Good Job is Slate’s advice column on work. Have a workplace problem big or small? Send it to Laura Helmuth and Doree Shafrir here. It’s anonymous!

Dear Good Job,

I was fired from a job I loved two years ago after the company I worked for was purchased, and the acquiring company declined to pick up my contract. I’ve had many, many interviews since, but have been unable to find a new position in the same profession.

I recently discovered, while talking to people in my network, that the CEO at the firm I left has somehow conducted a sabotage campaign against my employment search. He’s been trash-talking me to potential employers (and numerous places I actually applied).

My Daughter Did a Favor for a Popular Girl at School. Her Brother Told Me How It Ended. My Uncle the Priest Is Coming to Visit for Father’s Day, and My Mom Has Made an Unholy Request Help! I’ve Found There Is One Way to Get the Medical Care You Need. My Boyfriend Refuses to Do It. I Discovered Something in My Husband’s Underwear Drawer. Uh, I Think He Has Something Big He Needs to Tell Me.

I feel dismayed and betrayed! I can’t even imagine why someone would maliciously go to that amount of trouble. I’ve tried to talk with him since my discovery, but have met a brick wall of silence. His work setup allows him a lot of gatekeepers, and I can’t get in to see him. This influence is effectively killing my career. How do I overcome this?

—Out in the Cold

Dear Out in the Cold,

I’m sorry this “you’ll never work in this town again” cartoon villain is sabotaging your job search. Even if you left a job not on the best of terms, it’s unethical—and potentially actionable—for a former boss to trash-talk you to future employers. It sounds like you know that this was more than a single snide comment he made to a peer, but a campaign that reached multiple potential employers. If you’re not sure what this CEO has said and in what contexts, you could go back to the source who told you about the trash-talking to ask for more details. Then talk to an employment lawyer who specializes in defamation cases. There’s nothing like a strongly worded letter from your attorney to break through the gatekeepers protecting your former boss. The legal attention should scare the CEO out of speaking your name again, and your lawyer may be able to make a case for financial compensation.

—Laura

Classic Prudie

“Kelly” and “Lily” and I have been a trio of friends for years and lived in the same town until Kelly moved about a year ago. Leading up to her move, I felt somewhat sad, but honestly mostly relieved she was out of my day-to-day life. I love her very much as a friend, but I’m happier that she’s a “catch up once a month on the phone” kind of a friend now and not a two-three times a week hang. Lily and I still see each other often and are closer than ever. Kelly recently came into town, and it was so nice for the three of us to get together! We got a bit carried away and decided we all absolutely had to take a trip to Portugal together this winter…