• Stalking

    Still Being Watched-Stalking and Harassment

    I was going to pick up pizza. That’s it. Nothing major. Just a quick errand on a quiet Sunday evening. My son is out of town in my car, so I was driving his car—one my ex-husband and his new wife wouldn’t recognize unless they were actively watching. And they were. As I pulled to the light at the end of my road, I noticed their car behind me. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw her—his wife—holding up her phone, snapping photos of the vehicle I was in. Documenting. At first, I told myself maybe it was nothing. Maybe I was overreacting. But when I turned onto the…

  • Backhanded Gifts and Silent Insults: When “Kindness” Comes With a Knife

    Backhanded Gifts and Silent Insults: When “Kindness” Comes With a Knife

    It never ends quietly. Not when you’re dealing with someone who craves control more than connection. Today, my kids got packages from their father — gifts delivered straight from Amazon, carefully chosen with just enough sweetness to pass as thoughtful… but soaked in judgment and surveillance. One got a phone holder to help record guitar videos. That’s nice, right? Except it came with not one, but two containers of acne medication. Unsolicited. Unasked for. Unnecessary. This child had already had the courage to face their insecurities and see a dermatologist a month ago. They’re on a treatment plan. But of course, their father didn’t ask. He just sent a silent…