I can defintely sympathize with your current predicament -- my first full-time job was for a small software development company that turned out to be a real sweat shop. I got hired on because a friend of mine for years -- I'll call him Jim -- was working there and they needed someone else. I knew I'd be working for him, but we got along fine so I wasn't worried. Big mistake.

In short, I didn't know Jim except as a peer and as a manager he micromanaged and browbeat everyone, including me. I realized soon after starting that I couldn't talk to Jim and reason with him -- he just was completely closed off about it. So after a while, I spoke to the owner and explained why I couldn't work there anymore since it was what I considered to be a hostile work environment. Rather than listen to me, he called in my about-to-be-former friend and made me explain to his face why I couldn't work there. I did it, and as a result the two weeks notice I offered I wound up having to retract after Jim punched his fist through the drywall in the office.

Moral of the story? First, never mix friendship with work -- it never works out, especially if you were friends in some other context first. And second, if faced with a constantly hostile work environment, you owe it to your own sanity and self-worth to remove yourself from the situation. Remember, hostility in the office is grounds for litigation.

I don't think he can justify holding back your paycheck; if he feels differently, I imagine that a phone call from your attorney would clear that up in a hurry. As for finding a replacement for you, if he actually feels like that is your responsibility then you should get out of there before he goes further over the edge than he already is. Don't confront him directly about the paycheck if he refuses -- the cost of an hour or two of time for an attorney is worth the freedom from the hassle and the rest of that paycheck.

Just my two cents' worth -- others' mileage may vary. Best of luck with your dilemma...these things are why life is hard. Just remember to be honorable about what you do and say but don't take crushing abuse because you think you have no alternative. It's the battered wife syndrome applied to the workplace...