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" Dear E. Jean: Ten years ago, I was in the middle of a horrible relationship\u2014he was a criminal, and I was suffering debilitating depression. In his own sad, loving way his solution was for us to &amp;quot;reinvent&amp;quot; ourselves and start over in another state\u20141,200 miles away. We made up a story that I was a college grad. (I didn&amp;#039;t have anything close to a degree, but I wanted to find a great job and smart friends.) The problem is the lie has continued after a traumatic breakup.  I now live in yet another new state, with a new love, new friends, and a new family (my boyfriend&amp;#039;s\u2014I don&amp;#039;t have any family of my own). All these wonderful loving souls are trying to help me break into a new career, networking\u00A0and putting their reputations on the line by recommending me (and my fake degree) to employers.  I&amp;#039;m terrified of being found out. Why? I went back to school, and I now have a real degree; but talking about the first (fake) degree became such a habit that\u00A0I&amp;#039;ve been automatically blurting out that I have two degrees. My ex is always threatening to expose me. Help!\u2014The Double Double, darling: Please. Times are rough. Everyone&amp;#039;s too busy bullshitting on their own r\u00E9sum\u00E9s to worry about you. However, because you lied to friends and future employers, you must set the record straight. Tell friends: &amp;quot;You may never speak to me again after you hear my sad story...&amp;quot; and then relate your history (go easy on the&amp;quot;criminal boyfriend&amp;quot; elements), take full blame, explain you now hold a real degree, and ask their forgiveness. Write to employers with whom you&amp;#039;ve interviewed: &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;d like to express again how much I admire your company&amp;#039;s spectacular achievements (here enumerate their recent triumphs). I believe my accomplishments (list three or four) make me a prime candidate to fill (name the position) in your distinguished (name the department) division. I feel lucky to have met you and wish to make a correction in my application: I hold only one degree\u2014a bachelor&amp;#039;s degree from Michigan State, not two degrees, as you may have been led to believe. I have attached my transcript.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/life-love/ask-e-jean/advice/a9817/ask-e-jean-erasing-the-past-314976/?click=main_sr>