I Survived Quotes

“It was heartbreaking to see what had been done to these children and the effect it had on them”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“I hated being trapped in the hospital and how out of control I was over my own life”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“It took a long time for me to see how coercive and manipulative my husband was, but I won't be controlled for any longer. I survived for the sake of my children, and I live each and every day for them.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“That night was an eye-opener but it was just one of the many tragedies I witnessed that brought home how lucky I was to live in the UK, while the civilians of Kosovo had their lives torn apart on a regular basis.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“The transition back to life in the UK was a lot harder than I ever expected it to be. How am I supposed to go back to a normal life now? I wondered, suffering tremendously with the guilt of leaving all those injured people behind.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“I coped with the news the only way I knew how, and that was to distance myself from it all. There's no point in dwelling on it, I told myself, wishing but never really believing it was that simple. The doctors will get rid of the cancer.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“Once I'd understood that the relationship was toxic, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Accepting that the man who was supposed to love me unconditionally was, in fact, abusive, was the most difficult thing I had ever processed. I was trapped, I thought, reflecting on the person I had been when Emile was around. I don't even recognise myself. It took escaping Emile's control to accept that he had even been controlling at all. And it took time on my own to figure out and fully accept that Emile was guilty of trying to kill me.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“There are many people worse off, I tried to tell myself, but it didn't change my reality. Stuck in a constant rollercoaster of emotions, I couldn't see the wood for the trees. I felt completely trapped by what Emile had done, and the truth of it was that I just didn't want to exist any more. Life simply wasn't worth living. But at the same time, I knew there was no way out because of the children. I have to function for them, I reminded myself. They deserve a happy upbringing and that means I have to keep going”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“I had no control over any aspect of my life except what was going on in my head. I had to have hope. Hope was the only thing that got me through this. Hope that the man I loved and married hadn't tried to kill me. I hope that one day I wouldn't have to explain to the children what their father did. He had shown himself to be a cold and uncaring liar, but a murderer? I could not and would not let that thought take hold.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“I had joined the army for greater exposure to the world and to support soldiers, and so I would never wish to change this period of my life, as upsetting as it was at times. We become upset as it was at times. We become numb to the world's atrocities when we see them on television and in the media. It is something else to be in amongst it and feel the fear, pain and heartache all around you. It changed the way I saw life and made me appreciate what I have. Nothing I've been through has approached the hardship that I witnessed on tour.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“I had been played like a puppet by Emile and now the police made me feel powerless too. I felt like no one really cared about how it was affecting me. To the world, I had to put on a front and pretend that everything was all right, but when I returned to the safety of my home, I was in a wreck.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.

“Each incident felt like a betrayal and all of it added to my increasing isolation. I felt trapped in my home, not knowing who to trust, so I trusted no one.”
― Victoria Cilliers, I Survived: A True Story.