. The loud rumble distracted my ex, and soon, the space was flooded with light from the street.

A home garage door opening at night | Source: Midjourney

A home garage door opening at night | Source: Midjourney

At that exact moment, two police cars screeched into the driveway, their sirens piercing the night. Officers jumped out with their weapons drawn.

“Freeze!” one of them shouted.

Liam stopped in his tracks, dropping the crowbar with a loud clang. The cops moved in quickly, securing his hands behind his back. One of them pulled off his mask, and there he was, looking more pathetic than ever.

“What the hell were you thinking, Liam?” I asked, my voice shaking with anger.

He avoided my eyes. “Gina, it’s not what you think…”

Man in his early 40s looking down sadly while standing in a garage with police cars behind him | Source: Midjourney

Man in his early 40s looking down sadly while standing in a garage with police cars behind him | Source: Midjourney

“Oh, really?” I snapped. “Because it looks exactly like what I think. You broke into my house AGAIN! You already stole our daughter’s jewelry! What is wrong with you?”

“I’m so-sorry,” he stuttered as the officers hauled him roughly out to the driveway.

“Wait!” I demanded, focusing on my ex. “What were you looking for?”

He couldn’t meet my eyes as he confessed. “When I was packing, I saw a safe in the garage,” he mumbled. “I thought… maybe there was something valuable in there. I didn’t touch it back then…. But now, I just… needed a little something to get by.”

A wall safe in a garage at night | Source: Midjourney

A wall safe in a garage at night | Source: Midjourney

A safe? I turned and there, on the wall where my grandfather’s tool shelf had already been, was a safe. I had no idea it existed at all.

“You’re unbelievable, Liam,” I turned back to stare at my ex as they put him in the squad car. “Absolutely unbelievable. Of course, you’re out of money already. Pathetic.”

I shook my head and watched as the cops took him away, leaving me standing in the garage.

The next morning, I called a locksmith to open the safe. If Liam thought there was something valuable in there, I wanted to see it for myself.

A man in uniform holding toolboxes while walking up a driveway | Source: Midjourney

A man in uniform holding toolboxes while walking up a driveway | Source: Midjourney

When the locksmith cracked it open, I held my breath. There were no gold bars, no jewels, nothing flashy inside. Just a stack of neatly organized bank documents.

As I flipped through them, my jaw dropped. My grandfather had kept his entire fortune in several safety deposit boxes. And the access to all of them was registered to me.

My greedy ex had just handed me and my daughter the key to a fortune I never knew existed.

A hall of safety deposit boxes in a bank | Source: Pexels

A hall of safety deposit boxes in a bank | Source: Pexels

Weeks later, I found myself in a courtroom, facing Liam. I had to testify against him to help the prosecution.

My ex-husband looked smaller than I’d ever seen him, sitting there in his orange jumpsuit, and I didn’t feel an ounce of pity.

When the judge handed down his sentence for attempted theft, breaking and entering, and the possession of a weapon, I leaned forward, drawing his attention.

“Thank you, Liam,” I said, my voice steady. “Because of your greed, I found out I’m rich. And you? Well… I hope you like prison food.”

Woman in her late 30s smirking while sitting on a bench in a courtroom | Source: Midjourney

Woman in her late 30s smirking while sitting on a bench in a courtroom | Source: Midjourney

Inside the life of Debra Paget and why Elvis was ‘obsessed’ with her

Debra Paget was extremely beautiful in her prime and charmed millions of Americans when she starred in Elvis Presley’s film debut, Love Me Tender.

The talented actress was ”touched by the hand of God,” according to legendary director Cecil B DeMille.

Apparently, even the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ became obsessed with her…

Debra Page was born on August 19, 1933, in Denver, Colorado. Her real was Dabralee Griffin – but the actress changed her name as she moved towards movie stardom.

Raised in a showbiz family, Debra’s parents moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s so that they all could be closer to developing the film industry in Hollywood. (Debra’s two sisters, Tala Loring and Lisa Gaye, also had substantial film & TV careers).

Debra, who always wanted to be a dancer, has described herself as a ”post-depression” baby. She came into the world during a devastating and prolonged economic recession. Her family didn’t have much, but Debra held her parents in high regard.

“When I looked back, we had so much love in our home,” Debra said when being interviewed by Dale Evans Rogers

‘Most beautiful legs in the world’

Pushed by her mother, Debra enrolled in the Hollywood Professional School when she was 11.

The talented young girl landed never doubted herself, landing her first professional job aged eight. Soon after that, she starred in a production of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Flickr

Her motion picture career began at the age of 14, and her big break came in 1950 when she was cast in Broken Arrow. Co-starring alongside James Stewart, Debra Paget portrayed a Native American maiden called Sonseeahray (“Morningstar”).

