Advertise on podcast: You Probably Think This Story’s About You

Our stories rarely unfold the way we expect. In the first eight chapters, Brittani Ard uncovered something about herself she never expected: the most powerful weapon she had was her own voice. It wasn’t just a tool for healing — it was a force strong enough to confront her past and rewrite her future. But that discovery came at a cost. Retracing Kanon’s steps wasn’t just heartbreaking, it was a journey through pain, betrayal, and revelations since childhood that she wasn’t prepared to face. Yet, amidst the wreckage of chasing a love that was never meant to be, Brittani found something even more extraordinary — true love, waiting in the most unexpected place. Season 2 isn’t just about Brittani’s story. It’s about what happens when you refuse to be a victim of your own narrative. When you step into the raw, unfiltered truth of who you are and decide to own it. It turns out vulnerability isn’t a weakness. It’s where courage collides with strength, and where the most surprising chapters of life begin to take shape. *Some names and details have been changed to conceal the identities of those who wish to remain anonymous.    All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  ___ RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Helpline https://rainn.org/about-rainn   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com   Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode references domestic violence and other mature themes. [Lou’s Story Part 1/3] Lou's story isn’t just about survival—it’s a battle cry of reclamation. In this chapter she unravels the deeply personal account of her entanglement with John, her manipulative and abusive ex-boyfriend. The emotional wounds of their relationship left scars that refused to fade, but it was the unexpected moment of seeing him again years later that pulled her back into the shadows of her past. As the trauma resurfaced, Lou found herself grappling with questions she thought she had buried. In retracing the steps of her formative years and confronting the weight of generational trauma, Lou begins to piece together a path toward recovery. But healing isn’t a straight line — it’s a labyrinth of pain, resilience, and startling realizations that could change everything.   All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  ___ RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Helpline https://rainn.org/about-rainn   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com   Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode references domestic violence and other mature themes. [Lou’s Story Part 2/3] Lou is searching for a photograph of John — but it’s not just a picture she’s after. Beneath the surface of one man’s destruction lies a tangled web of resilience and buried truths waiting to be uncovered. In this chapter layers of manipulation are stripped away, exposing the hauntingly intertwined lives of Eve and Lou —two women forever linked by their shared past with John. As their stories unfold, they confront the ripple effects of trauma, the sinister disguises of control, and the power of reclaiming what was never his to take. From pregnancies to escapes, from shattered illusions to hard-fought reckonings, Lou and Eve retrace their paths, confronting the past as they piece together their present. Each revelation brings them closer to understanding not only John’s shadow over their lives, but the strength they’ve found in breaking free from it.   All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  ___ RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Helpline https://rainn.org/about-rainn   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com   Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode references domestic violence and other mature themes. [Lou’s Story Part 3/3] Two women, bound by a shared history of manipulation and abuse. What started as Lou’s solitary search for a single photograph spiraled into an unexpected connection with Eve —another woman ensnared by the same dark past. Together, they began to unearth what had long been buried, but the truth is rarely kind, and it only reveals itself when you’re ready to face what lies beneath. Piece by painful piece, Lou and Eve began reclaiming their stories, finding strength in the solidarity of their shared resilience. But the funny thing about diving into your past is you don’t know how much weight you’re going to have to shed before you can come up for air. All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  ___ RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Helpline https://rainn.org/about-rainn   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com   Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode references to sexual assault and other mature themes. The chapters we fear the most often hold the keys to our liberation. For Brittani, confronting the sexual assault she endured at 13 was not just a reckoning—it was a battle for her own voice. Her journey was anything but straightforward, winding through years of suppressed memories, silent struggles, and an internal war she fought alone. For 14 years, Brittani carried the weight of her silence, hiding behind walls that had protected her for so long. But when she finally began therapy and shared her story with her loved ones, those walls started to crumble. Piece by piece, she dismantled the silence that had held her captive, discovering a resilience she hadn’t known was there. Now, Brittani isn’t just surviving her past, she’s facing it head-on, reclaiming her power, and rewriting her future. All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  ___ RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Helpline https://rainn.org/about-rainn   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com   Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[Cash’s Story Part 1/2] Cash’s journey through foster care is a tale of survival in a system full of harsh realities. Torn from her home and separated from her siblings, she was thrust into a world of uncertain foster placements, each one a new battle with its own dark challenges. In a system that seemed indifferent to her pain, Cash fought back with resilience—finding success in school and finally forming a meaningful bond with her adoptive mom, Wanda. But survival comes at a cost. Now, at 32, Cash stands on the edge of revealing the truth of her childhood—an unflinching look at the system that failed her and the scars it left behind. Will sharing her story bring the closure she seeks, or will it expose even darker truths buried beneath the surface?   