My ex is still controlling my life

My ex-girlfriend took charge of my life by always telling me what to do, from how to spend my money to what I could not do in the house. I barely had any say in what she did. She set up a massive direct debit from my account so that I was paying the rent and all the household bills as well as funding her business and paying for expensive luxuries such as first-class flights and meals for her and her friends. I broke up with her and she is now trying to make my life as hard as possible, insisting that I keep up the direct debit to fund her expensive lifestyle until the contract on the house ends. She is threatening to alienate me from our friends. She has taken back the shares that she made me buy in her company. Some of our friends say that I was stupid to break up with her and that I should get back together with her so that all this behaviour will go away. Your ex-girlfriend sounds appalling – a money-grabber, who is still trying to control your life. You sound like a decent person and she has taken advantage of your generosity. You were right to break up with her. Whatever you do, don’t go back. I am sorry that your mutual friends are siding with her and giving you foolish advice. I wonder if they are intimidated by her themselves? You need to be a lot tougher with her. You shouldn’t have agreed to the direct debit to fund her lavish lifestyle, but now you must cancel it immediately. If she is still living in the house and can’t afford it, ask her to move out and rent somewhere cheaper. Meanwhile, explain to your mutual friends that you know she is upset, but that it was not an easy relationship and that you have not behaved badly. Say that you hope it will not affect their relationship with you. Get some legal advice on the shares she ‘took back’ – she may not have been entitled to do so.