When a Customer Client Becomes a Predator:

The True Story of How One Woman Almost Destroyed My Life’s Work

(Updated 2025 – the parts I couldn’t say publicly in 2018 because my socials were shut down, I was still drowning in court, death threats, and PTSD)

I’ve been a professional tattooist and custom painter for over 25 years. I’ve tattooed thousands of people, fixed countless botched jobs, and at the time this happened I had 67 legitimate five-star Google reviews built over years of blood, sweat, and 80-hour weeks.

Then came Client Zero, the filthy carrier of the virus that smiled, schemed, and got off on orchestrating the torching of my entire fucking world just for her sick little thrill.

What the viral post never told you is the full timeline – and the terrifying coincidences that only came to light years later when my abusive ex’s secret life finally exploded.

Content Warning & Disclaimer

This post contains raw, honest discussion of suicide, suicidal ideation, grief, manipulation, domestic violence, and the deliberate sabotage of a small business.Some details are graphic. Some language is deliberately harsh. If you are feeling suicidal or in crisis, please reach out right now:Australia → Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7)New Zealand → 1737 or text 1737International → befrienders.org  You are not alone.Nothing in this story is worth your life. This is my lived experience, told unfiltered because silence almost killed me.Reader discretion is advised.

The session that broke something in me for ever.

During the three-hour session on her lower back, Client Zero spent almost the entire time talking about her husband who had committed suicide only months earlier. She spoke about it casually—almost proudly—describing the scene in graphic detail while laughing about already being “ready to move on” and date again. Then she pressed me for guys I tattoo and know, to hook her up with. “Can you give me their numbers? I’m ready.”

I was off-guard already as her aunty had warned me that she can be a ‘problem’, to the extent that upon taking on her job, I asked the one requirement which was that she helped me if she started being problematic toward me, and that I was in a super fragile state myself. I was talked into doing this customer as “it is” my job, right!

My specialty is professionally covering unwanted tattoos and scars. I dedicate time to crafting the optimal aesthetic approach, tailored precisely to each client's requirements. So, during her tattoo as I was holding a tattoo machine, inches from her skin, fighting back tears for a man I’d never met, while the widow in my chair was trying to pimp herself out through my private client contacts like it was nothing. My stomach churned as I identified the ‘problematic inconsiderate embodiment’ I was working on, and I cautiously continued as alarm bells went from ringing to screaming.

I’ve lived with suicide.

I’ve dug graves for people it stole.

I’ve also lived with treacherous jealousy from women without purpose—it’s a deadly concoction.

I know firsthand the black hole it rips open which never closes.

I also know the exact stench of that push-pull manipulation: love-bomb one minute, venom the next, and yet butter wouldn’t melt persona…After my mother died, the woman left as my “support” was her own sister—my aunt.

A vile, grinning C*%T who’d tell the world how much she loved and admired me…then crawl into bed with my boyfriends at any chance. I’d been woken up by her venomous spitting in my face, screaming filth at me for hours, then the endless sobbing the crocodile tears of apologies. This mess even had the audacity to announce to my father that he’s in fact the only man in the room she hadn’t 'screwed'. That was my teenage home life. A fucking roller-coaster wired to explode, manipulating, lies and the games.

So when Client Zero sat in my chair casually laughing about her dead husband while asking me to pimp out my single male clients, as I must know of some, I knew exactly the creature I was dealing with. I’d already survived one of them.

The complete absence of grief in her voice, the flippancy, the immediate hunt for new supply… I’d seen that energy before in people who destroy lives for sport. The sabotage was deliberate – and she was, connected to my abuser. 

I was already in hell. My ex-partner – the one who was violently trying to shut my shop down in court, defacing all of my signage in the local town, accusing me of everything under the sun, Because I would not run his drugs or have anything to do with that side of life – He was later exposed in Court and on the news as running a massive clandestine drug laboratory out of his automotive spray booth. Funny how he blamed his mate, when it definitely was his own operation. The police do nothing—they know this! I stand by this statement.

And it just so, Turns out he was close personal friends with the exact circle ‘Client Zero’ ran in. I didn’t know that at the time.

What I did know was that after I finally fired Client Zero as a client (after repeated no-shows, design flip-flopping, and bad-mouthing me to the same family who referred her), she waited eight weeks – eight weeks of messaging me with zero complaints – then suddenly sent photos of a chemically burnt, self-sabotaged tattoo claiming “it never healed.”

