Chapter 15: Psychedelic Revelation

Hello, Done.

After my divorce, I dove headfirst into what might as well be the handbook for post-divorce clichés: a rebound relationship. Enter Allen—a man who, in hindsight, was a masterclass in toxicity. When I reflect on that chapter of my life, it’s hard not to wince and wonder, "What was I thinking?" But the reality is, I wasn’t thinking—I was surviving. My divorce had left me emotionally raw, reeling from the psychological and emotional abuse that seeped into every corner of my life, even beyond the courtroom battles and into co-parenting communication.

Allen, in many ways, felt like a balm at first, but one that burned the longer it lingered. Looking back, I’d describe him as a textbook narcissist, complete with the love-bombing, manipulation, and charm that drew me in before unraveling into something unrecognizable. Even as I write this, I feel an odd sense of apathy toward that year—a blurry, predictable pattern of affection, enabling, mistreatment, and, eventually, my decision to leave. It was nothing groundbreaking. Just another cycle in a story I’ve read too many times, even if this time, I happened to be one of the characters.