Dear Pastor,

I am 17-year-old girl who is living with a 30-year-old man. I am pregnant with his child. Some days are good and I get to think that he loves me, and on other days I think that he does not care about me. Whenever I find out the truth about him, he would get really angry and he sometimes beat me and calls me all kinds of names.

Last week he lent me his phone and while I had his phone a text came from a woman. I took the phone back to him and told him that someone sent him a text. He read the text, then he denied that it was sent by the woman. He went to work and I took the phone to him and went home. When he came home from work he started to curse all kinds of bad words. I avoided him and he kept on cursing until he fell asleep.

I do not know what to do. Every day he curses for the simplest thing. He always get a lot of money per week. He gets about $20,000.00 for the week and by the weekend, he does not have any money left. I do not know what he is doing with all that cash. If one looks at us they would think that we have it all together but looks can be deceiving. As I said before, some days are good and other days are not good. I think he doesn't care.

Please help me. Tell me what to do.

Initial Withheld

Dear Initial Withheld,

I don't think this man cares much about you and it is likely that he has other women in his life. If he is earning twenty thousand dollars a week he should be able to take care of the home and put some to saving.

This man sees you as a little girl. You are only seventeen and you are carrying his child. He is 30, he should treat you much better. I hope that after you have had your baby you will try and go back to school and that you will not continue to live with him. Even now, if it is possible to go back to live at your parents home you should consider doing so.

Pastor