wasn't a pushover. >> with james and his strong personality and my strong personality, we were on the same page, and we got -- things were going amazing. >> in 2010 at james'request, they entered into a covenant marriage. what's a covenant marriage? >> covenant marriage is recognized before god and state, and quite frankly it's a lot harder to get divorced. >> less than a year into their marriage, james'father died, and serena says something in her husband changed. he became, she said, controlling and frightening. serena recalled a disagreement in which she wanted to step away from him to check on their children. >> he was physically holding onto my biceps at that point in time. he was just like, we're going to finish this discussion. immediately following that, he said, the children are replaceable. we can make more. i'm not. and at
husband james lapan at a weekly dance class. >> every single time i came in, he'd come sliding up again, and he's like, so, when do i get to throw my name in the hat? and i'm like, maybe never, you know? there's the door. go away. >> but he wouldn't go away? >> no. >> serena, a sergeant first class in the army and a self-described alpha female, was happy to have met a man who wasn't a pushover. >> with james and his strong personality and my strong personality, we were on the same page, and we got -- things were going amazing. >> in 2010 at james'request, they entered into a covenant marriage. what's a covenant marriage? >> covenant marriage is recognized before god and state, and quite frankly it's a lot harder to get divorced. >> less than a year into their marriage, james'father died, and serena says something in her husband changed. he became, she said, controlling and
he'd come sliding up again, and he's like, so, when do i get to throw my name in the hat? and i'm like, maybe never, you know? there's the door. go away. >> but he wouldn't go away? >> no. >> serena, a sergeant first class in the army and a self-described alpha female, was happy to have met a man who wasn't a pushover. >> with james and his strong personality and my strong personality, we were on the same page, and we got -- things were going amazing. >> in 2010 at james'request, they entered into a covenant marriage. what's a covenant marriage? >> covenant marriage is recognized before god and state, and quite frankly it's a lot harder to get divorced. >> less than a year into their marriage, james'father died, and serena says something in her husband changed. he became, she said, controlling and
than attitude. >> she met her husband at a weekly dance class. >> every time i came in he slide it up again and say when do i get through my name in the hat? and i was, like maybe never >> know? there's the door. go away. >> but he wouldn't go away? >> no. >> serena, a sergeant first class in the army and a self-described alpha female, was happy to have met a man who wasn't a pushover. >> with james and his strong personality and my strong personality, we were on the same page, and we got -- things were going amazing. >> in 2010 at james'request, they entered into a covenant marriage. what's a covenant marriage? >> covenant marriage is recognized before god and state, and quite frankly it's a lot harder to get divorced. >> less than a year into their marriage, james'father died, and serena says something in her husband changed. he became, she said, controlling and
he's like, so, when do i get to throw my name in the hat? and i'm like, maybe never, you know? there's the door. go away. >> but he wouldn't go away? >> no. >> serena, a sergeant first class in the army and a self-described alpha female, was happy to have met a man who wasn't a pushover. >> with james and his strong personality and my strong personality, we were on the same page, and we got -- things were going amazing. >> in 2010 at james'request, they entered into a covenant marriage. what's a covenant marriage? >> covenant marriage is recognized before god and state, and quite frankly it's a lot harder to get divorced. >> less than a year into their marriage, james'father died, and serena says something in her husband changed. he became, she said, controlling and frightening. serena recalled a disagreement in which she