Not a Fairytale PART 2

Something that is also important to consider when you read this is that even though I've tried to find some humour in these horrid events; it is a very serious situation of emotional/psychological abuse and manipulation which comes under the umbrella term 'domestic violence'. The further I go writing this, the more gravity it seems to bear. There are many components to this story that indicate something quite sinister, than your standard cheating story. 

The people involved should be commended for their bravery in sharing it so openly. It has come at a cost to them.

PART 2 - What is Real?

And so Georgina and Barry re-committed themselves to working through this hiccup. They moved into their beautiful new home, the entire thing which had been managed and overseen by Georgina. Barry had been caught up being important in  his latest financial job.

(No that's not a joke. He actually gives out financial advice when he is entirely incapable of managing his own finances.)

Luckily Barry's colleague was getting 'rid' of some lovely couches* (remember these) and had given them to Barry for their new home.

While they were setting up their new home and simultaneously trying to navigate this new situation they'd found their relationship in, Georgina came across a text on Barry's phone. It was from his colleague Samara*, thanking him for the weekend away at his mother's farm. Remember Barry's 'thinking' weekend? That was it. Georgina also found a receipt for a bunch of red roses which strangely, she hadn't received.

Shit... fan... you can imagine how it went down.

She moved out, her whole family joined the 'We Hate Barry Fanclub' permanently and it was made official by deleting him from Facebook. I'm sure it hurt.

Fortunately for Barry, Georgina accepted his explanation that he just needed to see what it would be like to 'be around another person', to test whether he truly loved her. He did, apparently. He only sent Samara the red roses as a 'friendly gesture' as she was clearly more invested in them as a couple than he was and he felt guilty for leading her on. That's how adults work out their feelings these days, and nothing says "not interested" like a bunch a red roses.

Together they sought support from a couples counsellor, focusing on a minor relationship element called 'trust'.

Lets go back a few steps.

Approximately one month before Barry had this 'crisis', he had gained his first Big Boy Job, with an office, an assistant planner and his much sought after R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Remember - this is when he was living under Georgina's parents' roof, in order for them to afford to build their house. His assistant planner was a lovely young woman called Samara who had herself just gone through a painful experience relationship-wise. Barry made the decision to pursue her, and pursue her aggressively. He felt that he and Samara had a connection as he had recently 'broken up' with his fiance, or so he told her; he had cancelled his wedding and he had fallen in love with Samara, not Georgina. Barry used his knowledge of Samara's own break up and subsequent living situation to convince her that he and Georgina were only living in their house as 'friends'. SIMULTANEOUSLY, and unbeknownst to Samara however, he was continuing to visit the couples counsellor with Georgina to work through their issues, all the while living in their home as a couple.

Confused yet? Stay with me.

Samara understood that scenario because, coincidentally,  it was almost identical to her own. Barry at this point, was quite adept at using people's own experiences and thoughts against them. As far as Samara knew Georgina was completely out of the picture. Barry had convinced her that Georgina was not coping with their break up and thus he and Samara would have to keep it quiet to avoid sending her over the edge. Being a compassionate and caring individual, Barry didn't want to cause Georgina any unnecessary hurt or pain by seeing him moving on while she 'languished' in her despair for him. So after he returned home from work to Georgina, the following day he would wait for Georgina to go to work, and then he would invite Samara to their house to spend the day together. Samara was also concerned for Georgina's welfare, as Barry had told her that Georgina was crazy and couldn't let go of him. But as far as Samara knew, Barry and her were a couple and in it for the long term and it was not too much to be concerned for the welfare of another human being.

To rub salt into the wound, Georgina and Barry's honeymoon in Vietnam was approaching. While he and Georgina spent their week in Vietnam together, part of 'repairing their relationship', Samara was told by Barry that his mother had bought him the trip to give him a break because he was so 'stressed' at work. During the non-honeymoon, Barry regularly sent Samara messages, telling her how lonely and sad it was for him, being 'alone' in Vietnam.

A major element to Barry's dealings with his two girlfriends at that point was the way he used a manipulation technique called 'gaslighting'. Gaslighting is a nasty practice where a person makes another person doubt their own recollections and memories. It is an insidious process in which  the victim eventually begins to believe they are going crazy.

So when  Georgina was becoming quite suspicious about some events, Barry became enraged and accused her of sabotaging their relationship. (He didn't use the word sabotage, that's a very big word for him). Barry knew exactly how to use Georgina's compassionate nature against her. He knew that she was committed to working out their relationship, and used accusations of 'sabotage' to throw her off the trail with guilt. On the other side of his secret life, Samara was also uneasy with a few events and was feeling suspicious. She tried multiple times to break up with Barry, but found herself overwhelmed with flowers, gifts and holidays. Again, Barry was using Samara's own compassionate nature against her, to prevent her leaving him.

One of the key events that Georgina became suspicious of was a tattoo that Barry got on his arm of a woman that looked suspiciously like his colleague, Samara. Of course Barry told Georgina she was crazy. As if he would do something so silly as get a tattoo of his colleague on his arm.

He had.

Part 3