The damage was textbook foreign-ointment reaction – not poor healing. It was deliberate. She burnt her own skin to create “proof. ” And when I called her out privately – raw, emotional, ugly words from a woman who had been bullied her entire life and was finally saying “no more” – she screenshotted it, cropped it, and unleashed the www-mob.

What absolutely shattered me – more than the death threats, more than the viral mob, more than losing everything I’d built – was when I turned to the one person I had left in this world: my father.

I was broken, drowning, begging for my dad to just once be my bloody, dad.I asked him what I should do about my abusive ex who was trying to run drugs through my shop His response? Side with the ex. Because the ex-had a hot-rod shop. “maybe just turn a blind eye, things haven’t panned out for me that well, so far...”

Zero thought for my licences, or what I’d fought for my entire life, the business I’d bled for or the danger I was in. The danger was real see bellow!

“Panel beater let mate cook `meth’ in his spray painting booth

A panel beater is facing jail after allowing a mate to allegedly cook “meth” in the spray painting booth of his custom hot rod shop at Tuggerah, a court has heard.” https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/

"Good advice, hey? – what sort of advice or support is that shit!

I didn’t even want to breathe anymore.

What was the point, I was so tired?

Like Corey Taylor said it best: People = Shit!

Everyone in my support network was using me.

- Anyone who's had that realisation knows exactly how the monster is Forged.

Client Zero’s family member (my original tattoo client) knew I was struggling. They all knew how close to the edge I was. But Client Zero—knowing full well how fragile and raw I was—kept pouring petrol on the fire. Badgering me. She wanted to watch me burn, just to collect another soul for her sick kick. I saw it clear as day and So, I snapped back with extremely damning SMS's, calling her menacing bullshit out."

The viral lynching

Within hours my business was flooded with death threats, rape threats, coordinated one-star bombings that closed my google business account. World-wide and she played it all like a fiddle..

My social media accounts were mass-reported and disabled (some still never recovered).

Clients were harassed for defending me.

I lost 5 clients, all the other knew how I run my business and how I role as an individual – all I do is care! About my art, customers, people trying to give them a better service, one that I had never received...

All of this, because I refused a predator and named it.

I regret how I sent that SMS—the style of it—but I do NOT regret seeing her true colours and calling that shit out. Yeah, I called her utterly scheming and evil, and accused her of contributing to her husband's suicide.I still stand by every single fucking word.

Right now you're all judging me and getting defensive—so let's unpack this, yeah? Perfect time to talk about accountability and responsibility!

If someone in your circle of concern (your partner, your child, your sibling, your best friend) what ever the fucking title. IF they ever feel the only way out is to take their own life, don’t you dare pretend you had no part in that darkness.

That circle exists for one reason: to be the unbreakable wall against the world, for EACH OTHER. (We have one job as humans – protect the fucking clan.

You were their clan. Their last line of defence. Their supposed safe place. Their damn support network.

When a person gets to the point where death feels like the only relief, every single one of you in that circle has failed them. You. Failed. No excuses. No “mental health is complicated.” No “I didn’t see the signs.” You were the signs. You were the daily air they breathed. You were the hands that either lifted them or pushed them closer to the edge. If suicide ever wins inside your family or your chosen family, look in the fucking mirror. As that is where the accountability starts.

The only thing I regret is putting it in a written form where a sociopath could weaponize it.

If I could go back, I would have blocked her the second she asked for my clients’ phone numbers while smirking about her dead husband.

To every small business owner still reading this:

You do NOT have to service predators.

You do NOT have to entertain their manipulations—or calm them down while they're doing it.

You do NOT have to smile while someone tries to pimp through your private client list.

You do NOT have to keep someone in your chair who you genuinely believe is capable of driving people to suicide for fun, power or benefits.

The customer is not always right. Sometimes the customer is a calculating parasite who will burn their own flesh and your entire livelihood to punish you for setting a boundary, out of jelousy.

 

 

This was my response I sent to the paper: They never ran Client Zero’s Story or my side.

I wish they did, it would open up a converstation I belive we all need to have.

I currently tattoo Client Zero’s Family member who is an absolutely beautiful lady. I also tattooed her Friend who I respected very much! Both asked me if I’d be interested in doing Client Zero’s cover up tattoo, I said no to start with, but as that is what I do, eventually I said, “yes”.

Client Zero came in on the 25^th of May 2018 and paid her deposit. It took two attempts for her to keep her consultation appointment. We completed the design requirement form and I learned of the attributes and detail of her desired tattoo outcome. She had two tattoos she wanted covered, her ‘tramp stamp’ Lower back tattoo (no insinuations) just that’s they are nick named that and a lot of girls have them including myself. And her leg tattoo.

