"MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY part 2"

If you have been or if you are currently involved with a Narcissist, you're self esteem is most likely severely damaged and/or lacking. No matter what I did or said, it never seemed to be good enough. In the early years, my paycheck was the constant target. He constantly bitched about my wages. As the years passed, I went back to school, got a lot of work experience on my resume. Finally due to the experience and training, I was doing what I loved earning a salary that I was happy with. Bill seemed satisfied. As long as he got his cut twice a month, life was peaceful for a while. Although from time to time he'd bitch about the wear and tear on my car, I always tuned him out. I loved my job and nothing was going to jeopardize it! Unfortunately as the kids grew older, my work days grew shorter. Although I still made a decent wage Bill began to bitch about the shorter hours. He'd often suggest it was time to look for another position. I simply ignored his comments. I'd been with the family nearly ten years by this time. I made decent money and enjoyed a few benefits I wasn't willing to give up. There was however one problem, the mountain of debt Bill had built up over the years. The debt I'd never had a say in, was starting to take it's toll. My bitchy side felt little empathy. I'd begged him so many times over the years to slow down, practice some self control. He never respected nor cared about what I had to say. "I pay the bills. Don't worry about it. Just pay your rent!" Devalued, minimized, silenced. So it was hard to feel any sympathy for him. All the years I had no voice. My attitude basically was,"you made your bed, lie in it." If I could have foreseen the impact of his stress and the toll it would take, I wouldn't have dismissed it so easily. Well, as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. One day he announces that we're going to move to Escondido. A city 45 mins North inland from San Diego. Red neck, tweakerville. I understood that he worked in Escondido. That he had a long commute every day. I was willing to discuss moving. However, I wanted to discuss a compromise. Ahmi and I had Mommy and Me classes. She was in gymnastics and swimming lessons. The way I saw it there were options and why couldn't the move be convenient for all of us? Nope! In true Bill Connearney style, it was going to be his way or the highway. No discussion allowed! After so many years, I pushed back for once. Told him to forget it. I should have known better. Within 2 months he'd announce that he was leaving me. As always he'd do as he wished and the hell with anyone who might get in the way. I'd actually just been biding my time till the adoption was final. When Bill punched me in the face in September of 2009 I had decided it was over. As soon as Ahmi was safely out of the system, I had planned to move back to Boston and build a new life for her and I. I only wanted my girl. Turned out, Bill would only think about himself. In the end, I lost my girl to the substitutes and he lost all his money to me!