It was my ex. Everyone thought of him as charming, the boy next door. That he could do no wrong.
I wish it wasn’t past the statute of limitations because I have learned to be brave. I would want to only stand up to stop him from doing what he did to me, to others.
He forced himself on me after I said no. He would use my body whenever he wanted. I was too scared and ashamed to tell anyone. I thought no one would believe me because he was my boyfriend.
I hate myself for being weak and for ever trusting him. He broke me.
— Survivor, age 24
Dear survivor – thank you so much for sharing your story here. You were not weak and you are not broken. You said no – that’s all it takes to make him WRONG for doing what he did to you. But I won’t deny that you might feel broken and I think that’s totally normal. I would encourage you to talk to a therapist about what you’re feeling. It can be really hard to want to press charges and be up against the statute of limitations and those emotions are really complex. I would also encourage you to think about sharing with a friend or a family member you trust. You deserve to be believed and supported and there are people out there who can do that. Remember, you don’t have to tell everything right away – you are in control of your story. I believe you and I know you can heal from this. Love, Alexis