What would Summer tell us about those last days, weeks and months leading up to the murders?
That is what was on my mind when I woke up this morning. You see, I experienced a similar dynamic where an abuser tried to dig into my life.
It's insidious, and here is what happens.
Joe, as the victim, is caught between his loyalty to his wife, and his loyalty to his "friend". He'll always be trying to make it right. Trying to mediate. Joe is confused by Summer's hostility to CM. Old "Chase" is a great guy. Everyone likes him but you. Why can't you get on? And to CM. Why wind Summer up like that? You get on with everyone else - you are earning me grief man!
None of this is accidental. The abuser intentionally seeks to damage Joey's relationship with Summer to increase his control over his victim. CM bad mouths Summer and the kids to Joey's family - indeed whenever he can. He poisons people against her.
Joe will begin to resent being piggy in the middle all the time and fight with Summer about Chase. That's what happens. You spend more and more time fighting about this poisonous person in your lives.
Summer doesn't get why Joe can't see it. But here is the truly evil part.
CM shows his real face to Summer. The one Joe never sees. It's not that Summer is way more perceptive than Joe. It is that Chase reveals himself to her. This is why Summer is isolated. Chase is charming to everyone except her. They all know the nice Chase who is down on his luck. She knows the evil guy under the skin.
Summer resents this person in her life. She resents Joe for bringing him into the home. She fights with Joe because he won't listen. Because he's similar to an abused wife. He blames himself. He believes Chase's sob stories. He always hopes for a resolution. A candle of loyalty still burns.
This is where the abuser cranks up the tension. He is always there - including unannounced. He is calling all the time.
He knows the precise grapple points to hook in. The things you share that can't be ignored. Maybe your house project. Maybe your business. Your money.
Always money. Oh how Summer resented the money as she saw Joe get used time and again. Remember its not just Joe's money. They are married. It's her money. It's her money that CM cons. So what better place to stoke up a new conflict than over money?
It can take years to dig out of this abusive cycle. And it is not a straight line process. You can have a year of seemingly better times, before a new crisis hits.
IMO Summer was winning but sadly we can never know what her and Joe decided about Chase. She was silenced. What we do know is that Joe had slashed Chase's role in 2009. What we do know is things were on the up for the McStays. New home, increasing sales, great clients ....
What we do know is the abuser became a heavy presence in their lives in the last weeks
What we do know is he then did something so outrageous that it was certain to cause a huge ruction between Summer and Joe ... Something that would make Summer wildly angry. Something Joe might have to hide from Summer.
What would Summer tell us about those last days and hours? What did she find out? What boundary did she finally draw?
My 02c
