HE was looking for someone who could put up with his drunken temper tantrums where he'd break things, and he sniffed me out pretty quickly.
I'm not trying to nit pick you personally because my post is really about me, not you at all.
This sentence just jumped off the page at me because for a long time I felt like because I 'could' put up with it, I was a strong person. Stronger then some. That was really a trick of my own mind, to justify/deny reality/not take responsibility or something. I have made myself switch that could for would.
Could put up with it, to me, gave me some kind of bonus for being there. That was such a wrong way for me to think for personal reasons. (I'm trying not to imply the word choice has similar connotations for you because I don't think that.) I got no bonuses, medals, extra kudo's, or anything positive at all because I
could put up with it. I was playing a martyr. I *would* put up with it. Why?! That gave me something different to think about. That placed responsibility for my life on me. It was a very important switch for me.