Have you ever had a really big vision of doing something, and then the way it turned out was actually very different from what you had planned? I think this is almost universal for us as humans. Think back to when you were a teenager. You probably had some ideas about becoming an adult and what that would look like. What kind of career you might have, or not. Finding a partner if you wanted one. Thinking about being a parent, or not having kids at all. A lot of young people have this vision of how they think their life is going to play out. And at that age, we don’t really have enough experience to know that those things almost never actually play out exactly as you expect them to. I mean, just by listening to the guests that I talk to here on the podcast, we know that things happen that we never would have imagined – and life can take a completely different path. My guest today is Mae. In high school, she had her life planned out. She had already met and was in love with her life partner, and they were going to get married as soon as they could, and they were going to have children, and live happily ever after. That’s not what happened. This episode has a content warning for domestic abuse and graphic sexual violence, because the fairy tale life Mae had planned gradually turned into a nightmare. Until she finally decided that she’d had enough. Resources: Crisis Center brochure (Castle Rock, CO):https://whatwasthatlike.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Crisis-Center-Brochure.pdf Domestic violence safety planning:https://whatwasthatlike.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Domestic-Violence-Safety-Planning.pdf How does domestic violence affect kids?https://whatwasthatlike.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/How-Does-Domestic-Violence-Affect-Kids.pdf Keeping your children safe:https://whatwasthatlike.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Keeping-Your-Children-Safe.pdf The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.7233 National Resource Center for Domestic Violence: 1.844.762.8483 Local in Colorado: Rose Andom Center: 720.337.4400 Local in Colorado: Porch Light: 720.853.8850 Local in Colorado: Gateway Domestic Violence Services: 303.343.1851 Location in Colorado: SafeHouse Denver: 303.318.9989 If you’d like to contact Mae: email: MaeScottOfficial@gmail.com Mae’s website: https://MaeScottOfficial.com Mae’s book, An Embarrassment of Pandas: Exposing an Abusive Family and a Flawed System, is available here:https://www.amazon.com/Embarrassment-Pandas-Exposing-Abusive-Family/dp/B0G548WTHP Her FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577182454783 Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maescottofficial/ Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here: https://WhatWasThatLike.com/257 Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai. Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well) Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS. Try What Was That Like PLUS free: iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free” Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app Sponsor deals: Visit www.functionhealth.com/WHATWAS or use gift code WHATWAS25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off. If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up. Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices