Dear Roberta,

Yes she made a demand which I AGREED TO. The fact that I agreed with her demand makes my decision not to comply sound like I lied to her. So the technicality of the issue makes me look like I betrayed her and lied to her. I am not beating myself up because I told the truth to my friend. I am beating myself up because I had AGREED to her that I wouldn’t tell anyone but I still told my friend.

Is it really manipulation if you already know you are being manipulated but you still choose to go along with it? B was being manipulated by her aunt into sleeping with the man, but she was aware that it would be wrong to sleep with the man but she still did it. So does the fact that she was being manipulated justify her actions?

In the story of the Boy who cried wolf, if the people had just given him the benefit of doubt despite knowing he is probably lying, he would have probably survived, but in the end who had to experience the loss? The boy and his parents. Just in case I am wrong. Just in case she really did change. As naive as I am, I really wish I could take that chance.

Paradoxy