From Victim to Voice: Help Publish “Survivor’s Mentality” and Push for Change

My name is Payton, and I am a survivor of extreme domestic violence. After being separated from my ex for two years, on October 11th, 2023, he nearly took my life.

He walked seven miles to the home where I was staying.

He cornered me. Told me to “save our family.” Tried to manipulate me into sleeping with him.

When I said no — he attacked me.

He beat me. Strangled me until I lost consciousness.

He raped me.

And when I woke up, he claimed he had been performing “resuscitation,” and that he had a “change of heart”.

He later admitted his original plan was to kill me and steal my car. But instead of letting me go, he tried to convince me to hide what happened — to check into a hotel so no one would find out.

I pretended to agree… he made me drop him off afterwards, and instead, I went straight to a hospital to seek medical attention.

A rape kit confirmed what I already knew: scratches, lesions, trauma.

I was questioned over and over, in different ways, by different people — until they finally arrested him days later.

But the pain didn’t end there.

Ten months leading up to that night, I had already had an active order of protection against him — and he violated it daily.

He sent threatening and sexually explicit messages to me, my mother, and my friends — from new numbers, fake accounts, even through other people.

I reported everything. The court knew. The law knew.

And still — they did nothing.

It took months to issue a warrant. Then a month to arrest him.

Then they released him — with nothing but a monthly court date — and with this newfound “untouchable confidence” given to him by the law, the harassment continued, and just got worse.

Now, even while he’s in jail facing 103 years in charges, the trauma continues:

• He sends letters from jail — to me, to my family, to people I love — filled with constantly evolving lies, sexual comments, manipulation, and character assassination.
• Attorneys recently told me he has “a right to write letters” — and there’s nothing they can do to stop him.
• He asks for continuances every month, dragging this process out — and I’ve been told “the ball is in his court.”
• I’m being forced to watch him abuse the system, just like he abused me.

This is the reality so many survivors face.

My mission is clear:

I’ve written a book — titled

Survivor’s Mentality

(because I will never again wear the name he tried to give me)

Now I need your help to publish it — and to fight for change.

I’m raising funds to:

• Publish and launch my book with a professional team
• Fight legally and publicly to challenge how the system handles domestic violence
• Create a national awareness campaign for survivors’ voices
• Build a platform for men and women impacted by abuse
• Support my children and rebuild our safety
• Advocate for policy reform so stories like mine are no longer ignored until it’s too late
• Most importantly put this man away for as long as possible, as I can apply for a permanent order of protection once he is convicted.

Why it matters:

• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience domestic violence in their lifetime
• A survivor is assaulted every 68 seconds in the U.S.
• Leaving is the most dangerous time for a survivor
• Protective orders often go unenforced, leaving victims to fend for themselves
• The legal system routinely allows abusers to delay justice, exploit gaps, and keep control

This book is not the end of my story — it’s the start of a movement.

📢 I’m not just surviving. I’m fighting.

To be heard. To protect others. To change the law.

To say what too many of us never get to: “You didn’t win. And I won’t be silent.”

Your support will help bring this story to the world — and push for a system that finally protects us when we need it most.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing. Thank you for helping me be more than a survivor — but a force for change.

— Payton

Author of Survivor’s Mentality