Emily Chan
Narcissists are self-absorbed people who try to control their loved ones and steer situations in a direction that suits their own desires. If you’ve ever had to deal with a narcissist, you know how soul-crushing it can be.
TikToker Riley Madison (@rileymadison00) is showing you how a narcissist will try to control the conversation and, by extension, you, even after you have escaped their toxicity.
About a year and a half ago, Riley left her narcissistic husband. They have a son together, so whenever they do communicate, it is only about him.
In the video, Riley included screenshots of the text messages between her and her ex-husband, where he asked what her schedule was so they could set up a time for him to see his son.
Riley pointed out the subtle manipulation tactics he used to try to make the conversation go his way. First, he asked: “What is your schedule like next week? I would like to see him.”
Riley refused to tell him her schedule because she didn’t want to give him any kind of access to her life. Instead, she asked for his schedule so she could plan hers around it without revealing it to him.
He responded that he didn’t need a detailed itinerary from her and that he was still waiting to know his work schedule.
Riley told him to let her know when he figured it out so they could schedule a supervised visit. He continued to emphasize that he would have some free time next week, even though Riley needed a specific day from him.
After reviewing the text messages, Riley explained that she could tell her ex was getting irritated because she wasn’t giving him the information that he wanted. He didn’t like the fact that she wasn’t doing whatever he asked of her.
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