VN Ren'Py Love & Jealousy [Act 2] [Professor Amethyst Games]

[DeviantFun]

Women prefer maturity and confidence. Not man babies. Those we smile and nod and ignore just as long
as they do their job as a good provider.

This is very true after a certain maturity point and those are characteristics I would like for MC to have.

The author tries he shows him capable of managing the household, is caring and earns well.
So he does look like he would at least be a good provider.

Always been on the fence about MC. Honestly ? I think you guys convinced me. I think I forgot some parts and part of it is that I treated him as another harem protag and gave him to much benefit of doubt.

I stated before that that I think he is too passive and could have avoided many pitfalls with Lacey if he had been more proactive.

I think I at some point even thought(I think I mentioned this before) like Silken on Demand here. MC is becoming toxic and every little thing triggers him. They seem little from outside and he has legitimate reasons for it, but nevertheless. No matter how much you love somebody at some point anyone may get tired of this constant walking on eggshells and mood swings. He needs help from professional.

So please dont misunderstand what I am trying to say. I am writing this not as much in defense of the MC, more in defense of the Author. So MC ends up as collateral damage in the process.

I have to defend MC this time.
The one walking on eggshells to avoid hurting Lacey is him, since act 1.
It is stated plenty in the game, if you want a recent example look at how he reacts to his own comment about party girls.

He didn't need this treatment if the pimp didn't spring her nefarious plan, or he would have needed way less of it.
Or if Lacey didn't forxe him to watch Damian pounding her while humiliating him..."oh sorry I feel bad about that but I took some K".

so let's give to Ceasar what he is due, MC has been irreversibly damaged by what both Lacey and the pimp have done.

Plus, what does he do aside from voicing his hurt? Are we now policing how a victim should act? "Be a good victim abd shut the fuck up please", seems a bit too much.

Luckily, Lacey understands this fully, and recognizes that SHE made him that way, he would be a good ans capable man otherwise, so she accepts (and wants) him to punish her.

That`s a bit of a strawman. MC has other traits. Not every woman falls in love with him, not to mention madly. And the cast consist mostly of just out of college graduates with zero relationship experience. Or negative experience.

Please tell.me what other traits he has, he is a trauma victim that is kind to others to an insane extent, to the point where he accepts being called a cuck by his "friend" in a public place and takes it sitting down, or bent over if you will.

His jealousy (it is not jealousy and the fact that the game calls it that way makes me hurt inside) is another traits that he has, it does stem from abandonment trauma, so it goes in his trauma bundle.

He literally has nothing else: emotionally intelligent traumatized guy who is kind to folks.

His description is: "odd, kind and caring" that's it.

Why MC need to be great ? Is author trying to tell us MC is great ? Or you saying people can only fall for great people ? What about all the happily married regular shmucks ?

Yes, every five minutes of gameplay a character will tell us how wonderful and special he is, so, yes, the author is telling us that, unless everyone is lying and they hate his guts secretly (considering how the pimp, anna and Lacey act sometimes some folks made that speculation).

Regular schmucks do not have 10+ women fawning over them like he is the second coming of christ mixed with jhonny sins.

This is strawman again, you again putting words in my mouth, I never said this is the only reason. And to answer the question - yes. For this women this is enough. Because they literally did it in the story we both have read. There is no standard setting here, only the fact that Mia is madly in love with MC and tried to steal him. You may say that Mia likes cocky guys and this out of character, but imo this is only sexual fantasy. Doesn`t mean she wants to be in any romantic relationships with "cocky guys".

Fair enough on Mia, strange, but fair enough.
It is difficult to accept that several women (and men) from different backgrounds have the same tastes and standards, without MC having to do anything aside from bringing drinks and food to tables and be kind.
I could make an argument against my own point (I am a fair dude ) that some of them see his absolute devotion to loving Lacey as endearing (pimp dialogue during K event hints at it).

Another point is you said you cant find evidence of MC being able to stand for himself, but listed 3 instances of him standing up for himself. Plus victory over Jared, he used his natural ability to make friends and communication skills to win.

Yes but this is a several hours long game, I pointed those out as the only times he actually stands up decently.

I need more to actually believe this guy is able to stand up for himself.
And I fully give him 100% leeway when it comes to resisting Lacey, she is his weakness and, sadly, unwilling abuser.

And the anti Jared plan was so shaky to its core that if Bella said "no" he would have been turbofucked, Veronica too.
I understand the concept we had to learn from the plan, his uncanny ability to make people like him. It is fine.

