You heard Mercedes tell her story in His Dream, Her Nightmare.

Now we’re breaking down what was actually happening underneath it.

In this episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell, Krystle and Sunshine step into The Manipulation Whisperer to identify the tactics woven throughout Mercedes’ relationship and this one is unlike anything we’ve broken down before.

Because Mercedes wasn’t just being lied to.

Her reality was being manufactured.

Fake stalkers. Paranormal stories. Missing animals. Fake emergencies. Random messages. Mysterious packages. Accusations. Sleep deprivation. Isolation. Fear.

Individually, these things seemed confusing.

Together, they created an environment where Mercedes eventually stopped trusting her own perception and began relying on his version of reality instead.

We break down how love bombing and future faking pulled her in, how fear and exhaustion kept her confused, how triangulation created outside “proof,” how coercive control slowly removed her independence, and how intermittent reinforcement made the same person creating the fear feel like her only source of safety.

We also talk about DARVO, projection, financial control, trauma bonding, hoovering, isolation, communication control, intimidation, boundary testing, smear campaigns, and the nervous-system impact that can remain long after someone leaves.

Because manipulation doesn’t always convince you to believe one giant lie.

Sometimes it slowly teaches you to stop trusting your own truth.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode discusses:

Domestic violence
Psychological & emotional abuse
Coercive control
Gaslighting & manipulation
Religious conditioning
Sleep deprivation
Stalking and surveillance
Animal abuse
Financial abuse
Threats and intimidation
Trauma bonding
Custody and protective orders

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Disclaimer

Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a survivor-led podcast created for education, awareness, and healing. We discuss manipulation tactics and behavioral patterns—not diagnoses.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice.

Manipulation Tactics We Break Down

01:08 – The Manufactured Reality
05:00 – Love Bombing & Future Faking
10:00 – Childhood Conditioning & Learning to Stay Quiet
15:00 – Early Red Flags & Boundary Testing
20:00 – Creating Fear Through a Manufactured Reality
25:00 – Sleep Deprivation, Paranoia & Hypervigilance
30:00 – Triangulation & Projection
34:00 – DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender
38:00 – Isolation & Coercive Control
42:00 – Financial & Communication Control
46:00 – Trauma Bonding & Intermittent Reinforcement
50:00 – Escape, Hoovering & Protective Orders
54:00 – Smear Campaigns & Continued Control
57:52 – Final Thoughts

💛 If you listened to Mercedes’ story and wondered, “How could someone possibly make another person believe all of this?”—this is the episode you need to hear.

The answer isn’t one manipulation tactic.

It’s what happens when dozens of them work together.

Once you learn to recognize the pattern, the manipulation begins to lose its power.

Next week: We introduce you to Callie and a story spanning decades of extreme abuse and survival.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 sunshinefayemedia.com

This episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a little different, but it might be one of the most important conversations we’ve had.

We sit down with Joe Tuia’ana, founder of the I Love You Bro Project, to talk about men’s mental health, suicide prevention, addiction, loneliness, connection, and what men actually need when they’re struggling.

Joe shares the moment that changed the direction of his life: an encounter with a man named Aaron on an overpass that began with four simple words — “I love you, bro.”

What happened that day eventually became the I Love You Bro Project and a growing network of support groups built to give men something many of them are missing: a safe place to show up, connect, be vulnerable, and realize they aren’t carrying everything alone.

We also talk about what Joe has learned from thousands of conversations and surveys with men, why trying to “fix” someone isn’t always helpful, how women can better support the men in their lives, and why simply being present can sometimes mean more than finding the perfect thing to say.

And when Joe answers the question we ask every guest — what would you tell yourself at your lowest point? — his answer brings the entire conversation full circle.

⚠️ This episode discusses suicide, suicidal ideation, addiction, alcoholism, trauma, and mental health struggles.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988.

I LOVE YOU BRO PROJECT

Website:
https://www.iloveyoubroproject.org

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/iloveyoubroproject

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/iloveyoubroproject

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@iloveyoubroPROJECT

Sunshine Faye ☀️

In Part 2 of Mercedes’ story on Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell, the reality she had been living in finally begins to crack.

After nearly two years of being told she was the abusive one, Mercedes started questioning what she knew to be true.

One Google search changed everything.

She began reading about abuse expecting to recognize herself as the problem. Instead, she recognized him.

Mercedes contacted domestic violence resources, packed what she could, took her daughter, and left for a shelter.

But leaving didn’t mean the control ended.

Within hours, the man she had escaped found her at the shelter.

