I was married to my husband for ten years. We co-owned a small company, and he completely controlled our finances. As his abuse escalated, I knew leaving him would be difficult, but necessary.

My first priority was to get a new job, and when I did, I felt empowered and finally free from his control.
Yet, only three days into my new job, I saw him in my office parking lot. The situation escalated: he called my office repeatedly from a blocked number. He showed up in my lobby. I started seeing him everywhere, as I went about my day.

I felt violated because I knew he was trying to terrorize me. I decided to take action, and was eventually granted a restraining order. My colleagues supported me, too. My manager had me email his photo to everyone in the office so they could identify him. But when I learned that he showed up at a colleague’s house, I knew the situation was still out of control. After police discovered that he had obtained access to all of my work emails, hidden a wiretap in my dashboard, and installed a GPS tracking system to follow my every move, he was finally arrested for felony stalking.

I decided to change jobs again, this time looking for a workplace that had tight security. I found a good option at a retail chain.

My new manager took every precaution to make me feel safe and had someone walk me to my car every evening.

Unfortunately, that comfort didn’t last. After his release, my company asked me to leave, citing a safety threat to customers and other employees. I was shocked and disappointed that my employer no longer had my back.

Again, I was determined to keep my independence, and took control in a new way. Now, I’m self-employed as a freelance designer and work from home – where I know I’ll be safe.