Also, speaking of guiding destinies, let's contrast what Paul Wright knew:
"Darn it, Wright, you're a pest!" Shelley sighed. "OK. Remember when I went out to that special training on Domestic Violence last year? There was a cop there from the Milborough detachment. Brad Luggsworth. Tough guy, but decent. We worked together on some role playing stuff for the course. Anyway, I just happened to be talking to him again last week."
She didn't meet his eyes as she said that, either. Paul had the strong suspicion that her chat with Constable Luggsworth hadn't "just happened". He also had the sinking feeling he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.
"The Bunt assault isn't Brad's case," Shelly went on, " but he's been following the trial closely. Seems he went to school with Liz' brother, knows the family pretty well. He had a long talk with her brother just a couple days ago during one of the recesses."
She looked up at him. "Paul, there's no easy way to say this. Liz is spending a lot of time with this Anthony guy who came to the rescue when she was assaulted. Brad says that it's pretty obvious from watching them that Anthony is crazy about her. And she's not exactly fighting him off." She hesitated, her face strained with unhappiness. "According to the brother, her family is really hoping they'll get together again."
Paul let the pain hit, waited for it to ease off enough that he could answer. Shelley watched him, sympathy practically pouring off her skin. "You knew?"
"Yeah. Sort of." He swallowed hard to steady his voice. "Liz doesn't have much of a filter when we talk. She's mentioned her old school friend a lot, what a comfort he is to her through this trial. It wasn't rocket science to read between the lines."
Anger flared and he welcomed it, let it blaze until it drove down the hurt. "Her parents - yeah, she let that slip too, how much they like the guy. Always have, apparently. No wonder they couldn't wait to get her out of the north and away from me. Damn it, Shelley," he exploded, "they never gave me a chance. Liz and I were good together. We had so much -"
with what Liz knows:
This occasions Gary feeding Oblivious Idiot Liz a bullshit story:
that appeals to the stupid she-Opie racing around with Mommy-Approved Ken Doll. Who's guiding your destiny, idiot woman? A cretin who needs something to be victimized by, that's who:
and also, a lummox father who wants a son in law who will not laugh in (or break) his stupid face when he weighs in with his worthless opinion:
John, you have absolutely no evidence that any of those attributes you assign to Anthony are at all accurate. In fact, all of the evidence that has been presented indicates that the opposite is true. Anthony was not kind to his wife when she was suffering from jealousy and depression. He was not dedicated to his child or his marriage when he was running after Liz at every opportunity. He's already had a shot at being a wonderful husband- why are you talking as if he's never been married, John?- and failed miserably.
Not to mention- how would John even recognize any of those positive attributes? He's never found them in himself.
Anthony will tell him so, just like Elly manages to find someone to tell her that she DID her job raising her children, something we certainly did not see in the strip, instead of someone who will call out her BS when she whines about not wanting to leave her precious grandchildren in the hands of strangers. In real life, Elly would be absolutely exhausting to listen to and anyone with a healthy respect for their own time and sanity would find excuses to stay away.
John thinks he's been kind to the wife he lives in fear of. John thinks that being a growling ass bellowing about five year old children being freeloaders makes him a responsible parent. John only stayed with Elly because no other woman would have him....which makes the other example of Pattersons not knowing what the Hell a grapevine is an example of adding insult to injury.
Paul, I'm going to need you to reach down and find those private parts you apparently put in a safety deposit box somewhere and actually be honest with Liz, because right now you are demonstrating the very worst qualities of a professional Simp. Liz dumped you in all but name and ran back to her mommy and her ex-HS boyfriend. She let you know that she did not want a relationship with you OR the community. She had ZERO right to expect you to just sit around and wait for her flaky self to play with you for a while until going back on the shelf. I hate the phrase "be a man," but I can't think of any other way to put it- tell Liz to kiss off with that Faithful Woman Betrayed Act. Do NOT follow her like a puppy seeking forgiveness. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. Say Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish and let her know she's bad rubbish. You'll be doing her a favor.
In real life, after the first time losing his religion because of a note, Martha would have told Michael to go get bent. In real life, the last people on Earth Liz would try to impress are her worthless parents.