What followed were protective orders, threats, continued messages, changing stories, court battles, custody issues, financial consequences, and years of trying to create safety while still being legally connected to the person she escaped.

Mercedes also shares the reality survivors don’t always hear enough about:

Sometimes leaving is only the beginning.

Healing can mean learning that every message isn’t an emergency. It can mean setting boundaries you never thought you’d need. It can mean recognizing what your body remembers even when your mind knows you’re safe.

And sometimes healing means finally understanding:

You can have compassion for why someone became who they are without allowing their behavior to continue hurting you.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode contains discussions of:

Domestic violence
Emotional & psychological abuse
Coercive control
Gaslighting & manipulation
Stalking and harassment
Threats of suicide
Protective orders
Custody and divorce
Child-related threats
Trauma and PTSD
Anxiety and mental health
Therapy and healing

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Disclaimer

Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a survivor-led podcast created to educate, raise awareness, and encourage healing. The experiences shared reflect one individual’s personal story and should not be used to diagnose yourself or others.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice. If you are experiencing abuse or are in crisis, please seek support from a qualified professional or local emergency services.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Welcome Back & Part 1 Recap
05:00 – The moment Mercedes questioned her reality
08:00 – Realizing she might not be the abuser
12:00 – Calling domestic violence resources
15:00 – Packing the car & deciding to leave
18:00 – Arriving at the shelter
21:00 – He finds her
24:00 – Protective orders & continued contact
28:00 – The “stalker” story begins unraveling
34:00 – Saying “no” & watching the switch flip
39:00 – Court, protective orders & custody
45:00 – Years of continued control
50:00 – Divorce, parenting & protecting her daughter
55:00 – Trauma stored in the body
57:00 – What healing looks like now
1:00:41 – Final Thoughts

💛 If Mercedes’ story resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear it.

Leaving an abusive relationship isn’t always the end of the story. Sometimes it’s the beginning of learning how to trust yourself again.

Next week: Krystle and Sunshine break Mercedes’ story down in The Manipulation Whisperer episode, identifying the manipulation tactics hiding underneath everything you just heard.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 sunshinefayemedia.com

In this episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell, Mercedes shares what it
In this episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell, Mercedes shares what it was like to slowly lose trust in her own reality inside a relationship built on manipulation, fear, isolation, and psychological control.

Mercedes didn’t know she was being abused.

She believed she was the problem. She believed she was causing the chaos. And little by little, the reality being created around her became the only reality she knew.

What began as a relationship quickly became a world filled with accusations, mysterious text messages, a supposed stalker, paranormal experiences, unexplained packages, missing pets, threats, isolation, and constant accusations of cheating.

Mercedes also shares how religious expectations and not having healthy relationship examples made it even harder to recognize what was happening.

As the relationship progressed, the control intensified—psychological abuse, attempted strangulation, isolation from family and friends, threats involving her daughter, animal abuse, and a constant rewriting of reality that left her questioning herself instead of the person hurting her.

This is Part 1 of Mercedes’ story.

Sometimes abuse happens so slowly that you don’t realize your reality has changed until you no longer recognize yourself.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode contains discussions of:

Domestic violence
Attempted strangulation
Emotional and psychological abuse
Coercive control
Gaslighting and manipulation
Religious trauma
Isolation
Stalking and harassment
Animal abuse
Pregnancy and birth
Threats involving a child
Depression and anxiety

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Disclaimer

Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a survivor-led podcast created to educate, raise awareness, and encourage healing. The experiences shared reflect one individual’s personal story and should not be used to diagnose yourself or others.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice. If you are experiencing abuse or are in crisis, please seek support from a qualified professional or local emergency services.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Introduction & Trigger Warning
01:13 – Meet Mercedes
04:00 – Life before the relationship
07:00 – Meeting him & the first warning signs
12:00 – Reconnecting & ending her engagement
16:00 – The proposal & moving in together
19:00 – Strange messages & a changing reality
23:00 – Paranormal experiences, fear & sleep deprivation
27:00 – Marriage, COVID & escalating control
31:00 – When the violence became physical
35:00 – The “stalker,” random numbers & paranoia
40:00 – Isolation, gaslighting & questioning herself
45:00 – Pregnancy & psychological abuse
49:00 – Packages, fraud & explicit messages
53:00 – Missing pets & animal abuse
57:00 – Isolation, accusations & being tested
1:00:00 – Giving birth while essentially alone
1:04:44 – Final thoughts & what comes next

💛 If Mercedes’ story resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. Every conversation helps break the silence surrounding abuse and manipulation.

