You're not throwing anybody under the bus when you're honest with yourself about the narcissistic abuse you survived. Being truthful about your experience isn’t an act of malice, betrayal, or exaggeration—it’s an act of survival. It’s acknowledging the reality that you lived through, the manipulation you endured, and the emotional and mental toll that someone else’s cruelty took on you. The narcissist threw themselves under the bus (which they were also driving but will never admit because they have to be the victim) the moment they chose to abuse, gaslight, and control you. From that decision onward, every lie, every manipulation, every twisted scenario was theirs to own, even if they try to rewrite the story to make themselves look innocent.

When you speak your truth about their behavior, you’re not attacking anyone—you’re simply reclaiming your voice, your perspective, and your peace. You are not exaggerating the pain, you are not exaggerating the facts; you are stating reality, plain and unfiltered. The narcissist thrives on confusion, self-doubt, and silence—they want you to question your own memory, your own sanity, and your own judgment. By being honest, you are refusing to participate in their deception, refusing to carry the blame they desperately try to pass onto you, and refusing to keep their chaos alive in your mind.

Your honesty is not cruelty; it is liberation. It is a declaration that their actions do not define you, that their manipulation cannot control you, and that you will no longer allow their self-victimization to distort your reality. Speaking your truth is an act of courage, an act of self-respect, and an act of reclaiming the life and peace that was stolen from you. It is not about them—it is entirely about you finally stepping out from the shadows of their lies and shining in the clarity of your own awareness.