I think it's possible. I made a few suggestions before, but I'll summarize them
1.) Lacey's "other side" is a side that resents MC for his powerlessness during her childhood. It's shown multiple times that she had a profound misunderstanding of MC anyways during those years (like the 243 rules or MC waiting for a time she may need him). Obviously, Lacey's main "side" loves MC and would rather die than be without him, but especially for abused people, they can't always help but feel resentment for reasons that the other person couldn't prevent. I've seen stories of wives resenting their husband due to the husband becoming overwhelmed by grief after the death of a child and other similar stories.
2.) Lacey's "other side" is the side that truly hates herself and believes she's worthless. She didn't contact MC because she had it in her mind that MC would be happier if he moved on from her, even if it would kill her. Once MC threatened suicide, she promised she'd come back. However, she kept hoping that either she could get over these feelings or that MC would move on as evidenced by her telling him to keep talking to Anna and that Anna cares about MC. So, she kept procrastinating, looking for reasons to delay her return to MC after she graduated because she still didn't feel worthy, feeling like he'd be happier if he moved on. Once MC got a job though, there was no longer any excuse for her to wait, so she went to him after 2 days. I think this answers the 1460 days very well, and I think it also explains why she would cry listening to the happy birthday song over and over again. In her head, the things she did in college weren't necessarily to learn to be on her own, but so that MC could learn to live happily without her
3.) What if there was manipulation/blackmail/guilt involved? Could Lacey's father have something to do with it? Could MC misremember prom? There's so much unexplored story related to Lacey's parents. Did her parents know about MC? Could Lacey's father have beat MC while he tried to protect her? All of these could give different reasons for the lack of communication.
What we have currently is Lacey saying she needed to learn to live without MC and that she needed to focus on college first. However, if these were truly the only reasons, then she would have at least texted MC after she got her job while MC was still in college
Hi, it's Lacey. Anna helped me get a job. I'm here, as I said I would be. Please don't obsess though, make sure you finish your extra semester and we can be together, as we promised. Not long my love, take care x
What we apparently got was:
Lacey: Should I text the MC and let him know I was good to my word? So he concentrates on his studies and graduates? What do you think Anna?
Anna: Nahh..fuck him...he doesn't need to know....
Lacey: I agree, anyway, there's this party happening tonight...
So, at the cost of being ridiculed, I will go on and tell you what what I think it is, because those 1460 days + Maviarab adjustment are a burning a hole in my mind.
At the beginning and probably for the first few months we have a classing stubbon Lacey.
She wants to do it alone and in the same fashion when she ignored MC messages about not fuccking damian, she goes ahead, because THAT is what she needs to overcome her trauma and then be able to give some ass to MC.
After a few months she is already a depressed alcoholic, she misses MC terribly and realizes she has a very hard time making it on her own, shame starts to set in.
Lacey is suicidal and depressed, drinks through the whole day, starts using ketamine, she is now an addict, there is no way she can face MC in this state, she fucked up, she is a depressed addict who smells of alcohol who did exactly 0 growing up and is as far from her goal as she was at the beginning.
Along comes the pimp, she entices and pushes Lacey, now truly desperate, so that she can achieve her goal.
She starts experimenting, as time goes on she realizes the more she is doing the less MC would want her back, she might get over her fear of sex but she is hurting MC.
In her mind, to justify what she was doing, MC was having fun himself, she later admits that it was her own idea and she knew she was hurting him.
This is roughly the CANON (please don't make me post all the dialogues), from here on is my interpretation:
At this point MC is a memory, not a person in flesh and blood, she is blitzed half of her waking hours.
The pimp pushes and pushes, she has a friend now that validates her, she feels less lonely, doesn't want to lose it.
Sex in the end feels good, the pimp is proud of her, it becomes a game also for Lacey.
MC is in her mind but she is blitzed and she is having fun her instant gratification is more important than anything else.
IIRC the suicide attempts are less or disappear.
At some point Lacey realizes she can't go back to MC in this state, but she would still like to go back, wants to get clean.
She starts sobering up BUt the pimp has something else in mind, Lacey agrees because that is what she does.
Lacey is painfully aware that she was damaged goods, now she is damaged and spoiled goods, loses it, goes into a drug, alcohol and cock self destruction spiral.
Anna calls, she talks with Mc while impaled on Isaac's cock (not true, she jumped off 30 seconds before).
A year of trying deperately of sobering up begins, she is ashamed as fuck, doesn't even have the guts to face MC, fears that she will fail and will go back as an addict.
She managed to get the job in MC hometown, still doesn't know how to face him, takes her a while to even find the courage to go and talk to him in person when he is back.
While she is with him she feels better, decides that her own well being is more important than MC life so , after she realizes how much Mc is still dependant on her, she lies and gets married.
Now, I understand my whole reasoning is based on her current behaviour and dialogues, but I think I am close to the light.
I would also want a better explanation than : "I did what I did because I did it, I don't have an answer", I want to dig deep into Lacey's past, because she wasn't with her pimp 100% of the time, or at least enough time to get fucked by zucchini, having tiramisu eaten from her butthole and lovingly share toothbrushes with her current lover.
A big plot hole I have is that Lacey was never caught with any women, so we have sorority heads going around with giant strapons and NONE decided that Lacey could be a good target? Or even give her a golden shower to clean her up from the spunk?
The issue here is that I think the author has an hard time painting women as bad creatures, so only bad boys will abuse Lacey.
I don't know if you refer to me but I never equated cheating with "fucking". She can definitely engage in cheating behavior without fucking. I'm not in the Bill Clinton school of thought
This so much.
Plus willingly getting groped for a fucking job has to be seen as cheating by everyone with half a brain.
The hot tub scene is clear she was willing to be touched, maybe even a bit shocked, but willing.
She has proven how she can refuse strongly, yet she did it only after the job was discovered as fake.
And I am sorry for my speculation here, but why invite Lacey to the parties and then ignore her? She was definitely being groped or at the very least fllirted with if not both.
Even if she tried to hide and she is the queen of hide and seek, 120h is a long time.
Edit with a bit of speculation:
When Lacey forces MC to accept that she wants to flirt or dance with other men, it is not for his own good or a lesson, she is enjoying herself.
I never had a gf that would dance with random men out of respect, you know exactly what that means, friends, sure, but random people in clubs? fuck that noise.
And they would always expected the same from me.
