I didn't quit, I was fired. I didn't start a fight, I'm defending myself. I'm definitely alive.

I'm a single mom. And, unlike the movies, I wasn't awarded a maintenance stipend when I got divorced. I receive little or no child support. My daughter didn't even get a Christmas present from her father this year. I work 12 hours each day. When I'm not working I'm trying to turn off my brain so I can enjoy spending time with my beautiful daughter. She's not a "statistic" from a broken home -- she's a 4.0 middle school student, a polite and caring individual, a super star athlete...I could go on and on.

I live paycheck to paycheck. I rent an apartment in the city. I lease a car. I try to pay my bills. I'm usually stressed about my finances. You would think a person like me would "play it safe" when it comes to securing employment. I don't.

In 2004 I found myself unemployed. I sold everything materialistic that I owned on Ebay to pay the rent. When I was down to my last dime, I was offered a marketing manager position. I needed a job. I was grateful for the offer. But I had to sign a two year non-compete covenant to do so. And now -- nearly 1.5 years later --  I'm being harassed by this very company who fired me. Let's refer to this company as "Company A"...