The Shivering Truth2018

Operator:
911. What's your emergency?

Lyle:
Oh, God! An intruder. This guy -- He broke into my house, and he tied me up, and -- Oh, god -- He made sure I had to watch as he woke up my -- My wife! And he -- He charmed her. Made her laugh. Then he made it so they found little similarities...ways their world views coalesced, and, over time, he made her fall in love with him.

Operator:
In love?

Lyle:
And now they're in a committed relationship where they look out for each others' emotional needs with a maturity I'll never be capable of achieving.

Operator:
Okay, sir, I'm going to tell you what to do. But you have to remain calm.

Lyle:
Please, hurry.

Operator:
Now. You're not going to be able to compete with this guy on fulfilling her needs. So you have to make a drastic show of indifference, play on her insecurity. Stoke her latent desire to have her inner sense of worthlessness reinforced. Can you do that for me?

Lyle:
I don't know how!

Operator:
Just ignore her, sir. Then when she looks for you for validation, treat her like dirt.

Lyle:
Oh, God.

Operator:
Degrade her.

Lyle:
It's -- It's working.

Operator:
Don't let up. keep it going. It worked. We're back together.

Lyle:
Ah, thank you so much.

Operator:
No need to thank me, sir. I'm just doing my job.