Addy, you are SO my hero. You stood up for yourself and you paid the price...but the price was worth paying. You are strong and smart and I am in awe of how cool you are.
I told my boss when we first started working together that I had been abused all of my childhood and it was NEVER going to happen again.I won't be disrespected or taken advantage of or talked to in a derogatory manner. In return, I will never treat anyone else that way.
We get along just fine now. LOL. He needed to know my boundaries and I needed to know his. It makes things so much easier.
Keep going, Addy... the job that is looking for you is out there...waiting for you to find it.