All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  ___ Learn more about the CASA Program. Consider supporting One Simple Wish RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Helpline https://rainn.org/about-rainn   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com   Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode references to sexual assault and other mature themes.   [Cash’s Story Part 2/2] Not every foster parent is equipped to navigate the delicate balance of care and control—and not all have the best intentions. Cash returns to the shadowed emotional landscape of the Love family household, hoping to understand the world she survived. What she uncovers, however, is far darker than she expected. Now a mother herself, Cash wades through the murky waters of her past, determined to break the cycles of trauma and be the parent she never had. But confronting the ghosts of her childhood means facing uncomfortable truths about the system that failed her. As she unearths the secrets of her survival, Cash finds the courage to raise her voice—not only to share her harrowing story but to push for real change in the foster care system, speaking out to the very legislative bodies that have ignored children like her for far too long. The deeper Cash digs into her past, the more she realizes: healing and justice come with a price, and some battles are far from over.   All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  Learn more about the CASA Program. Consider supporting One Simple Wish RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Helpline https://rainn.org/about-rainn   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com   Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[Gina’s Story Part 1/3]   In this chapter, we follow Gina on her journey from a self-described "passive participant" to someone actively choosing her path. After a decade of comfortable numbness in her marriage, the universe delivered three seismic shifts: a divorce, a job loss, and the sale of her house. At 42, Gina found herself at a major crossroads as she tried to settle into a new apartment with three dogs. But as Gina learns to embrace the chaos and say "yes" to life, an old flame from Colorado starts flickering in her feed. Sometimes, against our better judgment, we can't help but look back. Gina's story isn't just about transformation—it's a testament to what happens when life tries to force your hand, and you decide to take the wheel instead. All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[Gina’s Story Part 2/3] How often do our exes actually go to therapy and what stars have to align to bring two people back together? In this chapter, we trace back through the wreckage of their first love to understand why everyone warned Gina not to reach out to Viv. As they each unpack their past and 1000 miles apart - from electric beginnings to devastating endings. Viv had finally found peace in solitude. Gina had found her groove. But one Facebook message changes the rest of their lives. All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors

[Gina’s Story Part 3/3]   Twenty years after their first romance imploded, Gina and Viv cautiously rebuild—this time with intention rather than impulse. What begins as innocent daily check-ins quickly intensifies, compelling Gina to clear her dating roster and fly to Colorado. As they navigate their reunion with careful boundaries, both discover they've grown into exactly who they needed to become. The transformation radiates beyond their relationship, as those closest to Gina watch her rebuild a life true to herself. Their evolving connection offers a glimpse into what's possible when two people return to each other with newfound emotional tools and the courage to try again.   All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd Share your story with Brittani. Production of BDE Unlimited Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This isn’t your typical true crime story. Brittani Ard steps back into the shadowy labyrinth of memories, scars, and fragile ties that bind us to our past. Where wounds still ache and the bonds of connection blur between salvation and entrapment. After revealing her own story in the first 8 chapters, she’s pulling at the threads of the past—threads so delicate they threaten to unravel everything. This time, it’s not just her story. It’s the stories of others whose lives intertwine with hers in ways no one could have predicted. A woman searches for a photograph of her abusive ex, but the picture holds more than just memories. A foster youth exchanges black trash bags for a voice that refuses to be silenced anymore, revealing a haunting past that demands to be heard. And a story of rekindled love, as strength and vulnerability collide to reveal what was always meant to be. You Probably Think This Story’s About You is raw, haunting, and achingly human—a tapestry of messy, beautiful lessons stitched together by the lives we touch and the stories we share. The secrets we carried no longer have power over us. BDE Unlimited Productions __________ *Some names and details have been changed to conceal the identities of those who wish to remain anonymous.    Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988  https://www.988lifeline.org Childhelp Call or Text 800.422.4453  https://www.childhelphotline.org/ National Drug Helpline call 844.289.0879 https://www.drughelpline.org/ National Domestic Violence Hotline  www.thehotline.com HelpGuide  Narcissist Abuse Resource https://www.helpguide.org/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even as I type this - I don't know if I want to release this audio. It is very raw. I can't really explain, but I guess even after all I have shared, this is a moment in my life filled with so much joy that has become a memory reminding me how fleeting it can be. The ending is my favorite part, thanks Anna. This is a epilogue to Season 1 and a prologue to Season 2. Thank you so much for supporting the show. I really want to keep sharing stories and you make that possible. Let me know your thoughts on this one. Share your story or comments with Brittani at www.brittaniard.com Production of BDE Unlimited