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When I was 18 I had the misfortune of meeting one of the most toxic women on earth. She was shallow, calculating, manipulative, immoral, and shameless. Her life was literally a soap opera… think Erica Cane. We met because she and my husband were in the same branch of service in the same field. We were all stationed overseas on a small remote base which made avoiding her very difficult.
She made a lasting impression for several reasons. I grew up in a small town and had never experienced anyone like her before. One of her “victims” that she chewed up and spit out was a dear friend. He hasn’t recovered to this day almost 30 years later. Through the years when a friend has done something they’re ashamed of we could always say “that’s nothing, we knew this woman that…..” The mere thought of her brings a pit to my stomach.
She was from “back East”. Ten years after we met her, a head hunter approached my husband with a job offer from the area that she’s from. I had no desire to live in that area anyway, but at the time I said to him tongue in cheek “do you want to live that close to Erica again?” When I said it, I knew that even if Erica had returned to that area the odds of us running into her were a million to one.
So yesterday my husband brought me to work because he was bringing my car in to be serviced. When he picked me up he said “you’re never going to believe who I saw today!” Erica has moved to our area.
I know it’s stupid, irrational, and silly but I feel violated. My anxiety has gone into overdrive.
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I've been married for 24 years and have four wonderful children.
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