‘I’m Watching You’

For 2+ years, our movements were watched

Every interaction

Every conversation

Every. Little. Thing.

It would then be taken and used against us

My son going to bed? It suddenly sounded like an elephant was having a party upstairs

Watching a movie before you go to bed? The washing machine upstairs would come on. And ONLY in the evening, with the knowledge that it had a tendency to loud in our apartment

Cold outside (below freezing), but no one else home but me and the narcissist? Heat was turned off

Broiling hot outside, with the makings of a heatwave, but only the narcissist and us are home? AC began blasting and would be left to run continuously (12+ hours), forcing us to use portable heaters to keep from freezing

Outside temperature start falling, where it’s cool enough to turn on the heat? The AC would come on and stay on (10+ hours).

Bring in the city bylaw officer to help with the issue? Heat would be off/AC would be on after he left, even though it was too cold for the AC to be on

You’re home? You’re eerily quiet. So quiet, it would seem you weren’t home – even though your SUV was out front and we could you flush your toilet. If anything was said in our apartment, it would be used against us at a later date

When we moved, I made it a point to find a place where we could go on a regular basis to (hopefully) make friends. And we did.

Today, while visiting, it was mentioned that we were missed at the last gathering. From where I’m sitting, I honestly do not know if I should be flattered or scared. Coming from a situation where every little move was watched and used against us, it’s left me a little hesitant

It shouldn’t have

When you’ve endured more than you should have, directly from someone who made it a point to observe and use it against you…

And then to be in a situation where it was observed that we weren’t there…

Was it going to be used against us?

Probably not, but when that’s your first thought…