Before we begin, a quick warning.

This episode includes details about domestic violence.

We know this can be difficult to hear, so please listen with care and use discretion if you need to skip or step away.

And if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799 Safe, or 1-800-799-7233.

When people picture Florida, they usually envision long sandy beaches, palm trees, and theme parks.

For a large part of Florida, this is accurate, but in rural

Polk County, Florida, you see more pickup trucks than convertibles and more cowboy boots than flip-flops.

It was in this rural area, Lakeland, Florida, to be exact, that 17-year-old Michelle Somme met Leo

Schofield. Michelle, local to Lakeland, had a happy

childhood until her parents' involvement in the party scene ended their marriage and disrupted

her life. Michelle and her brothers ended up in a children's home for nearly four years until one

day when her father showed up, newly sober, ready to bring them home.

By her late teens, Michelle was working, helping her family, and spending her weekends with

friends at concerts and skating rinks. She was shy, but spirited with all the complexities of a typical

teenage girl. Leo was the opposite of a typical Lakeland resident,

and different than anyone Michelle had ever known.

With his long black hair, thick New England accent,

and a kind of confidence that bordered on arrogant,

he stood out in Polk County from the moment he arrived.

He was a few years older, played guitar in a hard rock band, and dreamed of something bigger than small town life. The two were

drawn to each other instantly. Leo described the first time their eyes met as instant

lightning. He was captivated. When Michelle began showing up to his

...