SusanW, how you feel is how you feel and you are entitled to it. I would suggest that if anyone shows interest you do not welcome, you smile nicely and say "Thank you for your interest but I choose not to discuss it" then look away. Said quietly with a smile, this will make most people back off very quickly. As far as your boss goes, what you can do depends entirely on office politics and culture and how secure your job is. If the boss is just a jerk, remember that you are, as you say, intelligent and accomplished and just smile and say nothing when you get some rude comment. Things like that do not deserve a response. Some one once told me the way to deal with a jerk who you cannot, for one reason or another, tell off, is to picture that person naked. Worked just fine for me (grin). Hang in there. You have survived a lot of things, and you will figure out how to deal comfortably with unwanted attention too. Let us know how you are coping.