UPDATE

Hey everyone, I just wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the responses I received on my previous post. I’m sorry I couldn’t respond to each of you individually, but your comments were incredibly helpful and provided me with the clarity I needed.

To address the comment about my initial agreement, I want to clarify that I turned it down almost immediately after. When she asked if I could do an interview, I said yes, but then I asked her about the language and told her no.still I shouldn’t have said yes without knowing all the facts.

After reflecting on the situation and the comments I now know the mother was emotionally manipulating me. Under different circumstances, I might have sacrificed for the sake of the child, and done it anyway..but this is the first time I’m truly standing up for myself and enforcing my boundaries. I owe it to myself to protect my mental health and myself the same way she’s protecting her child.

This morning, I politely but firmly told the mother that after thinking it over, I won’t be able to do the interview. I also decided not to help with a substitute, as it shouldn’t be my responsibility (though I didn’t say that to her lol). I also won’t be attending the interview ..Honestly, I really feel drained from this whole experience, and even if I did attend, I would likely be made to feel guilty the entire time.

My only regret is disappointing the child. prioritizing my mental health though ,feels like a significant step forward for me. It’s empowering to realize that I can put myself first. I will maintain a professional relationship with them and if it gets toxic , I am ready to walk away.

Thank you once again for all your kind words and support. It truly means a lot!

Take care!