Also, speaking of guiding destinies, let's contrast what Paul Wright knew:
"Darn it, Wright, you're a pest!" Shelley sighed. "OK. Remember when I went out to that special training on Domestic Violence last year? There was a cop there from the Milborough detachment. Brad Luggsworth. Tough guy, but decent. We worked together on some role playing stuff for the course. Anyway, I just happened to be talking to him again last week."
She didn't meet his eyes as she said that, either. Paul had the strong suspicion that her chat with Constable Luggsworth hadn't "just happened". He also had the sinking feeling he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.
"The Bunt assault isn't Brad's case," Shelly went on, " but he's been following the trial closely. Seems he went to school with Liz' brother, knows the family pretty well. He had a long talk with her brother just a couple days ago during one of the recesses."
She looked up at him. "Paul, there's no easy way to say this. Liz is spending a lot of time with this Anthony guy who came to the rescue when she was assaulted. Brad says that it's pretty obvious from watching them that Anthony is crazy about her. And she's not exactly fighting him off." She hesitated, her face strained with unhappiness. "According to the brother, her family is really hoping they'll get together again."
Paul let the pain hit, waited for it to ease off enough that he could answer. Shelley watched him, sympathy practically pouring off her skin. "You knew?"
"Yeah. Sort of." He swallowed hard to steady his voice. "Liz doesn't have much of a filter when we talk. She's mentioned her old school friend a lot, what a comfort he is to her through this trial. It wasn't rocket science to read between the lines."
Anger flared and he welcomed it, let it blaze until it drove down the hurt. "Her parents - yeah, she let that slip too, how much they like the guy. Always have, apparently. No wonder they couldn't wait to get her out of the north and away from me. Damn it, Shelley," he exploded, "they never gave me a chance. Liz and I were good together. We had so much -"
with what Liz knows:
This occasions Gary feeding Oblivious Idiot Liz a bullshit story:
that appeals to the stupid she-Opie racing around with Mommy-Approved Ken Doll. Who's guiding your destiny, idiot woman? A cretin who needs something to be victimized by, that's who:
and also, a lummox father who wants a son in law who will not laugh in (or break) his stupid face when he weighs in with his worthless opinion:
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John, you have absolutely no evidence that any of those attributes you assign to Anthony are at all accurate. In fact, all of the evidence that has been presented indicates that the opposite is true. Anthony was not kind to his wife when she was suffering from jealousy and depression. He was not dedicated to his child or his marriage when he was running after Liz at every opportunity. He's already had a shot at being a wonderful husband- why are you talking as if he's never been married, John?- and failed miserably.
Not to mention- how would John even recognize any of those positive attributes? He's never found them in himself.
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John thinks he's an honest guy too.
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Anthony will tell him so, just like Elly manages to find someone to tell her that she DID her job raising her children, something we certainly did not see in the strip, instead of someone who will call out her BS when she whines about not wanting to leave her precious grandchildren in the hands of strangers. In real life, Elly would be absolutely exhausting to listen to and anyone with a healthy respect for their own time and sanity would find excuses to stay away.
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She married her 'kind': a surly ass who's filled with simmering rage because other people exist and have needs.
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John thinks he's been kind to the wife he lives in fear of. John thinks that being a growling ass bellowing about five year old children being freeloaders makes him a responsible parent. John only stayed with Elly because no other woman would have him....which makes the other example of Pattersons not knowing what the Hell a grapevine is an example of adding insult to injury.
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Paul, I'm going to need you to reach down and find those private parts you apparently put in a safety deposit box somewhere and actually be honest with Liz, because right now you are demonstrating the very worst qualities of a professional Simp. Liz dumped you in all but name and ran back to her mommy and her ex-HS boyfriend. She let you know that she did not want a relationship with you OR the community. She had ZERO right to expect you to just sit around and wait for her flaky self to play with you for a while until going back on the shelf. I hate the phrase "be a man," but I can't think of any other way to put it- tell Liz to kiss off with that Faithful Woman Betrayed Act. Do NOT follow her like a puppy seeking forgiveness. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. Say Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish and let her know she's bad rubbish. You'll be doing her a favor.
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who the hell is Elly having the babysitting conversation with? her twin?
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