What’s the most twisted “romantic” gesture you’ve ever witnessed?

Nightmares and the Prohibition

“I changed my locks that day”. “I blocked Tommy on everything”. “I thought that would be the end of it, that I could begin to process this new trauma alone”.

“But 2 days later, I found a note taped to my car windshield”.

I was only trying to help “. ”

You’ll thank me someday “.

“I crumpled it up and threw it away, hands shaking, looking over my shoulder in the parking lot”. “The next day, I got home from work to find a bouquet of flowers on my doorstep”.

“The card read,

You can’t ignore me forever “. ”

What we have is special “.

“Lilies, my dad’s favorite”. “The sight of them made me physically ill”. “I called the police again”. “This time, they took the stalking more seriously, documenting the escalating pattern of behavior”.

“The officer advised me to get a restraining order immediately, which I started the process for, filling out paperwork with trembling hands”. “That night, I couldn’t sleep”. “Every noise made me jump”. “I kept thinking about how this person I trusted had done something so unthinkable, so cruel, and now he wouldn’t leave me alone”.

“His presence lingering like a shadow, I couldn’t escape”. “I stayed with my mom for a few days while waiting for my restraining order hearing”. “I thought I was safe there, but then my mom got a package in the mail”.

“Inside was a scrabble board with a note”.

Thought we could play together sometime like you did with your dad “.

“The game pieces were arranged to spell out forever”. “I called my mom in a panic”. “She told me to stay put while she called the police”. “I paced around her living room, checking the windows every few minutes”.

How did Tommy know where my mom lived? “.

“I’d never brought him there”. “The officer who showed up, Officer Bradley, was the same one who’d taken my earlier reports”. “He examined the Scrabble board with a frown”.

This definitely escalates things ” he said, bagging it as evidence”. ”

The department is taking this very seriously now “. ”

We’ll increase patrols around both residences “.

“I felt slightly relieved that they were finally seeing the danger Tommy posed”. “Officer Bradley’s expression softened”.

Look, I understand you’re scared “.

The restraining order hearing is tomorrow “. ”

In the meantime, document everything “. ”

Don’t delete any messages “. ”

Take photos of anything he sends you “.

“After he left, my mom suggested I stay with my cousin Andrea in the next town over”. “Tommy didn’t know her, had never even heard me mention her”. “I packed a bag while my mom called Andrea to explain the situation”. “That night at Andrea’s apartment, I barely slept”. “Every creek made me jolt upright”.

“Around 3:00 a.m., my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number”.

Miss you, sweet dreams “.

“I showed Andrea, who immediately took my phone and blocked the number”.

He’s trying to scare you ” she said, her voice steady despite the worry in her eyes”. ”

That’s what abusers do “. ”

They want you afraid “.

“The next morning, we drove to the courthouse for my restraining order hearing”. “I felt sick to my stomach as we walked through security”. “What if the judge didn’t believe me?”. “What if Tommy showed up?”.

“He did show up looking completely normal in a button-down shirt and khakis”. “He even smiled at me like we were meeting for coffee”. “I avoided his gaze, clutching my folder of evidence, screenshots of texts, photos of the flowers, the police reports, and pictures of the scrabble board”.

“When it was my turn to speak, I told the judge everything, my voice shaking at first, but growing stronger as I went on”. “I explained about my dad, about the brownies, about the stalking afterward”. “The judge listened carefully, examining my evidence”.

“Then it was Tommy’s turn”. “He put on a show of being the concerned boyfriend, claiming I was having a mental breakdown due to unresolved grief”. “He said he was just trying to help me move on in an admittedly misguided way”. “He even had the nerve to cry, saying he was worried about my mental health”. “I thought I might throw up right there in the courtroom”.

“But then the judge spoke”.

Mr. “. ”

Reeves, regardless of your intentions, your actions show a disturbing lack of boundaries and respect “. ”

The court grants this restraining order for 6 months “. ”

You are to remain 500 ft away from Mrs. “. ”

Chen at all times “. ”

No contact whatsoever “. ”

Not by phone, email, social media, or through third parties “.

“Relief washed over me”. “The judge believed me”. “Tommy’s face darkened for just a second before he composed himself and nodded respectfully”. “As Andrea and I left the courthouse, I felt like I could breathe again for the first time in days”.

“We decided to celebrate with lunch at a cafe downtown”. “I was halfway through my sandwich when I got a call from my neighbor Janet”.

Sasha, I think someone broke into your apartment “. ”

Your door is slightly open and I heard noises inside “.

“My stomach dropped”. “I thanked her and immediately called the police, then drove back to my apartment with Andrea”.

“We stayed in her car until the police arrived”. “Two officers went in while we waited, hearts pounding”. “They came out 15 minutes later”. “My apartment had definitely been broken into”. “My clothes were strewn everywhere”.

