My stalker followed me from England to New York City

It took me awhile to build up the courage to post this and I have to stay pretty anonymous, but I wanted to share an experience that happened over the course of about 6 months. It was one of the most frightening things that has ever happened to me and I’m just now feeling brave enough to actually talk about it.<br><br>For privacy purposes, I’m going to change a lot of the details, but I’m a 25 year old female model from England. About 2 years ago, I started dating someone who seemed like a complete gentleman, always opening doors and holding my hand whenever we went out. I know it sounds cheesy, but I was kind of a damsel in distress type, as I was super shy and had very low self esteem, especially when it came to my body. He would always tell me how beautiful I was and he was so charming, I honestly thought he was the love of my life.<br><br>We lived together in a London flat and our relationship was great for about a year. I never went out without him, and it got to the point where my family and friends didn’t even know when I stood up for sitting down because I never did anything without him. Then, about 6 months into our relationship, I started noticing that he would get strangely defensive when I mentioned my modelling portfolio. He got mad at me for putting my face in a certain way in one picture, and told me that he hated the outfit I was wearing in another picture. It all seemed so insignificant, but looking back, it’s so clear that he was trying to control my image, without really realizing it at the time.<br><br>One day, I decided that I wanted to go out to this concert in a different part of London. I didn’t tell him about the plans, as I wanted to surprise him with how cool I was, you know, being independent and all that. When I got back to the flat, I saw that there were like 50 notifications on my phone, and he had written me a 3 paragraph text message. The text basically said that he knew I wasn’t at the concert (he knew everything I did, as I never had a secret, haha silly me) and that he had met up with some friends in town. He said that I couldn’t trust him (this was a total dig at me for wanting to go out without him) and that I should find someone who could protect me from guys who would take advantage of me. It all seemed very sweet, and I thought that he was being protective, you know, a classic narcissistic tactic. I texted back that I didn’t want to ruin his night and that I would see him the next day. He wrote me back that he couldn’t wait to see me, and that he loved me more than anything. I thought that he was just being sweet and kind, but now I know it was all an act.<br><br>The next day, when I saw him, he was acting very strangely. He kept asking me if I had fun the night before and kept looking over his shoulder. I thought he was just being paranoid, you know how artists can be sometimes. The next day, he asked if I wanted to go to this gallery opening with him. I said that I didn’t feel like going, and that I was tired. He seemed really annoyed, and said that I should come with him because he wanted to show me off. I said no again, and that I felt really sick. He looked at me funny, and said “don’t you think you’re being weird?” I just said that I would see him the next day, and that I didn’t feel good.<br><br>The next day, he was acting very strangely again. I could tell he was lying, but I didn’t want to know the truth, as I was just a naive little girl. I guess you could say I was in love with him, but looking back, I realize that I was just in love with the idea of him. He kept asking if I believed in psychics, and told me that he was thinking about getting a reading. I was like “wow, that’s so cool, maybe we should get one together” and he said “no, I’ll do it by myself.” That night, I was lying in bed, when I heard him on the phone, whispering something inaudible. I could just tell that he was talking about me, but I didn’t want to know. The next day, he asked if I could help him write a text message. I didn’t really want to, but he seemed really persistent, so I helped him write the message. I wish I still had that message on my phone, as it was so creepy. He wrote something along the lines of “I know you followed her home last night, and I just want you to know that I’m grateful. You’re an amazing person.” and then he asked me to send it to a random phone number.<br><br>I was so confused and scared. I just looked at him and asked why he was sending that message. He said that he was just testing someone, but I knew that wasn’t true. That night, I booked a last minute flight to New York City, where my best friend lived. I packed up all of my things, and left the flat without him knowing. I didn’t even tell him that I was moving to NYC, as I knew he would probably follow me. When I got to my best friends house, I told her everything that had happened, and she was so pissed off for me. She told me to check my bank account, and when I did, she was right, there were two transactions. Two weeks before I left, he had paid for my concert ticket and dinner, and the day before I left, he had paid for my flight. He knew I was leaving before I even did, and had probably been planning that message all along. My friend and I decided to check the IP address, and it belonged to his friends house in town. So, when I had thought that he was just having fun with his buddies, he was actually meeting with my stalker.<br><br>I know that this post is probably really jumbled and confusing, but I just wanted to share my experience. My stalker never showed his face to me, but he always seemed tall, maybe around 5’10”. He had a very distinctive voice, and I’ve gone to therapy to learn to not remember details like that. I’ve since blocked him on everything and don’t have any contact with him whatsoever. It’s been about 3 years since this happened, and I finally feel comfortable enough to share my story. I hope you guys get something out of this, even if it is really poorly written.<br><br>*EDIT* Wow, thank you so much to everyone who has been so kind and supportive! I’m sorry I haven't replied to everyone yet. After reading your comments, I just wanted to thank you all for being so brave enough to share your own stories. It’s hard to believe that this happens to so many people, and it makes me want to shout from the rooftops. I know that it may not feel like it to you, but you are so strong and brave, and this is not your fault.<br><br>Also, I know it has been asked a lot, but I don’t think he followed me to NYC. When I checked my bank account, it was proof enough that he knew I was leaving, and had probably been stalking me for a long time. I’m just glad that he didn’t try to contact me after I blocked him. If you are currently being stalked, please, please don’t block them. You need to get as much information as possible before cutting them off. Also, don’t forget to check your bank account!<br><br>Thank you so much for all of the sweet comments. I’m starting to catch up, so I’ll be replying to some of them shortly. Once again, I just want to say that you guys are so strong. We need to shout from the rooftops. If you are currently going through this, don’t give up. I know it’s hard to believe, but you will get through this. Sending all of my love. ❤️