It's too long removed for me to write a detailed essay about it, but, I went into "the family business" in 1996, when I had burnt bridges elsewhere with my substance abuse. The business was my father's and uncle's, but my father had long ago abdicated to his narcissist brother, and was very happy that I was there. Only years later did I realize my father is a covert narcissist and had his own agenda for me there. As much as a narc as Uncle Richard was, his son, ostensibly my partner, was worse. When I found the websites that list the traits of a narc, and 5 of 9 made the diagnosis, Mitchel had all nine. It was an eye opener. For years I tried to leave but I had golden handcuffs. Finally, toward the end of 2009, I started seeing my father's psychiatrist. He told me that personalities like mine, at the time I had a highly dependent personality (Marcia, can you picture that Greg?!?!--not the person you know), when subjected every day to the abuse from my cousin, often leads to murder or suicide. I left the company. I've never recovered financially but I'm happy. It was a long and bumpy road. I left my marriage at the same time. I felt I had to tear my life down completely or I'd never find myself. The consummate midlife crisis. And in the about 15 years since I left my cousin, with his ego over business sense, and his outright theft of millions, has managed to squander the couple hundred million dollar real estate business that my father and his father had built.

Ok, now I'll go back to reading your story. I haven't thought about all that in quite some time...