I'm so sorry for what happened to you. I think I understand a little of how unique your situation is. When I married my husband, he had 4 kids. They are all up and grown and he even has grandkids. Except one. One of the boys is..."challenged." This "boy" is over 30 years old!! The rest of his family just know him as "Little" Kenny. No one, not even my husband can understand that this "boy" is not just a "Little" Kenny ! To me this is a grown man, who is not quite "right". Even though I don't think he would ever hurt me--I will never be completely comfortable with him. It took me two years to convince my husband that he could not live with us!
He lives with his mom which happens to be less than a mile from us. So, he is calling my husband 3-4 times a day. He always wants to know when he can come over. He has even walked to our house. When I tell my husband that I don't want him there "all the time", he gets angry at me. No one seems to understand that this is not a child to me - this is a full grown man, who will always be a child inside. Even his size bothers me. I have a hard time with hugs. My family just doesn't do it. Never did. Now I have to hug everyone, in my in-laws family-including Little Kenny. I work a 10 hour day, so I need to come home and rest. I can never be relaxed as long as he is there.
However, I know that this is his son, and I will never turn the boy away when he needs us. I just have to deal with the intense feelings that come over me whenever he comes over. I will always remember that he is not-or to me, will not- ever be in complete control.
I think that when someone who scares me is this kind of different, it just makes them more scary to me, especially an adult.