Ok…here goes.
My ex was a controlling man. At the time we were a very happy family, Enid Blyton type. But only because I did everything to make life easy, kids well behaved, smart, clean, no arguments. I was on a permanent diet, hair always just right, dressed smartly. Great cook but we only ate what he liked.
Life was bliss…as long as we did what he wanted.
I won’t bore you details but at that time, if he had insisted we went for a meal and left the children alone then I would have done it.
Anything to maintain the happy family. I really believed I was doing the best for my children.
When I look at Kate, I see me and him.
When I did stand up to him…I got promoted at work, was earning the same so queried why I could not make family decisions then he punished me by having an affair. It wasn’t the first, he did it to show I was not indispensable. But it gave me the courage to break free. My big mistake was not being open with my children and telling them how I had been bullied.
Kate is carrying guilt and still has two children to support and protect. She is hiding something.
When I look at her, I think….that could have been me, doing something I did not want to do just to keep everyone happy.