In “The Day My Innocence Died,” RJ Fisher survives being held hostage for six hours by an ex-boyfriend, escaping only when he’s distracted, but the aftermath is consuming: fear everywhere, sleepless nights, isolation, and the performance of being “fine” while cracking inside. Six months later, a failed suicide attempt jolts her toward change. She treats panic with a pre-plan and grounding (safe places, feeling the earth), protects her energy, journals and walks, and reframes fear; seeing powerlessness, not the world itself, as the monster. Recognizing cycles of inherited hurt, she pursues purpose working inside the prison system, translating her experience to social change. She still has hard days, but with regulation and meaning, she moves forward inviting readers to feel, honor, and build a legacy from the ashes of heartbreak.