In short while I agree that MC is not right in the head, the fact that many women are attracted to him is not something that bothers me much in this story, especially compared to how everyone love Mia. If I imagine him without Lacey trauma he seem like an all right guy to me. The enigma for me is Anna. She seem to have normal life, no trauma that we know of, well adjusted individual. Why she got so tangled up with these lunatics is a bit of a mystery.

Agreed I do not have a problem with the women liking him per se, I am able to understand the message the author is giving, I would have preferred a better characterization.

Man you know who you are talking to? I consider people liking Mia the original sin of this game.
It is surreal and, I am not even exaggerating here, EVIL.
Wait until I come back from abroad, I am in need to drop some thoughts on some stuff.

I agree also with the fact that MC would have been an alright dude if Lacey and the pimp did not destroy him.
Anna...is always a mystery, she does have strong protective instincts and they did spend some time together, so maybe she sees things the author didn't show us (which is my problem with his characterisation).

Edit: I wanted to condense my message to this: I see MC good qualities and faults, what I would like is that we not only TOLD how great he is, I want to see it.
Else we are losing an important part of his characterisation, there is still time tho, we are only on act 1 and a half!

 

[Maviarab]

Regular schmucks do not have 10+ women fawning over them like he is the second coming of christ mixed with jhonny sins.

Speak for yourself...

 

[Diosvincenccio]

CLAP CLAP CLAP his post revolted me, and then your reply appeared as if by magic. And yes, unfortunately for this poor MC, it's just a story because any normal man would have left thousands of miles ago.

Yeah, if MC had a tiny bit of common sense he would have said "after years of ditching me you want to marry me now? Nope, pass" But then we would not have the story.

And its a her. Silken is a woman, at least the user claims to be, and made the post giving a woman oppinion.

Edit: post that seems to have banished.

 

[InactiveK]

Sounds like you and your friend arent that different. As long as you get a benefit, as long as you get provided, you accept that treatment and use of those "man babies", whatever you wanna call them. As long as they are useful you acknowledge their existence to a point. How was the saying?, a man is loved for what he provides, never solely by being himself.


That sound very much like Lacey.


HE is the villain? Fuck it. HE is the victim. He may be dumb as fuck an idiot and spineless, but he is not a villain, god forbid a man has emotions and expresses them, you really sound like you would fit as part of the character cast.

Blaming the MC for having reasonable emotional responses for such situations?. He was lied into a wedding. Gaslightend numerous times. Emotionally blackmailed into accepting things he never wanted. His emotions and opinions ignored and overuled by his loved one. Cheated and hurt for some selfpleasure by his trusted and even thrown in his face that it was for his own good. His own friends lie, gaslight and defend his wife, saying that his behabiour is irrational and at the same time keep showing photos of how his wife is a complete slut. He was used and abandoned for years by the one that claims that it loves him more than anyone, yet she also claims and shows that she dosent give a fuck about him and has no problem hurting him.

His inner circle of friends are composed of monsters, and yet he is the villain? For what? For having anger towards someone that uses your good will against you? Doubts towards people that lie to him on daily basis? For yelling at someone that has intentionally hurt him despite being the one supposed to love him the most? Having resentment towards the one that has betrayed him in multiple ocassions? All reasonable and expected things for what it has done to him, and even all his reactions fall short.

He has his faults, but he is not a villain, not for what he has done nor what he has felt. At worst you can blame him for being spineless and some flirting with the work crushes, which all the females around him downplay the importance when they do it. Double standards. You cant expect the inexperienced ex-virgin loner that never paid attention to other women to realize his effect over other women. Like is said in the game, a baby with a tank. It just happens that the tank is badly written.

For last, i would like to know what you consider "doing the right thing" is. To me the right things is dropping the dead weight, i would get out of there, cut ALL of them of my life, if necesary move out of the city, hell, moving out of the planet and that still could be considered staying too close. What is your doing the right thing?


And apparently the worth of a woman is once again her physical appearance. What the hell has Christine appearance has to do with her IT skills? Cant a 12 year looking woman have the skill to identify a deepfake?

Sure, you could blame the MC, a supossed IT expert, and say he is the one that should have figured it out. I could say that he was in an emotional state and wasnt even looking at that video on a technical point at all. You know, having been cheated and utterly betrayed like 3 weeks ago proved that the wife could do something like that. Hell, even the wife and her friends thought that she could have done it. So the 3 second flip is kind of justified.


Im sorry to say it crudely like this, but, Silken on Demand, you sound toxic too for blaming the victim. I dont know what happened with your ex, nor i care, i had my share of toxic women in my life from my mother to some ex. I have seen your attitude. You would fit right into the story, you would get along with some of the characters.

