Today at a concert I ran into a teacher that groomed me.
( I will not be sharing the full details of that story right now, but basically I met him (44M) when I was 14 and looked to him as a father figure and trusted him very much. When I turned 18 and graduated from the high school we met at, he (48M) claimed to be in love with me and stupidly I fell for it because I was a lonely, insecure, teenager)
I am mostly over this trauma as I’ve been in therapy for the last few years— but after seeing him tonight I couldn’t be more wrecked. He was happy, happier than I’d ever seen him. He was with an age-appropriate woman and he still works as a high school teacher.
Now I’m left wondering how this man got to walk away from the car crash unscathed while I’m left completely disfigured. I suffer with PTSD, substance abuse, anxiety, I don’t see myself as someone who could ever fall in love again and (unrelated to my groomer) I recently became disabled.
It ruined me to see him happy in his old age while I’m suffering through my twenties. Nothing technically illegal happened so I have no legal claim. I feel like the only way to move on is to share my story and let everyone in this town know exactly who he is. Is that a stupid revenge fantasy? Should I just never say anything and move on with my life?? Is it even legal to tell my story publicly ? Every solution feels wrong. I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts— especially if you’ve had any similar experiences