What does it look like to stay in a relationship longer than you should, not because you're naive, but because you're deeply in love and convinced that fighting for it is what you're supposed to do? In this episode, Amy shares her unfiltered story of a relationship that started with intensity, big dreams, and a connection she'd never felt before, and slowly revealed itself to be something far more complicated.

Amy opens up about infidelity, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, panic attacks, and the exhausting cycle of highs and lows that kept her hooked long past the point she should have walked away. She also talks about the healing that came after, including what she learned about herself, why she was targeted, and how she finally found the peace and safety she always deserved.

Amy references Dr. Ramani Durvasula's book It's Not You, published in 2024, as a pivotal part of her healing and understanding of narcissistic abuse. If any part of Amy's story sounds familiar, it's worth adding to your list.

If you have a story you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

Content warnings: Narcissistic abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, infidelity, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, alcohol use, and memory loss as a trauma response.

Lys had learned the truth about Babe and had nothing left. She packed a bag and got on a plane to Bali hoping that some distance and a change of scenery would give her the space she desperately needed to process everything that had happened.

Bali had other plans.

This is the final part of Lys's story. It is raw, it is honest, and it is one of the most powerful conversations this show has ever held.

If you have a story you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

Content warnings: Emotional and psychological abuse, infidelity, betrayal trauma, and coercive control.

The fairytale was still very much intact.

Surprise visits, trips across the world, flowers at the door, and a promise ring on a beach at sunset.

Lys had never felt more certain that she had manifested exactly what she asked for.

Part 2 is where things start to feel just a little bit different.

If you have a story you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

Content warnings: Emotional manipulation and controlling behavior.

Lys had done the work. She'd healed from a marriage that had taken a lot out of her, she was showing up as the best version of herself, and she got clear on exactly what she was looking for in a partner.

The vision was specific. Incredibly specific. And she was okay with the fact that it might never actually happen.

And then it did...

This is Part 1 of Lys's story. And right now, it's a love story.

If you have a story you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

Content warnings: Strong language.

Three years ago today, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and gone in six weeks.

This episode is releasing on April 6th for a reason...it's his anniversary, and this season is for him.

Season 3 of Sex, Lies and Tacos is here, and it looks a little different. This Could Get Messy is coming home to this show, the door is wide open to more than just relationship stories, and I have a lot to catch you up on...including what a solo healing trip to Thailand and Bali taught me about grief, and why screaming and crying in the rain was one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

Robert has been through more than anyone ever should. From a childhood filled with pain and silence to a relationship that brought old wounds back to the surface, his story is one of survival and finding his voice again.

In this conversation, he tells his story in his own words. It is raw, it is real, and it is part of his healing.

The title, The Callousness of the Respondent, comes from Robert’s upcoming book.

⚠️ Content warning: this episode includes descriptions of childhood trauma, sexual assault, and abuse. Please take care while listening.

Sex, Lies & Tacos is a space for real people telling real stories, judgment free.

If you have a story you’d like to share on Sex, Lies & Tacos, I’d love to hear from you.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

When Elizabeth was 15, she thought she’d finally found someone who saw her. Someone who made her feel special.
What began as late-night chats online turned into years of manipulation, control, and abuse disguised as love.

This conversation is raw, painful, and important. It shows what grooming really looks like and how easily it hides in plain sight.

This episode may include explicit language and discussions of grooming, coercion, sexual abuse and other topics that aren’t for everyone. Listener discretion is advised.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

If you have a story you’d like to share on Sex, Lies & Tacos, I’d love to hear from you.

They met at Walgreens. Seventeen days later he proposed, and fifty-five days after the wedding she walked away. Tay’s story is a whirlwind of love bombing, control, and the courage it takes to choose yourself. If you’ve ever ignored your gut, been pressured to say yes, or stayed when you knew you shouldn’t, this one’s for you.

This episode may include explicit language and discussions that aren’t for everyone. Listener discretion is advised.

Want to connect with Aly?

📍 Instagram: @AlySpeaksUp

🌎 www.AlyRice.com

📧 Aly@AlyRice.com

If you have a story you’d like to share on Sex, Lies & Tacos, I’d love to hear from you.

Check out Tay’s band, Glitter Money:

📍 Instagram: @tayyyslayyy

📍 Instagram: @glittermoneyyy

🌎 https://www.youtube.com/glittermoneyyy

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6hk1hVB6LnJGREnKvmk7sV?si=rGuZPIOiRqmhNtsievWbZg