I quit my toxic workplace 3 months ago. My ex-boss is now hunting down my extended in-laws to spread malicious lies about me.
For context, I spent 4 years working as an exemplary employee at a healthcare facility/office. I never missed deadlines, took on massive extra workloads—including taking on duties for my supervisor and her favorite enabler—and gave my absolute all. I endured 4 years of targeted psychological harassment, constant lies, and sky-high stress. That environment took a severe physical toll on me, including enduring multiple miscarriages with zero time off or support.
My supervisor made it her life’s mission to get me fired because she was terrified I was after her position. Things escalated even further when I met my now-husband; she constantly tried to manipulate me into thinking he was cheating, wasn't right for me, and attempted to isolate me. Anything to keep me small, depressed, and dependent on that job.
3 months ago, I finally had enough and walked away. My resignation forced her to actually take back her own workload along with everything I had been carrying for years. Unsurprisingly, her life unraveled.
Last week, she crossed a massive line. Through a professional connection with a visiting doctor, she met my husband’s aunt. She used that opportunity to corner his aunt and claim that I am a "filthy liar who talks trash about my husband’s whole family (including relatives in other countries I’ve never even met!) and his parents," and told her I "should be kicked out of the family."
She couldn't break me while I worked there, so now she's trying to attack my marriage and personal life.
How do I handle this? How do I address this with my husband and his family without giving this unhinged woman the reaction she’s desperate for?