Thanks for saying this. I don't even dislike Lacey. I'm very sympathetic to her, but she set the tone from the start by love bombing the MC into a marriage neither was ready for. He was very clear he was happy to start as friends and takes things slowly. Lacey knew the clock was ticking and it was only a matter of time before her unsavoury past caught up with her and MC found out. So she aggressively pursued him, making the first move each time. SHE sought HIM out. SHE kissed HIM. SHE asked HIM to marry her. And once again she deprived him of a normal relationship by skipping regular relationship steps.

MC at this time was stable. He had a good job. Was starting to make friends. He was obviously doing well, no signs of inappropriate behaviour, extremely well liked at work and performing well. Lacey has completely destroyed him. And NO ONE is really helping him. He could have easily have killed himself. After the Damian thing, he walked off, and everyone just let him. What kind of friends just leave someone to walk off alone in that situation? Anna, at the very least, should have known better than that.

Lacey seems to be finally making a recovery. She laughs where before she couldn't. Despite being severely conflict avoidant, she was able to confront Kelly over MC. She's taking responsibly for her actions, actually self reflecting on her treatment of MC, and getting therapy. But all this progress has come at the cost of MC mental well being. She leaned on him his entire life and even now it was the same. And now he's at a point where he's breaking down and apparently he's at fault? Fuck that.

 

[DeviantFun]

Thanks for saying this. I don't even dislike Lacey. I'm very sympathetic to her, but she set the tone from the start by love bombing the MC into a marriage neither was ready for. He was very clear he was happy to start as friends and takes things slowly. Lacey knew the clock was ticking and it was only a matter of time before her unsavoury past caught up with her and MC found out. So she aggressively pursed him, making the first move each time. SHE sought HIM out. SHE kissed HIM. SHE asked HIM to marry her. And once again she deprived him of a normal relationship by skipping regular relationship steps.

MC at this time was stable. He had a good job. Was starting to make friends. He was obviously doing well, no signs of inappropriate behaviour, extremely well liked at work and performing well. Lacey has completely destroyed him. And NO ONE is really helping him. He could have easily have killed himself. After the Damian thing, he walked off, and everyone just let him. What kind of friends just leave someone to walk off alone in that situation? Anna, at the very least, should have known better than that.

Lacey seems to be finally making a recovery. She laughs where before she couldn't. Despite being severely conflict avoidant, she was able to confront Kelly over MC. She's taking responsibly for her actions, actually self reflecting on her treatment of MC, and getting therapy. But all this progress has come at the cost of MC mental well being. She leaned on him his entire life and even now it was the same. And now he's at a point where he's breaking down and apparently he's at fault? Fuck that.

Good post overall, just a few minor corrections:

MC is doing well at the beginning, but it seems it is because Lacey promised to come back.

You made me think about it, and I will have to fo through the beginning again, because it is not completely clear if it is the promise or simply MC is getting over the abandonment.

Lacey is doing better, her double laugh is a clear message, but her conflict avoidance is...spotty at best.
She never had an issue confronting MC or Anna, so I always wondered about that.

The rest is spot on.

 

[Maviarab]

ou made me think about it, and I will have to fo through the beginning again, because it is not completely clear if it is the promise or simply MC is getting over the abandonment.

It's never explicitly stated (as usual) but the impression from the writing (often wrong as I've discovered) is that it is from the promise. A lot of time goes by in a few sentences but basically:

Has the call. Please concentrate on your studies...will come back
He works and studies hard to finish the year and his lost semester
At some point, Lacey comes back for job (I still believe this date is inaccurate from the MC)
MC finally graduates, gets apartment, week later Lacey turns up.

However, a lot of time passes here (as I show in my timeline, one whole year to be precise)....but it does seem that it is her promise alone to come back to and be with him that is the catalyst for his change and then drive and determination.

However, there is then a considerable time skip where they are happy and do the general honeymoon period stuff without issues and/or problems (other than Barty's secret visits and assault) before we get fully into the story when everything goes to shit. So for all this period, without and with Lacey, he is a stable, well adjusted individual (even being married to her)....this period imo, to fit real world stuff is approx 8 months. It is then we get the 'something nagging me/is not right' discussion and 2 days later Lacey is off to play tennis and 'lesson 1' starts.

First intentional confirmed gaslighting here (though we know later on, Lacey has kept Barty's visits to herself so the lies/witholding information started earlier, unfortunately we have no specific date for these visits but it has to be during those 'blissful months' as it's only a week later Barty arrives expecting her to be there)....

