Brittani and Cash, season two guest who shared her personal story of foster care, catch up on the wake Cash’s story has made in her own life. Cash discusses the impact of sharing her narrative, the feedback received from her adopted family, and the importance of framing traumatic experiences in an empowering way.

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Andrea Dunlop, creator of "Nobody Should Believe Me," joins Brittani for an intimate studio conversation about the reality behind podcast success and the bumps along the way. Together, they pull back the curtain on their creative processes, share hard-won insights from their journeys, and reveal exclusive details about their upcoming projects.

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Over 390,000 children are in the foster care system.  Each one needs someone to advocate for them. Brit has been a volunteer for the King County CASA program for almost 10 years and she believes that we need to make sure all children can grow up safe and loved.

This is a special episode that is part of Podcasthon March 15th-21st – a global collaboration with over 1600 podcasters using their platform to share with you a charity or organization that is important to them. Check out their website to see the other shows releasing episodes this week. https://podcasthon.org/

If you want to volunteer or support the CASA program in your area please check out the National CASA GAL Association: https://nationalcasagal.org/

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[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

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[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

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[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

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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/

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[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.

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

Season 2 will resume next week, in the meantime enjoy this episode from lovelustfear!

All chapters are available ad free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/BrittaniArd

Share your story with Brittani.

Sponsor information at https://brittaniard.com/sponsors 

____

lovelustfear | emma | you should be scared

Emma seeks comfort in the arms of a former client whose initial charm and good looks give way to his darker traits, trapping her in escalating emotional turmoil and abuse.

music | sounds

Music (CC BY 4.0): Lost Place Atmospheres (001 & 002) by Sascha Ende Very Low Note by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Other Music and Sound Effects by Franco Gonzalez, Cybercutie, Geoffrey Harvey, Syouki Takahashi, Timothy Kulig, Pixabay, Samuel F. Johanns, and UNIVERSFIELD from Pixabay

Spacetime by Mountaineer

stay aware | follow | share (emma)

Kimberly Weeks https://www.thenarcissisticabusecoach.com/

National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7/365)

Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

Text: START to 88788 https://www.thehotline.org/ https://www.facebook.com/NationalDomesticViolenceHotline https://www.instagram.com/NDVHofficial/

story submission information

If you would like to consider being a guest on lovelustfear or would like your story featured anonymously, please contact us below.

submission link | https://lovelustfear.aidaform.com/lovelustfear

E-mail | lovelustfearpod@gmail.com Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lovelustfearpod/

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Season 2 is currently in production! While we put the finishing touches on upcoming episodes, we're excited to share something special: the first episode of The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi.

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The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi–Episode 1: GenesisIn 1978, Pope John Paul I was found dead in his bed just 33 days after he was elected. The official story is that he suffered a fatal heart attack. But in the years since his death, some have claimed he was murdered to cover up crimes in the Vatican. The question of the Pope’s death has never been definitively answered, but there is one man who claims to know the truth. A man from one of NewYork City’s crime families who has deep ties to the Italian mafia. He was there the day of the Pope’s death and witnessed his murder firsthand. Or, at least, that’s what he says. His name is Anthony Raimondi, and these are his confessions.

From USG Audio and Truth Media in association with Clockwork Films.

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