“My mattress slashed open”. “But the most disturbing thing was what they found on my bathroom mirror written in what looked like red lipstick”.

You’ll never get rid of me “.

“I started shaking uncontrollably”. “Andrea put her arm around me while Officer Bradley took photos and filed another report”.

We’ll dust for fingerprints, but honestly, if he wore gloves, there might not be much to find ” he explained”. ”

Do you have somewhere else to stay tonight? “.

“I nodded, unable to speak”. “The thought of Tommy in my space touching my things made me physically ill”. “Andrea helped me pack more clothes and essentials while the officers finished up”.

“Back at Andrea’s, I finally broke down completely”. “I sobbed until my throat was raw until I had no tears left”. “Andrea sat with me the whole time, not trying to fix it, just being there”.

You need to tell your work what’s happening ” she said gently when I’d calmed down”. ”

They should know why you might need time off, and they should be on alert in case he shows up there “.

“I hadn’t even thought about that”. “The idea of Tommy showing up at the marketing firm where I worked sent a fresh wave of panic through me”. “I called my boss, Morgan, and explained the situation as calmly as I could”. “To my relief, Morgan was incredibly supportive, telling me to take all the time I needed and promising to alert security”.

“The next few days passed in a blur of anxiety and paperwork”. “I filed for an extension on my lease breaking fee, applied for victim compensation to help with moving costs, and looked for a new apartment in a secured building”. “Andrea went with me everywhere, a constant reassuring presence”. “A week after the break-in, I was at Andrea’s scrolling through apartment listings when my phone rang”.

“Unknown number”. “I declined it, but they called right back and again”. “On the fourth call, I answered, putting it on speaker so Andrea could hear”.

Hello “. “I said cautiously”. ”

Sasha, thank God it was Rebecca, one of the nurses from theospice where I volunteered “. ”

I’ve been trying to reach you “. ”

There’s a man here asking about you “. ”

He says he’s your boyfriend and wants to know when you’ll be in next “.

“My blood ran cold”.

Rebecca, that’s not my boyfriend “. ”

We broke up and he’s dangerous “. ”

Please don’t tell him anything about me “.

“Rebecca’s voice dropped to a whisper”.

He’s still here talking to Elliot at the front desk “. ”

What should I do? “.

Call security “.

“Andrea mouthed to me”.

Can you get security to escort him out? “.

“I asked”.

I have a restraining order against him “. ”

He’s not supposed to be anywhere near me or contacting me through other people “.

Of course “. “Rebecca said,

I’ll call them right now “. ”

Are you okay? “. ”

Do you need anything? “.

“I thanked her and hung up, hands trembling”. “Tommy was looking for me at the hospice, the place that meant the most to me, where I honored my dad’s memory”. “Nothing was sacred to him”. “Andrea suggested we call Officer Bradley again”.

“He took the information and said he’d follow up with the hospice to get security footage”. “If Tommy had violated the restraining order by trying to get information about me, they could arrest him”. “That night, I had a nightmare about Tommy”. “In the dream, he was following me through an endless hospital corridor, always just around the corner, always just out of sight”.

“I woke up gasping for air, sweat soaked and disoriented”. “Andrea made me tea and sat with me in the kitchen”.

You need more support than just me and your mom ” she said gently”. ”

Have you thought about a support group or therapy? “.

“I hadn’t”. “The thought of sharing this nightmare with strangers made me cringe, but Andrea was right”. “I needed help processing what was happening”. “The next morning, I found a therapist who specialized in trauma and stalking victims and made an appointment for the following week”.

“I also discovered a support group for stalking victims that met at the community center”. “I was nervous about going,

What if Tommy somehow found out and showed up? “. “But Andrea offered to come with me and wait outside”.

“The group was small, just six other people plus the facilitator, a calm woman named Corey”. “As each person shared their story, I was struck by how similar the patterns were”. “The escalation, the isolation, the fear”. “When it was my turn, I surprised myself by telling them everything”.

“Even the part about my dad’s ashes that I’d been too ashamed to tell anyone but my mom and Andrea”. “No one judged me”. “No one told me I was overreacting”. “Instead, they offered practical advice”. “Nathan, who’d been stalked by an ex-girlfriend for 2 years, suggested I get cameras for wherever I move next”.

“Melissa, whose stalker was a former co-orker, recommended I vary my routines and check my car for tracking devices”. “I left feeling both terrified, hearing how persistent stalkers could be and strangely comforted”. “I wasn’t alone”. “Other people had survived this”. “I could too”.

“The next day, I got a call from Officer Bradley”. “They’d reviewed the hospice security footage and confirmed Tommy had been there asking about me”. “It was a clear violation of the restraining order”. “They were issuing a warrant for his arrest”.