After planning to do her back on the first session, Client Zero sent through more designs and I had to clarify that we were doing her back tattoo as that was what was planned originally as she kept changing her mind.

She was already demonstrating to be a high maintenance client by forgetting the address of the studio, messaging me a lot more than you would normally, and changed her mind to the extend I had designed both cover-ups and for free, this is not normal for standard customers.

I provided Client Zero two designs one for her leg and one for her back. One was a revamp rather than a cover up as I had to consider her budget.

I also provided options that included her budget. Tattooing is costly and surface area coverage determines the cost. I explained by doing lace and shading, you can cover the areas desired with a small cost as lacing is delicate and not full solid block colour. I provided her cover- up / revamp designs and she liked them.

I gave her a 50% discount based on her predicament and out of consideration that I had already done multiple sessions on her family member.

Prior to her 2^nd session she asked if there was any more designs and I replied I had already send the designs through and we were working on the humming bird design, the back cover up as planned, but I would have some flowing design extention concepts, to go over on the day. Client Zero provided more designs as she wanted to add to her back tattoo and have it flow down to her leg cover up.

At this time there was no problems with the current tattoo performed or the barrage of SMS’s bieng sent (all hours).

I explained to Client Zero as I do all of my scar cover and cover up tattoo customers that the pigment throws out around 30% of it density once it healed so if it needs a touch up we may need to colour pack some colours so they are nice solid and bright. I also advise that there may be some abnormal raising as the skin can react when we work with damages tissue be it already tattooed or scar tissue.

I offer all of my cover up client a touch up session as the skin is already compromised.

Client Zero came in on the 18^th of June and I performed her tattoo for three hours. She was short on cash that day, without being forth coming and after I already discounted her tattoo by half price, so I allowed her to use her deposit where as we’d normally roll it over so we always have a deposit for a booking. (Its $100 and comes off of your total tattoo cost, I do not keep it).

I was emotionally drained after her tattoo her hearing about her ordeal. I was shocked at the lack of empathy, her justifications as to why she wasn’t devastated and I was almost in tears myself. I was nearly talked into giving out a customer’s number to her as she explained she was ready to meet men and did I know any. (What the Fuck did I just deal with!)

Client Zero wanted a Monday appointment, which at that time was my only day off. I was sympathetic and agreed to open for her but explained that I wouldn’t be getting a break that week and as she was using her deposit, so please do right and let me know in advance if she had to reschedule. She cancelled an rcehdduled already a couple of times, renderin my Mondays uesless at such late notice.

Client Zero messaged me the night before of her appointment around 5pm explaining she couldn’t get a baby sitter.  I SMS’d her back expressing that was not on and addressed the mucking around considering I was opening above and beyond for her. I then called her as well as I was too tired to sms to offer a solution. I called her at 5.57 and told her that wasn’t okay. She asked what we’re doing and if we could make her back tattoo join together with something similar as she had sent through more photos (Her back and leg). I said yes for sure and we’ll work it out, when she came in, but her session is already planned, I had already stencilled and with cover ups we need to stay on track for outcome deliverables.

She text me and said she’ll see me at 11am.

She messaged me first thing that morning of her tattoo and said her and her daughter was sick. I felt that this was untrue as she seemed fine the night before when we spoke. I figured this was a good enough time to ask her to find another artist so I did.

I have found in my life experiences that you can get a good idea of someone’s personality when you tattoo them for 3 hours and in my opinion, Client Zero had many attributes of predatory women with vile and manipulative traits, similar to that who have hurt me in my past. She made me nervous and I did not want to keep her as a client.

Client Zero messaged me again later on, and after thinking about it I explained to Client Zero that this is my business and I don’t choose who I tattoo, you either want my art services or not. And if she did she needs to come in and pay for her already, half price discounted, session up front and keep her booking on a normal day... I extended her the option, this was on the 13th of July. She didn't show.

I was tattooing Client Zero’s family member, and when she came in for her appointment on the 22^nd of July she was apologising profusely for how bad Client Zero was treating me and my shop. Client Zero started bad mouthing myself and my shop on social media.

Next her friend comes in on the 30^th of July 2018 and is also apologising to me about Client Zero and what she is doing to me and my shop. That she is just a really difficult person…

I ask both her friend and her family member to get her to leave me alone. My business is finally stable and I have gone through too much, this is all I had and that I am very fragile considering my circumstances.

A few weeks later, I then get an SMS at 8.38pm of a serious skin reaction on Client Zeros tattoo saying “ just wanted to touch base as it’s been 8 weeks since my tattoo and it just hasn’t healed”.

