Need help understanding former employee took trade secrets

Quick background on my situation — any input appreciated.

former employee took trade secrets. I've been dealing with this for about 13 months now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves original creative work over the past 22 months. I do not have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

Am I overthinking this or is this a real legal issue worth pursuing?

Classic scenario honestly.

The thing that gets people is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.