Debra’s “exotic” looks won her several roles in adventure dramas, and she soon earned the reputation as the only starlet who had never been kissed. 

In the 1950s, she earned the title “The most beautiful legs in the world” when the National Association of Hosiery Manufactures polled 15,000 people in the industry. The deeply religious Debra won by a wide margin, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Flickr

As a 14-year-old, Debra had signed an exclusive contract with 20th Century Fox. But it was when Paramount Pictures borrowed Debra for The Ten Commandments that she made her most successful movie.  

Debra played the part of Lilia, the water girl, in Cecil B. DeMille’s giant biblical, spectacular movie. The blue-eyed Debra had to wear brown contact lenses – something that caused quite some trouble for her.

“If it hadn’t been for the lenses, I wouldn’t have gotten the part. They were awful to work in because the klieg lights heated them up,” she said.

The movie, which won seven Academy Awards, changed her life forever.

”It was probably the highlight of my career, ” Debra said. 

Flickr

Meeting Elvis

Debra Paget was a 22-year-old established Hollywood star when she stepped onto the set of Love Me Tender. Back then, she was probably the most beautiful actress of the Hollywood Golden age. And that is saying something.

She and Elvis Presley first met months earlier when both appeared on the Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956. It was the moment when Elvis shocked conservative America by gyrating his famous, or infamous, pelvis during his now-iconic rendition of Hound Dog.

“Although I usually don’t form an opinion of a person until I have met him,” she explained. “Frankly I looked forward to my first meeting with Elvis Presley with mixed emotions. I’d heard and read a lot about this new young singing sensation from Tennessee—and most of it was not complimentary.”

The young singer surprised Debra in many ways during their first, memorable meeting. As a born-again Christian, you might think that Debra disliked The King, but it was quite the opposite.

When Mr. Berle introduced the 21-year-old rising star to Debra, he firmly grabbed her hand and said: “I’m glad to meet you, Miss Paget.”

Elvis then shook her mother’s hand with ”equal vigor,” excused himself, and a couple of minutes later came back with a chair for her.

“We were together for only a couple of hours but sometimes you can learn more about a person in a short span of time than in weeks of seeing one another constantly. I felt I did. From the very beginning, Elvis impressed me as a pleasant, sincere, obliging young man,” Debra recalled.

The proposal

A few months later, Debra starred opposite Elvis in Love Me Tender – his first movie. According to Daily Express, the singer became obsessed with his co-star. He believed that Debra was ”the most beautiful girl he had ever seen” and even visited her parent’s house.

“From the time he first came to the house, my folks have considered Elvis a member of the Paget clan—a feeling which, I believe, he reciprocated,” Debra explained.

But Debra and Elvis’s relationship was more family-oriented than a whirlwind romance – at least in the eyes of the young actress.

“I was very shy, very quiet and very immature for my age. I was in my very early 20’s but I was emotionally more like a 16-year-old. Elvis and I just sort of came together like a couple of children really.”

Rock and roll singer Elvis Presley kisses Debra Paget in a still from ‘Love Me Tender’ in Los Angeles in 1956. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Elvis, however, seems to have thought otherwise.

“Following the film, he did ask me to marry him but my parents objected to my getting married. I cared about Elvis, but being one not to disobey my parents, that did not take place,” Debra shared.

In the end, Debra turned Elvis down – she had already fallen in love with Howard Hughes, a famous film producer and billionaire.

Debra would later marry actor and singer David Street, but she always spoke fondly of Elvis. And Elvis didn’t forget Debra either – many think she did set the template for Elvis’ fixation with the ‘Debra Paget look.’ For example, it was reported that young Priscilla Beaulieu changed her hair and make-up when she learned about Debra. 

Flickr

Debra left the entertainment industry in 1964 and is now 89 years old. Sadly, there is not much information about her life today; Debra seems to live a quiet and private life out of the limelight.

Elvis and Joan Blackman

Interestingly, Elvis’s proposal to Debra in the late 1950s wasn’t the only time he wanted to marry a co-star. After shooting Blue Hawaii with Joan Blackman in 1961, he wanted to tie the knot with her as well – while he was dating Priscilla.

Joan Blackman, who looked very much like Priscilla, has shared what really happened during the making of Blue Hawaii.

When we first set eyes on each other (in 1957), there was a spark, a magic in the air… There was just that special something between us, sometimes so warm and wonderful you could almost reach out and touch it,” she told the Midnight Globe newspaper in 1977.

In the sensational interview, Joan Blackman said that Elvis ”really wanted” her as his wife and that he repeatedly begged her to appear in his movies, but she turned him down each time. 

“I wanted parts because of my ability, not because I was dating Elvis,” she stated.

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