Chapter 12 - CLAIRE'S PART
Claire had her own pattern.
She liked being right.
The therapist said it gently.
“You value accuracy.”
“Yes.”
“You also use it aggressively.”
Claire frowned.
Example:
Ashley once said she was “basically broke.”
Claire replied:
“No, your net monthly income is approximately $5,800 after taxes.”
Accurate.
Unhelpful.
Another time Daniel said:
“She had no choice.”
Claire responded:
“She had eleven choices. I can list them.”
Accurate.
Cruel in delivery.
Claire had begun treating the Mercer family like a failed budget model.
That did not cause the assault.
It did contribute to relational contempt.
She could learn from that without taking responsibility for being kicked.
Accountability did not require self-blame.
It required seeing what was actually hers.
Claire’s therapist also challenged one fantasy she had after separation.
“If I had said no sooner, none of this would have happened.”
“Do you know that?”
Claire frowned.
“No.”
“You might have left sooner. Or they might have adapted. Or the conflict might have happened earlier.”
Claire hated uncertainty.
But blaming herself for timing was another way to imagine control over Daniel’s decision to use violence.
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Her responsibility was boundaries.
His responsibility was what he did when he heard one.
