23M dated a 28F coworker — now facing harassment and threats of false complaint

I’m a 23M and I dated a 28F coworker. From early on, she seemed fixated on the idea that I was “too young” or immature, even though I never leaned into that or used age as an excuse for anything.

Many things I did out of genuine care were repeatedly interpreted as me “seeking comfort” from her or being dependent on her. It felt like she was projecting assumptions instead of communicating directly.

I once opened up about my family, including that I’m close to my mother. She somehow twisted this into an assumption that I want a partner like my mom, which I found unfair and disturbing. I never said or implied anything like that.

Things took a sudden turn. She emotionally withdrew, asked for “space” and a “break,” but kept me waiting for months. We stopped talking in person. Then one day, out of nowhere, she texted that “we were never in a relationship.”

We work at the same place, so complete avoidance wasn’t possible. She began making strange assumptions — like thinking I was staring at her if I happened to walk into the office area.

Now that she’s serving her notice period, her behavior has escalated. She started sending abusive messages, calling me “not man enough,” a “child,” and then went on to insult my mother and family — specifically targeting personal things I had shared with her in confidence.

What’s most stressful is that she sends these messages and then warns me that if I reply, she’ll file a harassment complaint against me — even though she’s the one repeatedly messaging me. If I try to explain myself, she tells me to “leave her alone,” while continuing to text abuse.

I’m mentally exhausted and anxious, especially because of the threat of a false complaint in a workplace context. I’ve stopped responding, but the messages still affect me.

I’m looking for perspective and advice:

Does this qualify as emotional abuse or harassment? What’s the safest way to handle this in India, given we’re coworkers? Should I be documenting or escalating this formally?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.