For six years I worked for this 70-something narcissistic attorney who will tell you, and literally believe it, that "I am the smartest man in the world". I limped off of that job in Sept. 2003, closing the office, placing my key on the desk, with a note saying if you call me to discuss this I will file a restraining order.
For years, he would call me at 7 a.m. in the morning while I am trying to get ready for work; when I arrived at the office at 8:30 a.m., there were voice messages telling me the same thing he said to me at 7; then he hounded me all day about his paranoid suspicions regarding his partner or wanting me to do some personal assignments until I would eventually put aside valuable priority legal work just to shut him up.
When I got home from work around 6 p.m., there were voice messages about the same stuff we discussed at 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and all day; then he would call me again around 7 p.m. to discuss it all again. One time I actually had to tell him (right before the Labor Day weekend) that I needed a break from work for a few days, so please don't call me. He did leave me alone, for two whole days!
During the six years I worked for him, he would insult me, tell me he didn't know if he liked me, tell me that I was "a bright woman, so please don't disappoint him." When in the office he would walk around with his shoes off, come up behind me, just to see what I was doing. He was so neurotic and paranoid, he would not allow anyone other than employees into the office for fear somebody would go back into his office and riffle through his drawers. That included clients! Thank goodness he worked mostly out-of-town.
Why did I stay? I was a single woman raising two daughters and he paid very well. He knew that he was a difficult, crazy man and he paid a high salary so that he could "trap" somebody who really needed the cash.
Last updated August 20 2008: 4:45 PM ET
