• Olivia Howell ended her abusive relationship in 2019 and has sole custody of her kids. • It's been six years since she's kissed or slept with anyone else. • She says others assume she's lonely and should get out more, but she's confident she'll know when she's ready.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Olivia Howell, 40, CEO of Fresh Starts Registry and mother of two. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I had my first boyfriend at 16 and stayed in relationships nonstop until six years ago.

I was heavy into dating apps, often seeing more than one person at once. In college, I had a serious boyfriend I thought I'd marry. Then, at 24, I met my husband on Match.com. We moved fast: he relocated from Connecticut to Long Island, where I still live, and we married

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