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“The light turned on in my room, and I mumbled something like, ‘Steve, turn out the light. I’m trying to get some sleep.’ The light turned out, and I opened my eyes. The man standing in my bedroom was not my husband.”

It was Heather Gemmen’s worst nightmare.

She, her husband and two children lived in a dangerous neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Crime was everywhere.

"The tension between the black and white races was tangible. It was very evident, so then you feel threatened,” Heather says... Especially the night Heather was tied up and raped at knifepoint.

“There were a few moments where I simply thought, I’m going to die. It was like it wasn’t real. I didn’t really believe this was happening. In fact, I said that to him, ‘What are you doing here?’”

It seemed like an eternity, but after an hour, the rapist left.

Heather immediately went to check on her children, who were just steps from her bedroom. Surprisingly, they slept through everything and had no recollection of what happened. Heather, on the other hand, couldn’t forget.

“How could he have done this to my life? He was so selfish, so wicked. His words were vile. Disgusting like vomit on me and to think that somebody could do that to someone else. I really wanted to hurt him.”

At the same time, Heather struggled with guilt and shame.

“Anyway I could blame myself I did. Even though logically I knew it wasn’t my fault. There I am in my own home, a man raped me at knifepoint, ties me up, threatens the life of my children. I’m obviously innocent, but I didn’t feel that way.”