Love and Psychopaths 2: Forgiveness

Janet: Did it ever occur to you that it might make 'me' feel good not forgiving you? Did you ever think that perhaps forgiving you might be harder and more painful than simply forgetting you?

Joe: You forgave me for plenty of other things I apologised to you about. I don't see why you can't forgive me now.

Janet: I loved you then! I knew I had to put up with some of your idiotic behaviour because that was the price I had to pay for your good side. I was happy to pay that price before you betrayed me.

Joe: I didn't betray you! I got scared and was unfair to you. But I never wanted to hurt you! I love you, Janet. I'm still in love with you.

Janet: Why should I believe you?

Joe: I don't know. All I can tell you is how much I hate everything I've done. The things I said to you... they were the worst mistakes of my life. I didn't mean any of them and I wish with all my heart that I could take them back! Every single one of them!

Janet: (loudly) You can't take them back! You said them! You're going to have to live with what you've done. Take some responsibility!

Joe: I am responsible! I was in the wrong, but I've paid the price for that, Janet. I don't want to keep on suffering anymore. I wanted to invite you here so we could put this behind us.

Janet: No, you wanted me to come here so I would visit your fucking mother.

Joe: Are you gonna be permanently angry with me now?

Janet: I'm angry because I'm here and can see you. Not having you around is best for me because then I don't have to deal with the anger. I'm not normally an angry person and I find anger unpleasant.

Joe: Why does me wanting to come to a truce make you so angry?

Janet: Because you betrayed me! How many times do I need to keep saying that? If someone betrays another person who loved them and they feel bad, they deserve it! You're not even taking that on board. You think you deserve a truce with me and you don't.

Joe: I never said I deserved a truce with you.

Janet: Then why do you want one?

Joe: It's difficult to explain... I thought it would be best for both of us. I know now that there isn't a chance of us getting back together, but I thought maybe we could still be friends. I thought holding a grudge might not be healthy for either of us.

Janet: There's nothing wrong with holding a grudge when it's deserved.

Joe: Holding a grudge eats you up inside. It's always better to try to forgive so you don't have to hold onto anger. For me, anger is a pretty destructive emotion. I would think it is for most people.

Janet: That just means having a grudge eats YOU up inside. But you're not the one with the grudge; it's me. And my grudge suits me fine, thank you.

Joe: So you think you can be happy hating me and writing off how important a part of your life I was?

Janet: How kind of you to pretend to appeal to my self-interest Joe. I'm sorry to inform you that unlike you, I can be very happy hating you.

Joe: Hate isn't a healthy emotion.

Janet: (loudly) It's not a healthy emotion for people like you! I'm not like you remember. I don't need to forgive people because I'm too weak to carry a grudge.

Joe: It's not a sign of weakness to forgive people, Janet.

Janet: Forgiveness is a necessary evil. In this case, it's not necessary. I don't love you anymore. You saw to that.