Right genuine question here. Why do we think Dan is with her? I understand he’s no saint at all, but he does work and just seems to enjoy his hobbies with his cars and games etc. Karina speaks to him like something she’s wiped off her shoe, takes everything out on him and is just basically a lazy pos who sits on that bed begging for money on social media.
I still see it as if he recieves threats/is emotionally manipulated when he tries to leave. As we all know he left her in the past and he probably has learnt and developed a fear from that.
I am glad he has hobbies like being in the garage, gaming etc it does get him time away from her, he seemed less stressed on lives when he was sat downstairs gaming by himself, with no nosey Karina talking to him like shit in the background.
If anybody is vulnerable in that relationship it is Dan. Karina is the gaslighter, the manipulater, the abuser; and Dan is sucked into that. Narcissistic relationships are a cycle, like there’s idealization; type of love bombing, Dan is the love of her life, he never does wrong, he supports her.. Then it goes to devaluation; Usually happens behind his back or in general like financial abuse etc.. Then there’s replacement, this happens mostly quickly, like she randomly mentioned she was meeting a guy (like lol what) probably after another argument and Karina noticed that she didn’t have a supply. Narcissists ALWAYS have a supply in relationships. Obviously Dan is discarded for like a day (or few minutes) and it comes back with the cycle continuing onto hoovering; attempting to blame Dan to make him feel bad and suck him back into the relationship, she probably tells him that it is all his fault that the argument took place even though it’s a higher chance that she started it with her dramatic ways. During this stage Narcissists also entice attention even if it is in a negative way, in Karina’s case it’s the Miscarriage lies, DV lies etc.. Making herself seem more ill than what she actually is, and she does all of that because she knows that is what Dan will stay for; because he feels guilty, and that he has to be there for the ‘vulnerability’ she doesn’t have.
That’s more than a essay i’ve ever wrote in school but after those 5 stages the cycle starts back and it just continues and continues. We may only see snippets of their life but I know this cycle and I know a manipulator when I see one. I feel very bad for Dan and where he is, but hopefully it’s only a matter of time.