May 2009 to May 2010 was easily the worst year of my life. They say getting in to business with a friend is a bad idea but I was some how convinced that that this would not be the case in our situation. Praise was give to my qualities and I trusted that my talents were held in an equal value. Once my money was invested I discovered this was not the case. I was not considered and equal by my partner and she was gearing up to take advantage of my trust. Luckily I had an amazing business lawyer who after reviewing the partner agreement that "our company lawyer" presented to me explained to me that it was completely one sided and I would be crazy to sign it as it was.
So while I was designing and building the store not only was I getting belittled and pestered to sign a unfair agreement, I was being interrupted by my partners friends coming to look at the store. These people were upset I didn't stop and make them tea (so to speak). Clearly none of these people had ever done construction with a month and a half deadline. The awesome part was when she would come down and tell me to change or add something to the design flip her hair and ask why I was rude to her friends. However, this woman would talk down to me in front of my friends and think it was ok.
My friends would ask me on a regular basis "What is wrong with you? You don't ever let anyone treat you like this." For some reason I would make excuses and defend this woman saying she was just stressed and it would change when the store opened. It didn't.
So there I was 3 months in realizing that I might have to be verbally abused for the rest of my life. Then she hit me with "I don't think you should work in the store. I have been getting come complaints." Mean while I got feed back she was being rude to people my friends had been sending in but that was inconsequential. I couldn't live like this. She closed with "I don't know why everyone just likes me. But not everyone has this." Yes she actually said that out loud. My partner was a completely an oblivious narcissist. There was going to be no way to settle this. She did state she might want to buy me out. So I started to give her option.
Maybe she could pay me rent for the property and she could buy me out of the store.
Maybe I would be an silent investor and get a percentage of the sales.
Maybe she just pays me a percentage on the money I invested.
Nothing was good enough. She took her sweet time as the longer it took us to settle this the longer she would not have to pay interest on the money she would need to buy me out. Sneaky cheeky hair flipping freaky. But I think in the end I am lucky as if she took any of my offers I would still be stuck having to talk to her and quite honestly it still makes me a bit sick to think of having to be in the same room with her. She fooled me so completely.
I didn't trust my own instincts anymore. I was afraid to let anyone close to me. I couldn't trust anyone. I cut myself off from everyone who was important to me. I crawled into a hole and had no interest in coming out. I went out with friends on occasion but my heart wasn't in it. I found I was not laughing at jokes. I was not wanting to dance or sing. I was afraid to go anywhere I thought she would be because I might just punch her it her ugly little face. I was dreaming of causing her pain and that made me laugh. Then I would catch myself and think "This is not who I am" She left me broken.
In May 2010 she signed the papers and bought me out. Freedom from the gong show but not from my distrust and fear. Not long after that a couple of my closest friends asked me if I wanted to join them in PEI for the summer. Without hesitation I said "I'm in"
I rented out my house we rented a car and in June we left for the coast.
Thus the rebuilding began.
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