One thing to keep in mind here is that Mrs. C does have a mental illness. I believe from the posts that she has bipolar disorder. I had a friend in college who suffered with this and I've worked with children who have it and I can tell you they don't always act rationally. Certainly, medication helps, but depending on severity and correct usage of medication, judgement can be severely impared.
I'm not taking responsibility away from Mrs. C, but based on this she's likely MUCH more emotionally vulnerable then your typical person.... and this Striver character probably realized this and chose her as a victim based on it. When you think about it, there's truly no other reason someone would choose to strike (yikes!) up a relationship with a weakened and confused woman who has a mental illness. This is not someone seeking a healthy relationship. This is someone looking for a victim.
There is no arriving, ever. It is all a continual becoming.
