I couldn’t take it any longer

After a very difficult year with many disappointments and almost becoming homeless things starting to look up.
A job offer was presented to me by the owner of a young and small with ambition and I could start almost right away. He also offered me a place to live, a small room over the office was all I needed and could hope for.

I packed my things and moved to a city sixty miles away. I started this job with enthusiasm and determination to make the most of it. I also had plenty of experience in this line of work. Previously I worked for a similar business for ten years.

However, after just a few days doubt started creeping in. Our personalities clashed and the way business was conducted was questionable at times, to say the least.

Promises were not kept either. I was supposed to be the manager, in charge of daily affairs and run business based on my experience and knowledge. But the boss turned out to be a micro manager who wanted everything done his way and there was no room for a different approach.

I was also promised to have a budget I could spend to make improvements, and that didn't happen either. Even worse, every idea I had was wiped off the table instantly to the point that I felt not been taken seriously. 

It was almost impossible to have a two-way conversation with him. He like talking but not listening so much. Someone would start saying something and not get the opportunity to finish it because the boss would take over right away. I have witnessed him doing this with clients as well, sometimes to the point that they were clearly annoyed.

The worst part was the fact that he liked to talk behind people's back, customers and employees alike. He would shake hands with you, talk nicely, and then burn you to the ground as soon as you had closed the door behind you. This rubbed off some of the employees who seemed to find this practice normal. It bothered me to no end.

He had a reputation as a womanizer that preceded him and working for and with him I could witness this firsthand. Female employees wouldn't stay long, for this very reason. Now he would be crucified for it but in those days he could get away with it.

One time he got in a pickle over it, and he asked me to help him out. He was going to reimburse me for the $80 it cost me but that didn't happen. I was very uncomfortable with the role I played but being dependent on him I felt that I had no choice.
A few months into it and after another of his outbursts I felt that I couldn't keep this up any longer. I was totally miserable, and it wreaked havoc on my physical and mental health.

I suggested that I should stopped working on a salary and just be a part-timer working hourly. It was a bit of a risk, but the idea was that I could walk out or take a day off when I needed it. He agreed and on that basis I stayed on for a total of two years. This being interrupted by a three month long stay abroad.

Then came the day when I moved oversees permanently. He took me to the station where I would take the train to the airport. He did all the talking and saw opportunities for us to stay connected and maybe do some business. That was the last time I heard of him.
I emailed him about the money he still owed me, and he never sent it. He also sold my car for me and kept the money. To be honest, I was not surprised.

I was not surprised either when I read that the company had gone bankrupt. Given his business practices it was unavoidable I would say. Of course, he blamed others for the demise.

Don’t I have anything positive to say about him? Yes, I do. He worked incredibly hard, had a good sense of humor and when I found a job in my new home country he provided good references. So, it isn’t all bad.