The path from abuse to empowerment…this title doesn’t quite do justice to this story; but it’s a good start. Victoria Ellen IS a survivor! But even more that, she is a powerhouse. She married a man who wasn’t at all what he seemed. What started out as a loving, encouraging and pretty wonderful marriage turned into what was, in reality, a textbook example of the cycle of domestic violence. Victoria’s husband started showing his true self: a controlling, power-crazed narcissist. He became a pastor. But he used what was supposed to be sacred and honor-filled into manipulative coercion and fear, using his self-perceived spiritual leadership into a tool; a tool of malevolence. The power and control Victoria’s husband wielded manifested with physical assault, rape, and sexual assault. Sadly, Victoria wasn’t the only victim of this man’s assaultive actions. Victoria started seeing the signs of sexual assault coming from her two children. Toddlers. A mother’s worst nightmare. The path of this relationship however, as the title of this episode states, went from abuse to empowerment. Victoria became ferocious in her designs to eliminate this abusive monster from her and her children’s lives. She did it…she left that man. How? That’s where the book she wrote comes in. Painting in the Rain: A True Story of Trickery and Triumph, tells the incredible story. Here's the link to Victoria’s website; be sure to check it out! And here’s the link to go directly to Amazon to buy her book! Which you should do, if you want my opinion! Thank you for being a SASS listener. Please subscribe to the show, then give it a five-star rating. This helps in the grand scheme of algorithms to increase the opportunity of more people to know about and listen to this important and powerful podcast. I hope you will also do your part to bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault. You can do that by sharing this episode with others, and that when you listen to others tell their story of rape or sexual assault, you’ll Start by Believing. Also, please follow the Instagram page of sexualassaultsurvivorstories. It also helps the show grow, which is what I hope to accomplish to help lessen the prevalence of rape and sexual assault, as well as the prevalence of rape culture that surrounds us all. It only takes a minute, and I truly appreciate your support. And as always, listed below are some additional important and meaningful websites I hope you’ll take a look at and learn about. Thanks again for listening!