Next week, Mercedes returns for Part 2 to share what happened when the reality she had been living in finally began to unravel—and what it took to escape.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 sunshinefayemedia.com

In this episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell, Mercedes shares what it was like to slowly lose trust in her own reality inside a relationship built on manipulation, fear, isolation, and psychological control.

Mercedes didn’t know she was being abused.

She believed she was the problem. She believed she was causing the chaos. And little by little, the reality being created around her became the only reality she knew.

What began as a relationship quickly became a world filled with accusations, mysterious text messages, a supposed stalker, paranormal experiences, unexplained packages, missing pets, threats, isolation, and constant accusations of cheating.

Mercedes also shares how religious expectations and not having healthy relationship examples made it even harder to recognize what was happening.

As the relationship progressed, the control intensified—psychological abuse, attempted strangulation, isolation from family and friends, threats involving her daughter, animal abuse, and a constant rewriting of reality that left her questioning herself instead of the person hurting her.

This is Part 1 of Mercedes’ story.

Sometimes abuse happens so slowly that you don’t realize your reality has changed until you no longer recognize yourself.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode contains discussions of:

Domestic violence
Attempted strangulation
Emotional and psychological abuse
Coercive control
Gaslighting and manipulation
Religious trauma
Isolation
Stalking and harassment
Animal abuse
Pregnancy and birth
Threats involving a child
Depression and anxiety

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Disclaimer

Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a survivor-led podcast created to educate, raise awareness, and encourage healing. The experiences shared reflect one individual’s personal story and should not be used to diagnose yourself or others.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice. If you are experiencing abuse or are in crisis, please seek support from a qualified professional or local emergency services.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Introduction & Trigger Warning
01:13 – Meet Mercedes
04:00 – Life before the relationship
07:00 – Meeting him & the first warning signs
12:00 – Reconnecting & ending her engagement
16:00 – The proposal & moving in together
19:00 – Strange messages & a changing reality
23:00 – Paranormal experiences, fear & sleep deprivation
27:00 – Marriage, COVID & escalating control
31:00 – When the violence became physical
35:00 – The “stalker,” random numbers & paranoia
40:00 – Isolation, gaslighting & questioning herself
45:00 – Pregnancy & psychological abuse
49:00 – Packages, fraud & explicit messages
53:00 – Missing pets & animal abuse
57:00 – Isolation, accusations & being tested
1:00:00 – Giving birth while essentially alone
1:04:44 – Final thoughts & what comes next

💛 If Mercedes’ story resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. Every conversation helps break the silence surrounding abuse and manipulation.

Next week, Mercedes returns for Part 2 to share what happened when the reality she had been living in finally began to unravel—and what it took to escape.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 sunshinefayemedia.com

After hearing Devin's powerful survivor story, we take a step back to examine the manipulation hiding beneath the surface.

In this episode of Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell: Manipulation Whisper, we break down the psychological tactics that shaped Devin's childhood and followed him into adulthood. Together, we explore how financial control, moving the goalposts, parentification, silent treatment, triangulation, emotional neglect, unpredictable parenting, and chronic guilt quietly teach children to become caretakers, people-pleasers, and adults who struggle to believe they're enough.

One of the most powerful moments comes when Devin unknowingly reveals the wound he carried for yearsand how a simple two-word answer, "Good job," says more about healing than he probably realizes.

This episode isn't about blaming parents or assigning labels. It's about giving language to experiences many survivors have lived but never understood. Because once you can recognize the pattern, you can begin to break it.

Whether you're healing from childhood emotional abuse, trying to understand why you constantly put everyone else first, or supporting someone on their healing journey, this conversation offers insight, validation, and hope.

This episode contains discussions of:

• Emotional abuse
• Childhood trauma
• Parentification
• Manipulation tactics
• Silent treatment
• Financial control
• Family dysfunction
• Emotional neglect
• Military deployment and family separation
• Hypervigilance
• Mental health and healing

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Manipulation Whisper is an educational companion series within Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell. The purpose of these episodes is to help listeners understand common manipulation tactics and trauma responses through real survivor stories.

This discussion reflects our interpretations of the experiences shared by our guest and is intended for education and awareness, not to diagnose individuals or replace professional medical, psychological, or legal advice.

