Sometimes it's hard but... (freelancer's tale)

So today I got into it with a long time friend and client. She's an amazing make up artist with a talent that when focus is second to none. She has trained under the top masters in her field. But today, I realized that I can't work with her anymore. 

After speaking with her this morning about not responding to any of the emails and voice mails that I had left her over the course of the past few weeks. Also, a creative services rep who we had met with was trying to follow up on the contract she had sent her weeks before. The make up artist never responded to her either. What really pissed me off was that she blamed me for her lack of response to the rep. "I was waiting to hear your thoughts on the terms of the contract." Whatever. I responded to her email inquiry that the terms sounded fair to me, but in the end, she was the one who would have to work under the contract and had to be comfortable with what was written there. I never heard from her again until today (that was nearly a month and a half ago).

Today, I wrote her an email...a long email. I told her in professional terms that I was unhappy with what was going on with our business relationship. What I wasn't prepared for was the tirade that I had to endure when she called me back earlier this evening. After going back and forth for a few minutes in a heated argument that included a personal attack on me by a third party who was in the room with the artist, we seemed to settle things. But it hasn't settled with me. I think I want to sever my business relationship with her since it is now affecting our personal relationship. Though I am supportive of her career, I have to walk away.

Sometimes it's hard, but you just have to walk away.