Rihanna.... Chris Brown Was a 'Wake-Up Call'

Ex-Boy friendChris Brown
 Rihanna opens up about her time with Chris Brown, saying he was a "wake-up call."

"God has a crazy way of working, and sometimes when stuff happens you feel like, 'What did I do to deserve this?' Why was it backfiring on me?'" says Rihanna, who graces the magazine's December cover. "But I needed that wake-up call in my life. I needed a turning point, and that's what God was giving to me."

After a violent incident on the night of the 2009 Grammy Awards, Chris Brown eventually pled guilty to assault. He was sentenced to more than 1,400 hours of community service, and will serve five years probation.

Rihanna recalls knowing that their relationship was over. "I remember I was in New York at the Trump Hotel and I woke up and I just knew I was over it. It was a different day. I felt different. I didn't feel lonely. I felt like I wanted to get up and be in the world. That was a great, great feeling.

Other people notice a difference in her as well. "I feel like I smile for real this time. The smiles come from inside, and it exudes in everything I do," she says. "People feel my energy is different. When I smile they can tell that it's pure bliss and not just a cover up."