00:00 – Introduction & Why This Breakdown Matters
01:10 – Why the Camaro Story Says So Much
04:30 – Why Survivors Minimize Their Own Abuse
08:45 – People-Pleasing, Caretaking & Feeling Like a Burden
13:20 – Financial Control & Moving the Goalposts
18:15 – Walking on Eggshells & Hypervigilance
22:40 – Parentification & Emotional Responsibility
27:15 – Confabulation, Wedding Chaos & Attention Seeking
31:30 – Isolation, Silent Treatment & Boundary Punishment
35:45 – The Role of Healthy Attachment
38:30 – "Maybe She Did..." The Aha Moment
40:10 – Why "Good Job" Was the Most Powerful Answer

💛 If this episode helped put words to something you've experienced, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need it. Every conversation helps survivors understand that what they experienced wasn't "normal"—and that healing is possible.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 https://sunshinefayemedia.com

In this episode of Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell, Devin shares what it was like growing up in a home where emotional control, silent treatment, guilt, and manipulation shaped his childhood. Looking back as an adult, he begins connecting the dots between those early experiences and the way they influenced his relationships, self-worth, boundaries, and parenting.

Together, we explore childhood conditioning, people-pleasing, hypervigilance, emotional neglect, therapy, meditation, and the courage it takes to break generational cycles. Devin's story is an honest reminder that healing isn't about pretending the past didn't happen—it's about understanding it so it no longer controls your future.

Whether you're healing from childhood trauma yourself or trying to better understand someone who is, we hope this conversation reminds you that you're not alone.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode contains discussions of:

• Emotional abuse
• Childhood trauma
• Family dysfunction
• Manipulation
• Silent treatment
• Emotional neglect
• Divorce
• Alcoholism
• Military deployment and combat-related trauma
• Mental health
• Therapy and healing

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Disclaimer

Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell is a survivor-led podcast created to educate, raise awareness, and encourage healing. The experiences shared in this episode reflect one individual's personal story and should not be used to diagnose yourself or others.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice. If you are experiencing abuse or are in crisis, please seek support from a qualified professional or local emergency services.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Introduction & Trigger Warning
01:35 – Meet Devin
08:30 – Growing up in a controlling household
18:40 – Divorce, manipulation & childhood memories
28:10 – Being kicked out at fifteen
39:00 – Gifts, control & conditional love
50:30 – Learning to recognize manipulation
58:45 – Family dynamics & sister's wedding
1:07:30 – Silent treatment & walking on eggshells
1:15:00 – Therapy, meditation & healing
1:23:00 – Parenting differently & breaking generational cycles
1:30:00 – Relationships, boundaries & being alone
1:37:30 – What he'd tell his younger self
1:41:00 – Final thoughts & hope for survivors

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. Every conversation helps break the silence surrounding emotional abuse and healing.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 https://sunshinefayemedia.com

In this episode of Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell: Manipulation Whisper, we step back from Randin's survivor story to examine the manipulation hiding beneath the surface.

Together, we break down the psychological tactics that kept her trapped in a cycle of abuse, addiction, and self-doubt. We explore love bombing, future faking, gaslighting, blame shifting, projection, DARVO, JADE, FOG, triangulation, coercive control, financial exploitation, intermittent reinforcement, trauma bonding, emotional blackmail, hypervigilance, and the slow conditioning that made unhealthy feel normal.

One of the most powerful moments comes when Randin shares the advice she would give her younger self: "Don't listen to yourself." Not because her intuition was wrong, but because years of trauma, addiction, and manipulation had distorted the way she spoke to herself. That realization becomes a powerful conversation about gratitude, self-talk, rewiring the brain, and learning to replace shame with compassion.

This episode isn't about assigning blame or pretending survivors are perfect. It's about understanding how manipulation changes the way we think, why leaving is rarely as simple as walking away, and how accountability and healing can exist together.

Whether you're healing from an abusive relationship, struggling with the aftermath of addiction, or trying to understand why you stayed longer than you wanted to, we hope this conversation reminds you that you're not broken

you were manipulated.

And once you can recognize the pattern, you can begin to break it.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode contains discussions of:

• Domestic violence
• Emotional abuse
• Manipulation tactics
• Gaslighting
• Trauma bonding
• Strangulation
• Addiction and recovery
• Infidelity
• Financial exploitation
• Coercive control
• Emotional blackmail
• Hypervigilance
• Mental health
• Grief and healing

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Disclaimer

Manipulation Whisper is an educational companion series within Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell.

These episodes explore common manipulation tactics and trauma responses through real survivor stories to educate, raise awareness, and encourage healing.

