ndad took my cat and is threatening me

hey chat

i (f19) moved out a month ago from my dad and into my boyfriend. there had been a lot of emotional and verbal abuse going on for a long time, but the last 2-3 months it had gotten increasingly worse and unstable. my boyfriend of a year had been begging me to move out because he feared for my safety (my dad has gotten physically aggressive with me before), and so we started slowly moving my stuff out of there until we couldnt hide it anymore and announced that i would be moving out asap.

thankfully, im now out.

but the day of my move i was meant to bring my cat with me. i was prevented and forbidden from taking my very own cat with me on my way out, and unfortunately where i live, it is illegal to take your own property without consulting with authorities first. and my dad threatened with legal action. so i had to leave without my cat.

during the time i was out of his house he would calm down and reconcile, telling me i would get my cat back as soon as i signed the job contract. fast forward a week and i had signed the job contract. i contacted my dad notifying of my accomplishment but to no ones surprise he had forwarded the goalpost to something indefinitive and vague: "you will get her back once you get your life together." what the fuck does that even mean and how do you measure that? its clearly constructed to be unattainable and as a means to control and prolong the handout of my cat.

i messaged him the other day, sending him a so called "letter of demand", which is the last formal action you can take before requiring assistance from authorities to step in to show that you did try to formally resolve the dispute.

unfortunately as my dad is very predictable with his horrible behavior he has refused and is now threatening me to come to my job and be "unpleasant" as he phrases it.

hes already intruded on my workplace once before to yell at me infront of my coworkers, but in a manner that it seems like hes "being an embarrassing dad telling me how to do my job," and unfortunately being my age my colleagues dismisses it as him just being a dad to an easily embaressed teenager.

ive already notified my boss that my dad has sent threatening messages and that there is a risk that he will still show up even though ive resolved the conflict (he said he would be coming to my job to pick up his keys, and ive sent them through mail so he has no reason to show up to my work) and that i wish that he keeps him out so he wont interfere with my work.

im so fucking scared because he has gotten physically violent with me before, but i dont know if he would go as far as to strike me in public. he has yelled at me in public and been verbally and emotionally abusive infront of others when hes been really upset.

im also terrified because he specifically said he would get unpleasant if i didnt have the keys on me when he got there, and since im mailing them, im afraid he will use that as fuel for when he gets there.

the job isnt great (i do the dishes for a restaurant), so im not particularily scared to lose it, as ive got other job interviews in my schedule, but i still care about it. i like my colleagues and i like my work place and i hate that he has control over that space too.

im also dragging my feet with sending the application for help from authorities because, although ive already gotten lawyers involved in my case in getting my cat back and proving ownership (and they've said my proof is strongly in my favor), i feel affected by how he diminishes my capabilities and competence.

i know im capable, i know that ive done everything by the book and that im educated on this manner. ive got so many people on my side, and yet all of it crumbles by just him saying the simple line "you cant do it."

and it sucks and hurts so fucking bad that he has so much power over me still. i move out to get away from him, and he takes my cat so i cant cut him off, and keeps tormenting me from a distance. what a sick fucking bastard.

at the same time, hes also using my cat as emotional blackmail, telling me that if i want to see her i have to speak to him. i hate this fucking prick so bad. i can not WAIT to go no contact after ive started the legal process against him.