...then it all goes sideways....until that point, the MC is perfectly fine....no issues, no self-worth issues, no arguments (that we are informed of), no jealousy....he an everyday, normal guy happy with his life.

 

[InactiveK]

You made me think about it, and I will have to fo through the beginning again, because it is not completely clear if it is the promise or simply MC is getting over the abandonment.

I'm not sure if he could ever completely get over it. The abandonment is brought up a lot, in and out of story, but I always felt it was the ghosting that was more cruel. She really intended to return to him after ignoring him for 3+ years? Anyone with their head on straight would have moved on.

I actually used to wonder if she secretly WANTED him to move on and that was the real reason she left, a sort of "you're better off without me" thing. But she was probably too selfish at the time to think like that, but who knows.

IMO Lacey finally contacting him gave him the promise of some sort of closure. That's what was allowing him to recover and start to live a normal life.

 

[Diosvincenccio]

I'm not sure if he could ever completely get over it. The abandonment is brought up a lot, in and out of story, but I always felt it was the ghosting that was more cruel. She really intended to return to him after ignoring him for 3+ years? Anyone with their head on straight would have moved on.

I actually used to wonder if she secretly WANTED him to move on and that was the real reason she left, a sort of "you're better off without me" thing. But she was probably too selfish at the time to think like that, but who knows.

IMO Lacey finally contacting him gave him the promise of some sort of closure. That's what was allowing him to recover and start to live a normal life.

I dont know if she secretly wanted him to move on, but she has said that if he did leave her, she would stalk him like if he did take his new girlfriend to dinner she would follow him sit on a near table and wave at him, and shit like that, total normal behaviour.

And yes, at the first call on the cliff, she promises that they would meet again (she would come back to him), that seems enough to put the MC into recovery, there never was anything else promised.

 

[DeviantFun]

I'm not sure if he could ever completely get over it. The abandonment is brought up a lot, in and out of story, but I always felt it was the ghosting that was more cruel. She really intended to return to him after ignoring him for 3+ years? Anyone with their head on straight would have moved on.

I actually used to wonder if she secretly WANTED him to move on and that was the real reason she left, a sort of "you're better off without me" thing. But she was probably too selfish at the time to think like that, but who knows.

IMO Lacey finally contacting him gave him the promise of some sort of closure. That's what was allowing him to recover and start to live a normal life.

Nah Lacey never wanted him to move on but would have "accepted" if he did.

I say accepted because this is what she hints at, I think she epuld try to get him back with everything she has, even if he was involved a relationship.

The reasons she left are clear, she wanted to learn to be self sufficient, the abandonment was 100% for herself, MC feelings were not taken into consideration, aside from he will be sad so I have to make it quick.
There are also other aspects about this, such as her not being able to resist coming back to him and so on.

Honestly those are told but not fleshed very well, if they were it would help a lot in understanding Lacey's actions.

You are right when you say that you can never get over trauma, but it might have been more manageable over time? Who knows.

 

[Maviarab]

I'm not sure if he could ever completely get over it. The abandonment is brought up a lot, in and out of story

You are right when you say that you can never get over trauma, but it might have been more manageable over time? Who knows.

"They were wonderful times for us."
"Everything was new and exciting."
"But at the same time familiar and comfortable."

Until she starts ghosting, lying and gaslighting him at the start of the tennis dates (which coincide with Mia's first lesson)....there does not appear to be much trauma there for the abandonment. This is over/after months and months....and months (in fact, well over a year, almost 2 if we take it from the time of the cliff call).

It's only when she starts treating him like a roommate, like a secondary thought....that it all comes back. So yes, was not there on the surface and may have been buried deep.,..but it wasn't affecting him during those months. The only thing that started affecting him was the nagging feeling something was off about her.

 

[DeviantFun]

"They were wonderful times for us."
"Everything was new and exciting."
"But at the same time familiar and comfortable."

Until she starts ghosting, lying and gaslighting him at the start of the tennis dates (which coincide with Mia's first lesson)....there does not appear to be much trauma there for the abandonment. This is over/after months and months....and months (in fact, well over a year, almost 2 if we take it from the time of the cliff call).

It's only when she starts treating him like a roommate, like a secondary thought....that it all comes back. So yes, was not there on the surface and may have been buried deep.,..but it wasn't affecting him during those months. The only thing that started affecting him was the nagging feeling something was off about her.

MC had it all at that moment, she came back and is able to give him what he needed from her all this time.

He feels they "shared" those years because, at the time, Lacey told him she never had a bf and had only 1 friend.
Exactly like him.

