YOUR PROBLEM, YOUR PRICE : NOT AT MY COST

It is a widespread and concerning issue that many people fail to recognize the crucial boundary between an individual's professional role and their personal life. There seems to be an assumption that individuals in demanding or highly visible professions—such as a doctor, engineer, or writer—must conduct their private lives with the same rigidity or gravity expected in their professional capacity.

Unfortunately, I have personally faced the adverse effects of this misunderstanding for a prolonged period. My work, particularly my fiction stories, is frequently and erroneously conflated with my real life. There is a tendency to assume that the husbands or boyfriends depicted as characters in my narratives are reflections of partners who have been or currently are in my life.

This misinterpretation fuels an intense and unwarranted scrutiny of my private existence. People actively monitor my personal choices—the products I purchase, the events I attend (such as music concerts or holiday parties), and the places I travel—which differ from their own preferences or lifestyles.

These personal choices are then used as ammunition to spread malicious rumors, often attempting to discredit my professional and educational background. Allegations that I am not actively studying, writing, or working as an engineer are circulated, simply because my personal life does not conform to their rigid expectations. The ambiguity remains as to whether this stems from jealousy of my lifestyle or an inability to achieve similar independence, leading them to resort to spreading falsehoods.

The most damaging and bizarre aspect of this campaign is the inclusion of my ex-husband in their abusive games. Despite being separated for a long time, and knowing he is not the type of person to seek validation through public displays or surveillance, these individuals falsely claim he is expressing anger or making specific statements.

It appears this behavior is rooted in the perpetrators' own serious issues, perhaps related to their personal lives or marriages. By trying to pull us—my ex-husband and myself—into their public narrative, they seem to be attempting to mirror or copy the idea of two individuals "reuniting" after a long separation. It is a clear attempt to achieve a vicarious form of success, reunion, or personal fulfillment, all at the significant emotional and personal cost to me.