Straight away I knew she had contaminated her lower back tattoo. You must understand we were going to continue the tattoo right in that area two weeks prior, It was healed, I saw it!!! – In my professional opinion it was healed and fine! Client Zero has SMS messaged and talked to me around 20 + times prior to her 2^nd booking and not once did she say there was any issues with the current tattoo. If there was an issue she would have said so, as she had outlined her bills, her money and how her parking was in our correspondences - just not if her tattoo was healing poorly...

This was orchestrated because I asked her to find another artist. She was already slandering my shop. Her contaminated back rash wouldn’t come up after 8 weeks. The rash and its damage are above and beyond the tattoo. It’s also not a reaction to the colours, as it included the lace work.I give all of my customers aftercare advice and aftercare cream as part of my service. I am very proficient in explaining details about colours and what to do and not do. Client Zero’s previous tattoos from another shop didn’t heal the best, and I was super vigilant with her. I already felt edgy about this customer’s state of mind. I explained that both red, white, and navy pigments react more. The reason is that the raw colours are so low in opacity that the pigment content is more concentrated for equal density in comparison to other tattoo colours. Also, the ingredients are a factor. (I use Fusion—REACH-compliant inks).

I tell everyone everything I can, and provide touch up tattoos that are $50 (covering my costs) but am more than happy to spend another 1 – 2 hours at no charge if their tattoo needs it, especially cover-up tattoos. I care about my work.

So, yes my reaction wasn’t’ tactful. But being tactful hadn’t worked prior she was still bad mouthing me and my shop and now in my professional opinion after viewing the image; it looks as though she has gone as far as ruining her own tattoo to provoke me. Seriously who is this woman!

Her f’ing family were apologising to me on her behalf, profusely! 

And yet she was merrily getting all the attention she wanted by playing an innocent victim, who had a really bad tattoo experience and putting it on the internet…

That night I had no sleep dreading what her next steps were to be. I’d had a hugely traumatic day and with everything combined and no sleep, I snapped. It somehow, in the moment, made sense to me that if I confronted Client Zero about my true perspective of her motifs in a private message, that I saw through her façade, that she would back off and leave me and my shop alone! If I made it condemning enough, she would back off.

"If I received a message like the one I sent to her, I would be hurt that I had made someone feel that way. Most of all, I would want to know why on earth they would say those things—and make it right, if I could."

Client Zero didn’t she mashed it all, for her advantage, and got it all up on social media within 15 minutes!

I woke up to 100 missed calls, 1000 sms's and my world crashing down:

I had even called her family member prior to this and begged her, could you just get her to leave me alone. If the tattoo needed anything I’m happy to do whatever, but leave me alone, right now.

From 5 Stars - 1.

Her efforts to defame me went to the extent of having a mob of people through the world, work together to bring my Facebook, twitter, Google +, Google ratings, Instagram, true local and other platforms to an end which ceased me being able to access my clientele. As all of these platforms are my main contact with my clients. I am still today, locked out of some social media platforms.

The only platform I had left to defend myself was my own website. Everywhere else had been mass-reported and shut down by the lynch mob. Seven years later, the death threats and hate mail still trickle in because her post never dies.

And this is exactly what people like her do: crop a private message, play the trembling victim, and unleash a troll army with a one-sided fairy tale.

All while the people closest to her (her own family, her friends) were walking into my studio, heads down, apologising for the monster they couldn’t control.

When your own circle has to apologise for you… and others end up in the ground… maybe the villain in the story isn’t the one who finally said “enough.”

Client Zero you are no victim.

I’ve been violated and betrayed over and over by childhood bullies, by abusive men, by the justice system, by a client who weaponised my empathy. The world didn’t punish the abusers.

It punished me for surviving, for speaking raw truth, for refusing to stay pretty and quiet while they took everything from me.

My rage, my unfiltered words, the way I now make predators turn to stone with one look… that’s the serpents, that’s the gaze.

I didn’t choose the snakes.They grew to keep me alive.

And just like Medusa, people only ever tell one side of the story: the heroes who came for your head, never the story of why your head has become the prize in the first place.

So yes, I paint myself as Medusa. A real one.

Not the monster.

The woman who was punished for surviving.

The woman whose rage became her armour.

The woman whose gaze alone petrifies abusers and liars where they stand.

Crown of living snakes.

Eyes that have seen too much.

Body covered in the tattoos I gained as signatures, when no one else protected me.

I am Medusa, reborn. And my snakes are fucking beautiful.

Erika B Armstrong