“Relief flooded through me”. “Maybe this nightmare would finally end”. “Maybe they’d lock him up and I could start to rebuild my life”. “But Tommy seemed to vanish”. “Despite the warrant and increased police efforts, they couldn’t find him at his apartment or workplace”. “His parents claimed they hadn’t heard from him in days”.

“I was simultaneously relieved he wasn’t around and terrified of where he might be lurking”. “2 days later, I found a new apartment in a building with security and moved in with Andrea’s help”. “I didn’t tell anyone my new address except my mom, Andrea, and my boss”. “I installed a security system with cameras and got new phone number”. “For the first time in weeks, I felt somewhat safe”.

“I returned to work the following Monday”. “Morgan had arranged for security to escort me to and from my car, and my co-workers were understanding, if a bit awkward around me”. “No one quite knew what to say to the girl whose ex-boyfriend fed her father’s ashes to her and then stalked her”.

“A month passed without any sign of Tommy”. “The police still hadn’t found him, but I was starting to relax slightly”. “My therapist, Dr. Greer was helping me process not just the trauma of Tommy’s actions, but also my unresolved grief over my dad”.

“The support group became a weekly anchor, a place where I could speak freely about my fears without being told I was overreacting”. “I even started volunteering at the hospice again, though only during daylight hours and with security aware of my situation”. “Playing Scrabble with the patients helped me reclaim that ritual from Tommy’s taint”.

“Then one evening, I came home from work to find a package outside my apartment door”. “No shipping label, just my name written in familiar handwriting”. “I froze, keys in hand, staring at it”.

How did he find me? “. ”

How did he get past building security? “.

“I called Andrea, who came right over”. “Together, we called the police, who sent an officer to examine the package”. “It contained a framed photo of me taken recently outside my new workplace with the glass shattered”.

“Tucked into the frame was a note”.

Broken glass, broken promises “. ”

I’m still watching “.

“The officer took the package as evidence and increased patrols around my building”. “I spent the night at Andrea’s again, too scared to stay alone”. “The next day, I met with Officer Bradley, who looked grim”.

We’re doing everything we can to find him ” he assured me”. ”

But in the meantime, you need to be extremely careful “. ”

Change your routines “. ”

Check in with someone regularly “. ”

Consider taking a leave from work “.

“I nodded, numb, just when I thought I was getting my life back”. “Tommy had yanked the rug out from under me again”. “I felt like a prisoner, trapped by his obsession”.

“That weekend, my mom came to stay with me”. “We were making dinner together when my phone rang”. “Another unknown number”. “Against my better judgment”.

“I answered it”.

Hello, Sasha “. ”

It’s Ralph from the front desk “. ”

There’s a delivery guy here with flowers for you, but he doesn’t have an ID badge “. ”

Should I send him up? “.

“My heart raced”.

No, don’t let him in the building “. ”

Can you describe him? “.

“Ralph described someone who sounded nothing like Tommy”. “Older, balding, wearing a delivery uniform, but still, I wasn’t taking chances”.

Please tell him to leave the flowers at the desk “. ”

I’ll pick them up later “.

“An hour later, my mom went down to get the flowers”. “They were liies, my dad’s favorite, the same kind Tommy had sent before”.

“The card read,

Missing you “. ”

We’ll be together soon “.

“I called officer Bradley again, my voice shaking”. “He promised to check the building security cameras and put a patrol car outside overnight”. “I barely slept, jumping at every sound”.

“The next morning, Bradley called with news”. “The delivery man was legitimate”. “He worked for a local florist and had an order placed online”. “The credit card used was stolen”. “The trail led nowhere”.

“I felt like I was losing my mind”. “How was Tommy always one step ahead?”. “How was he finding me despite all my precautions?”. “That afternoon, I went to my support group, desperate for advice”.

“Nathan suggested I check my phone and laptop for spyware”. “Melissa thought Tommy might be tracking my car somehow”. “After the meeting, Nathan helped me check my devices”. “Sure enough, there was spyw wear on my phone, probably installed during the break-in at my old apartment”.

“I’d gotten a new number, but kept the same phone”. “We wiped it completely, and I bought a prepaid phone to use temporarily”. “Melissa’s boyfriend, Blake, a mechanic, offered to check my car”. “He found a small tracking device magnetically attached under the rear bumper”.

“The discovery made me sick to my stomach, but also gave me my first real clue”. “Tommy had been tracking my movements all along”. “With the tracker removed and my phone clean, I finally had a chance to disappear from Tommy’s radar”.

“Andrea suggested I take a week off work and stay with her cousin in a town 2 hours away”. “No one would know where I was, not even my mom, just in case Tommy was watching her, too”. “I agreed, desperate for even a temporary escape from the constant fear”.

“I packed a bag, left my car at Andrea’s, and she drove me to her cousin’s place that night”. “For the first time in months, I slept without nightmares”.