In 2001 my boyfriend saw that my hobby, candlemaking, was profitable. He suggested that we rent the cart which sat in the middle of the Arcade (right across from the bank where I worked) to sell candles. He would run the business, he said, and I thought it would be a good idea, because I always wanted my own business. I worked for 30 years, for one boss or another, and never had a job which was fullfilling. Secretary, Administrative Assistant, data entry clerk, HR Associate, etc. Always working hard to make someone else look good. Never getting much credit for anything. Always on the outside looking in.So I rented the cart, bought supplies and equipment, and the cart opened. After 6 months of relative success, he suggested that we open a store front in the Arcade, and convinced me that it would be a good idea.So, I rented the storefront, bought supplies and equipment, and the store opened. I soon found that he was "holding court" for all the young women that worked in the other stores in the Arcade, and surrounding businesses, and closing the store to go off for "meetings". He'd take orders for speciality items, which I would have to make, not giving time for me to do the actual work and leaving no relaxation time for me at all. For over a year I worked a full time job, then went home and made candles. I was paying all the bills for the shop, from utilities and rent to supplies, and he was spending most of the money taken in. He joined the Chamber of Commerce, and attended "Business after Hours" events with some of the other members. He didn't invite me, most of the time, and when I did go along with him, I spent a miserable time in an uncomfortable place by myself while he went off to socialize with other people. Usually women. So I stopped going.When we went out to dinner together, I had to pay the check. When he went with them, he picked up the check or split it with his friend. I stopped going out to dinner with him.When our lease in the Arcade came up for renewal, he removed my name from it. I was relieved, and stopped paying the rent. I made him start paying for supplies, and made him make the candles. I stepped back from the enterprise almost completely, and found that the store was closed almost every time I went into the Arcade (I got coffee there a couple of times a day). When it was open, he was seldom alone.After the store closed, I never got alot of my stuff back. He didn't feel like packing it up and loading the car, and we lost most of what was left behind. I've tried to get back into the candlemaking business, here in my new home, but cannot seem to get motivated. I keep going back to the failure I had back there, with him, and just get depressed. I cannot give the failure to him, completely, because I was really stupid to allow him to take it over like I did, and should have pulled out much sooner, both from the business and from the relationship, which was not good.He used me, and I knew that he was using me while it was happening. He made a fool of me and I made a fool of myself with him. He wasted so much that a couple of years later, when I lost my job and could not find another, I had to cash in both my pension and 401k in order to keep from going bankrupt. Now, I have next to nothing. I still cannot find a job, and have been out of work for 2 years. My savings is gone, and my shop hasn't even pulled in $1,000 for the year. I don't have any friends here, and I lost most of my friends back there when I lost my job. I don't really want to leave the house and don't have anywhere to go if I did.