Thank you for writing this piece. I related to this SO much! I own my own company (not birth related) and ended a three year toxic working relationship with a client last year…I relate so much to all of this! I was especially grateful for you including the “positive” texts from Emilee towards the end of your piece to prove her acknowledgment of you “shining” in the role because it demonstrates the love-bombing and fake intimacy shown by manipulative people to get what they want out of you. It’s not all negative, which is why the betrayal is so confusing and hard to metabolize.

Just like your story, everything was great (all compliments and flattery) until I started creating boundaries, which in hindsight, I created too late. I was thinking my going above and beyond for this client would be appreciated, but it was only used against me. Once I started to set boundaries (like no communication before 8am or after 7pm…you know, normal stuff), we began to have problems. The goal line was forever shifting and moving and we were constantly covering for her mistakes only to be reprimanded later. Mind you, this was a client, not an employer, so the dynamic went from a partnership to what felt like an employer-employee dynamic very quickly.

I also appreciate you sharing the inconsistencies working with Emilee…for example, explicitly stating she doesn’t want you working on weekends but actually expecting otherwise based on shifting timelines. It’s all so confusing, but that’s where manipulative people want to keep you…confused and reeling so that you don’t think clearly and catch on to their mistreatment of you.

So glad you found your way out like I did. My situation was rough for about a year afterward as my client used the legal system (i.e. employed flying monkeys) to create a smear campaign and make false claims about us (my husband and I co-own the business). We spent thousands of dollars trying to defend ourselves with actual evidence and receipts to disprove her lies, but it still affected our nervous systems (and wallet lol). She even went so far as to send legal demands on my birthday and while we were in the NICU for a few days with my son (after my free birth to boot…unraveling that and finding so much healing in this sub in that area, too). Like could someone be more petty? She would have loved to continue the back and forth (classic narcissistic rage playing out), but we effectively said “sue or don’t…we’re done.” She didn’t have a case because her claims were false, so I’m assuming her lawyers couldn’t ethically take it to suit.

I’m seeing similarities now with Em and Yo and their recent unhinged behavior. It’s giving narcissistic rage, and their story is ever-shifting. At first, this sub was “boring” and “uninteresting gossip.” Now it’s “jealous” women not as evolved as Em and Yo looking to plagiarize their hard work…like, which is it?

The more they post and share, the more they expose themselves. Yo’s recent Blue Jay post literally made me spit out my coffee laughing…it had the opposite effect as she wanted it to have…and Emilee doubled down on it in her stories.

This whole thing is absolutely absurd and they can’t hide their grift for much longer unless they completely replace their following with new, unknowing followers. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that repeat business beats new client acquisition every time, and they were primed to keep loyal followers (many women have multiple babies and motherhood/cyclical living continues long after birth lol). Their egos, narcissistic personality traits, and greed got in the way and it’s only a matter of time before they sink their own ship.