Breaking the Mask (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798304131148)

Stephen Butzloff's life began with betrayal. After his mother abandoned him at birth, a string of horrors followed. He spent his first year in an orphanage where the sterile hallways echoed with the cries of neglected infants. Adopted into a home defined by cruelty rather than love, Stephen's childhood was a gauntlet of abuse. Military school promised discipline but delivered more abuse. In a daring escape, Stephen flew out of the cuckoo's nest when committed to a psychiatric hospital. Running from his past, a lifelong pattern, Stephen joined the carnies.

His resilience was stronger than the pain within. Stephen climbed from the depths, finding purpose in hard work and a fierce talent for boxing. In the ring and in life, he adeptly fought his way to victory. Against all odds, he built a successful life.

When his adoptive father took his own life, Stephen inherited a small fortune. Yet, no amount of money can erase the atrocities of his childhood. Even as he stands tall, a champion in life, he bears the weight of his pain, overcomes it, but never truly forgets. He hid the scars until now, but he's finally ready to tell his story.

Breaking the Mask is a harrowing yet inspirational tale of survival, perseverance, and the unbreakable human spirit. It's a testament to the scars that shape us and the resilience that defines us.