A Contagious Smile Podcast · Victora Cuore; A Contagious Smile, Who Kicked First, Domestic Violence Survivor, Advocate, Motivational Coach, Special Needs, Abuse Support, Life Skill Classes, Special Needs Social Groups

Scent, Love, And Starting Over

·54 min·3 clips

Victoria says her new book, "Shielded," is about abuse, power, and a broken system that protects its own.

1. A Contagious Smile Podcast episode titled "Scent, Love, And Starting Over" moves from cologne jokes into abuse recovery, marriage, and Victoria Curie's books. 2. Victoria Curie is the guest, Michael is her husband and co-host, and both speak as parents, authors, and survivors of abusive relationships. 3. The episode asks what it means to reclaim scent, safety, and self-worth after abuse. 4. The opening centers on Drakkar cologne, which Michael says he has worn since his 20s and Victoria says he now wears "for me and my wife." 5. Victoria says she wants to smell good at home, at bedtime, and during the day because scent is part of care and comfort. 6. Michael and Victoria contrast his old habit of wearing cologne for work with her habit of showering, decompressing, and staying clean after surgeries. 7. Victoria describes perfume as personal, says she likes uncommon scents, and rejects a strong rose perfume that she says many older women wear. 8. The conversation turns to family dynamics, including Michael's daughter Faith, who jokes over text, and their shared humor about snoring and movie nights. 9. Michael and Victoria discuss a hypothetical threesome, and Victoria says she would never accept one without choosing the man first. 10. Victoria says she has never cheated on anyone and frames a threesome as cheating under her personal ethics. 11. The discussion shifts to Michael's past in law enforcement and the question of infidelity among cops, extra jobs, and changing clothes in a gym bag. 12. Victoria says that in her own life she could not understand how he managed multiple relationships while still seeing her every night. 13. Michael says he had "a lot of side pieces" in law enforcement, while Victoria presses him on how spouses could recognize cheating signs. 14. The episode then pivots into Michael and Victoria's books, starting with Victoria's Shielded and its focus on abuse, power, and intimidation. 15. Victoria says Shielded is about a system that fails abused spouses and children, including the "good old boy system" and people who hide behind money and authority. 16. Victoria says the book also reflects her own experience of interrogation after abuse, including questions about weather, clothing, and who saw the injury. 17. She describes being pregnant when her nose was broken, sitting in a vehicle, and fearing she would faint before further violence could happen. 18. Victoria says her husband killed her six-month-old puppy to show what would happen if she left, and she calls that behavior cowardice. 19. The tone stays informal, blunt, and conversational, with jokes, interruptions, and serious testimony alternating throughout the recording. 20. Listeners who want abuse recovery stories mixed with family banter will likely engage, while listeners wanting a light scent chat may skip.

As heard by us

A messy, funny, and blunt relationship talk that turns domestic banter into something sharper.

The episode starts in joking banter about shaving, cologne, and who gets to touch whose face, then shifts into jealousy, cheating, side pieces, and the warning signs spouses might miss. Its strength is that the tension stays awkward and personal instead of getting smoothed over.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want banter that wanders into cheating talk.

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