The perspectives shared reflect our interpretation of the experiences described by our guest and are intended for educational purposes only. They should not be used to diagnose yourself or others and are not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Introduction & Why This Breakdown Matters
01:22 – Love Bombing & Future Faking
07:15 – Gaslighting, Blame Shifting & Projection
13:10 – DARVO, JADE & FOG
22:45 – Triangulation & Emotional Blackmail
30:10 – Financial Exploitation & Coercive Control
38:30 – Hypervigilance, Intermittent Reinforcement & Trauma Bonds
43:50 – Accountability vs. Abuse
46:00 – "Don't Listen to Yourself" & Rewiring Your Inner Voice

💛 If this episode helped put words to something you've experienced, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. Every conversation helps survivors understand that what they experienced wasn't love

it was manipulation. And healing is always possible.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 https://sunshinefayemedia.com

In this episode of Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell, Randin shares the deeply personal story of the abusive relationship that forever changed her life. From addiction and trauma to love bombing, manipulation, repeated violence, and ultimately becoming the father of her daughter, she opens up about the cycle that kept pulling her back

and what it finally took to break free.

Together, we explore trauma bonding, coercive control, gaslighting, strangulation, addiction, pregnancy, the justice system, recovery, and the complicated grief that comes with losing someone who both loved and harmed you. Randin reflects on the choices she made, the shame she carried, and how healing allowed her to reclaim her life and become the woman she is today.

Whether you've experienced domestic violence, struggled with addiction, or are trying to understand why leaving an abusive relationship isn't as simple as walking away, we hope this conversation reminds you that healing is possible

and that your past does not define your future.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode contains discussions of:

• Domestic violence
• Strangulation
• Trauma bonding
• Love bombing
• Emotional abuse
• Gaslighting and manipulation
• Addiction and substance use
• Pregnancy during abuse
• Incarceration
• Grief and homicide
• Mental health and recovery

Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed.

Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell is a survivor-led podcast created to educate, raise awareness, and encourage healing. The experiences shared in this episode reflect one individual's personal story and should not be used to diagnose yourself or others.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice. If you are experiencing abuse or are in crisis, please seek support from a qualified professional or local emergency services.

00:00 – Introduction & Trigger Warning
01:26 – Meet Randin
08:45 – Love bombing & the beginning of the relationship
20:30 – The first lies, manipulation & betrayal
34:30 – Violence begins to escalate
48:00 – Trauma bonds, addiction & staying stuck
1:05:00 – Pregnancy, strangulation & surviving abuse
1:25:00 – Recovery, rebuilding & becoming a mother
1:40:00 – Steven's death & complicated grief
1:50:00 – What healing looks like today

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. Every conversation helps break the silence surrounding abuse, addiction, and healing.

Connect with Sunshine Faye Media
🌐 https://sunshinefayemedia.com

This conversation breaks down the manipulation, abuse, and survival patterns hidden throughout Gayleen's story. Randin and Krystle explore how childhood boundary violations, grooming, love bombing, surveillance, minimization, intimidation, sexual coercion, trauma bonding, future faking, and fear conditioning shaped Gayleen's beliefs about herself and the relationships she accepted. They also discuss the fixer trap, self-worth, boundaries, healing, and the powerful moment Gayleen began seeing herself through a different lens. Through honest conversation, they reveal how manipulation changes not only how survivors see others, but how they see themselves and why naming these tactics is often the first step toward healing.

• Abuse often begins with boundary testing, grooming, and normalization, not physical violence.
• Love bombing, surveillance, minimization, and intimidation are powerful tools of control.
• Trauma bonds are strengthened through intermittent reinforcement and cycles of hope and disappointment.
• Future faking keeps survivors invested in potential rather than reality.
• Self-blame and low self-worth can become internalized long after the abuse ends.
• Being a fixer can keep people trapped in unhealthy relationships for years.
• Boundaries are essential for healing, even when they feel uncomfortable.
• Healing is not linear; it requires self-awareness, honesty, and choosing yourself repeatedly.

00:00 The Manipulation Hidden in Plain Sight
08:12 Grooming, Boundary Testing, and Love Bombing
14:27 Surveillance, Control, and Walking on Eggshells
19:48 Minimization, Intimidation, and Sexual Coercion
25:36 Trauma Bonds and Intermittent Reinforcement
31:18 Future Faking and False Hope
35:42 The Fixer Trap and Self-Sacrifice
42:15 Self-Blame, Worthiness, and Internalized Messages
48:51 Boundaries, Healing, and Choosing Yourself
55:24 Get Up: The Turning Point Toward Recovery