A violinist has responded to her childhood bully who boldly messaged her asking her to perform for free at his upcoming wedding.
Tiffany Moore, 31, a professional musician who has performed at events for 19 years, was horrified to receive a random message from the woman who tormented her when they were children.
Growing up together in the same town, Moore says her days in elementary and middle school were often a struggle as she felt overwhelmed by nasty comments and cruel behavior that left her isolated and filled with self-doubt.
Now, years later, she felt the trauma return a few weeks ago when she received a random message from the abuser who had a special request.
‘Hey girl!!!!’ your opening message read. ‘I’m getting MARRIED and I want you to play the violin for my ceremony in October. It would make the perfect gift PLUS you could use photos and videos to create your presentation portfolio! Win, win!’
Tiffany Moore has been a professional wedding violinist for 19 years and has been building her reputation since she was just 12 years old.
The audacity of the message surprised the artist, and the bully seemed to have forgotten the context of their relationship all those years ago.
The musician was quick to shut up his former tormentor, but in a surprising twist, the wedding was called off anyway after the groom-to-be received his trade.
Moore told DailyMail.com that the bullying began when they were children. His bully often called his choice of instrument “geeky” and described his playing as “like a dying cat.”
‘In high school, things got worse. “She was just relentless, she would get her friends to join me and make fun of me or even pretend I didn’t exist,” Moore said.
“When I went to church and school activities, she told everyone not to talk to me and that if they looked at me, she wouldn’t be their friend.”
This treatment led to Moore having only two friends who were younger than her and were seen as “outcasts” or “underdogs.”
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Moore recalled the pain he felt when he read the message.
“When I saw that message at first, my heart sank because I thought, ‘Oh no, she’s back,'” Moore told DailyMail.com in an interview.
“Part of me felt like a high school student again, being rejected and bullied for making music and for presenting myself in a way that intrigued people.”
He let the message sit for 20 minutes before telling the woman, who is now the same age as Moore, that it was “bold” of her to ask for a free “$2,500 service.”
“You bullied me relentlessly in high school for being in the orchestra,” he wrote.
He also responded to the idea that performing at this wedding would be decisive for his extensive portfolio, which he has been building since he was 12 years old.
Moore said the bullying began when they were children growing up in the same church. His bully often called his choice of instrument “geeky” and described his playing as sounding “like a dying cat.”
Moore photographed with a friend, in her school orchestra in her senior year
Growing up together in the same town, Moore says her days in elementary and middle school were often a struggle, as she felt overwhelmed by nasty comments, but she continued to play the violin anyway.
In your answerThe woman asked if she would accept a discount, adding that she wanted to be friends “and put the past behind us.”
“I already have friends, thank you,” Moore responded. “I don’t have time to entertain your ignorance.”
Reflecting on this part of the text conversation, Moore told DailyMail.com that he has worked hard to set a rate, which he often changes, but gets discouraged when people expect a lower rate.
“I offer to do things for my family and friends for free or at a reduced price, but they never ask me,” he said.
The bully swept through Moore’s rejection and once again he asked if he were available on October 3 for their wedding, this time offering to pay $1,000, much less than the $2,500 Moore normally charges.
“This is too much,” Moore responded in a text message. ‘I have to reject his offer of $1,000 and also refuse to work to “expose himself.”‘
Apparently, this was the final straw for the bully, who immediately fell back into his old habits.
‘Well, well, who’s the bad girl now, bitch!? Go cry about not being able to pay your bills because you’re too greedy. Plus you’re not even worth it and you stink!!!!!!’
Having found her voice, Moore decided to post their interaction online.
The stalker then saw the videos showing their conversations and became outraged, telling her he was done and that Moore was “the stalker” in this situation.
She even made a vague threat to call a lawyer, which Moore took advantage of and added, “I’m not worried here,” she texted.
Moore told DailyMail.com that once the entire chain of messages was posted on her Instagram, people in their comments were telling her to contact her stalker’s fiancé.
She refused to do so, saying it “wasn’t my place,” but it didn’t take long for whispers about the exchange to arrive, prompting him to reach out to Moore on Instagram through her personal account.
Moore told DailyMail.com that once the entire chain of messages was posted on her Instagram, people in their comments were telling her to contact her stalker’s fiancé.
Moore has found strength in the friendship of acclaimed musicians Lindsey Stirling and Máiréad Nesbitt.
A friend of his had sent him Moore’s videos, which is how he managed to connect and send her messages.
The fiancé shared his bride-to-be’s version of events, which was that the potential violinist for her wedding, also known as Moore, was rude and unprofessional to her.
“She is being secretive and constantly hiding things,” he wrote of Moore’s bully. ‘…I feel like she’s cheating on me too, so I don’t know what to do.’
He ended up confronting his future wife after a church service and was met with an attitude of aggression that Moore was familiar with.
The fiancé later messaged Moore to tell him she “attacked like the bully she is,” saying things like she never loved him anyway, screenshots show.
‘She excluded him from her friends. “He hasn’t had friends in two years because she made him spend time only with her,” Moore said in the interview.
In the midst of the explosion, the wedding was canceled. The man messaged Moore to tell her that he was grateful to have found out who his partner really was.
“You literally saved my life,” he wrote in an Instagram message to Moore. “I’m going to try to fix things with my friends.”
Moore responded: ‘Today is the beginning of a new chapter for you. Cheers to a new beginning, no more narcissistic relationships.’
Moore then got the man’s permission to share screenshots of their conversation together.
His Instagram followers quickly gave the newly single guy the encouragement he probably needed.
“People in the comments were very kind to him and were trying to cheer him up and say, ‘This is the first day of the rest of your life. You have your whole life ahead of you and someday you are going to find it. “Someone who appreciates you,” he said.
Moore also revealed that, in addition to enduring bullying from her peers and an assault perpetrated against her by a trusted teacher, she grew up in a close-knit church community.
“They didn’t even allow me to drive. I was not allowed to learn to drive or manage my own finances. “They told me what to wear, where to work, who I could be with, where I could spend my time,” she said.
He escaped at age 22 and went to live with relatives in Chicago.
With the bullying and growing up in such a restricted environment, she says she once “hated life so much,” but looking back, it helped her become the person she is today.
She has found allies in musicians such as Lindsey Stirling and Máiréad Nesbitt, and launched your own business.
“I’m a big advocate for mental health because I was in a place where I wanted to end my life,” she said.
“I was being abused at home. I was confined and I wasn’t even allowed to know who I was. They told me who I should be. And now I can choose who Tiffany is.