[justanother]

He hasn't said a word to me for years, from the moment I rejected his first offer when, after over 15 years together, he finally thought he'd found his Big Exit. I'm fine with how our lawyers finally worked things out, though. Is that bad? Kinda.

But also, that relationship had to go, because in that context, I was always 'less than.' I wasn't the boss, so in every situation I was just someone who 'worked for' him, and was treated accordingly, by customers and staff alike. When strategy was discussed at the big boys' table, I was quietly seated with the other children.

My new venture is mine alone, I'm not 'less than' anyone else, I've taken my place at the head of the table, and it's perfectly clear that I'd been underestimating my potential for a very long time. It's been wildly successful, doing interesting work with high-profile customers. A++ would split again.