Dear Kara:

It was a good initiative on your part to tell the friend not to tell you what he tells her. She has to respect your assertion, if she is indeed a friend.

Anyone can bad mouth anyone. If you choose to bad mouth any person in the world, it is as easy as pronouncing the words. So he is bad mouthing you. It is so very easy. Can you imagine if bad mouthing someone necessarily scared the person into submission?

I hope you are not scared to submission by his bad mouthing you.

I hope you persist in zero contact with him, be cautious and let his storm settle  down. Keep yourself and your children safe.

anita