A MOTHER feared missing after going to Tunisia to divorce her husband has exclusively told The Argus that she is fine and staying married.

Melissa Everest’s family has been trying to speak to her after the 40-year-old flew from to Tunisia to divorce Adem Brins Harrabi, 23, on July 6 and failed to return home on July 14 as planned.

After the mother of two from Lancing went off the radar, her family grew increasingly concerned.

But Melissa has told The Argus Mr Harrabi went to the airport and as her husband in Tunisia he had the right to stop her flying, so she decided to stay in case she was arrested. She said she then found out he had not been with anybody else and they have made up.

She said: “For 24 hours I was really angry with him then he started showing me receipts from women sending him money and how he had blocked them so it had stopped.

“I found out he was actually telling the truth when he said he was not going out and doing things.”

She said she is now planning to come home to see her sons Ethan, 16, and Nico, 12.

After her mobile phone went dead, Sussex Police, the National Crime Agency, the Foreign Office and Tunisian authorities became involved in the case.

Local police said that they had located her and she was fine.

“I never abandoned my children and I never would; I’ve got a life in England and I’m coming back,” she told The Argus.

Addressing fears she may have been harmed, she said she had lied about her husband shoving her more than a year ago when she wanted to make an excuse up for separating. “Adem would never hurt me,” she said.

Mr Harrabi said: “I’ve not been with anybody else.”