That "new and exciting" has a bitter taste now, doesn't it?

But I agree with you, and a part of MC died thanks to how the pimp decided to give her "lessons".
That part had a name: happiness.

 

[Maviarab]

MC had it all at that moment, she came back and is able to give him what he needed from her all this time.

He feels they "shared" those years because, at the time, Lacey told him she never had a bf and had only 1 friend.
Exactly like him.

That "new and exciting" has a bitter taste now, doesn't it?

But I agree with you, and a part of MC died thanks to how the pimp decided to give her "lessons".
That part had a name: happiness.

Is funny...this is a related comment due to us discussing the timeframe he was happy/no abandonment trauma etc.

Lacey relapsed a few time between meeting/getting married. She admits this. But she is an addict. In order to fit when everyone graduates and the 'anniversary'...(you know my thoughts and dates and why I did it as I did). So...are we really expecting her to have gone allllll those months (8 imo) without relapsing again? (especially if Barty was starting to hassle her over whetever period of time).

*shrugs*....

 

[DeviantFun]

Is funny...this is a related comment due to us discussing the timeframe he was happy/no abandonment trauma etc.

Lacey relapsed a few time between meeting/getting married. She admits this. But she is an addict. In order to fit when everyone graduates and the 'anniversary'...(you know my thoughts and dates and why I did it as I did). So...are we really expecting her to have gone allllll those months (8 imo) without relapsing again? (especially if Barty was starting to hassle her over whetever period of time).

*shrugs*....

It gets easier over time... especially if you don't have access to it.

Or you mean relapsing into sex stuff?

 

[telly1712]

Is funny...this is a related comment due to us discussing the timeframe he was happy/no abandonment trauma etc.

Lacey relapsed a few time between meeting/getting married. She admits this. But she is an addict. In order to fit when everyone graduates and the 'anniversary'...(you know my thoughts and dates and why I did it as I did). So...are we really expecting her to have gone allllll those months (8 imo) without relapsing again? (especially if Barty was starting to hassle her over whetever period of time).

*shrugs*....

Lacey tells MC that she fell off the "bandwagon" a few times in the period (a couple of months) before she came back... we only can speculate what happened during those periods of her using drugs ...but it seems that this was not a period where the return to the MC played a major role.... would be nice if the Dev explains later in ch3 ff.. what happened exactly during those days...

 

[Maviarab]

It gets easier over time... especially if you don't have access to it.

L "But... not always."
L "Sometimes I want it so bad that if I had access to it... I'd do it."

Not for Lacey....and we know she has easy access to it.

Lacey tells MC that she fell off the "bandwagon" a few times in the period (a couple of months) before she came back... we only can speculate what happened during those periods of her using drugs ...but it seems that this was not a period where the return to the MC played a major role.... would be nice if the Dev explains later in ch3 ff.. what happened exactly during those days...

She says 10 or 11 times senior year....a few times before seeing the MC...and a 'couple of times' before they got married (which is a 5 week period after she turned up at his door). So again, read my quoted text above...we're expecting to believe she went months upon months without?

Sure, she admits to the MC 'three times' since marriage.....she drip feeds information, the matser of half-truths. Simple pyschology, drip feed some info, if the rest comes out it's less of a surprise....fails to mention about Barty, why not also fail to mention about any other times she has used shortly after they got married (and I'm specifically referring to before Lesson 1 here, I firmly believe she has used far more times than the 'three' times she tells the MC of after Lesson 1 which is currently a 4 month period of time).

 

[duckydoodoo]

There is one NTR scene. It's not classed as it as the MC is manipulated into agreeing (it really is though, she force cucks you). There is one 'sharing' scene. Fully consensual...2 stages of what may happen...player choice.

There are numerous 'pics' of Lacey in her 'college days'...before you get married.....consider those as whataver you like but they are not NTR as she was not yours then.

was just thinking about his. when lacey took off for college i dont remember her breaking up with MC, i only remember her telling him why she is going to another college. a lil backup to MC believing they were still in the same kind of relationship as befor she left is to the fact that when he realized that she actually abandoned him is around the time he started his cliff jump prep. if that holds true then technically speaking from MC's point of view, and the readers, most of if not all up to the cliff phone call, laceys college antics were in fact ntr. her tennis dates, dressing up and long nights were ntr as she was very well aware of what she was doing and jared intentions, the job offer even if real doesnt change everyone including lacey understood he was trying to fuck her and she allowed his advances and groping as well as wore clothes for him lied to MC. really, the only thing not ntr about act 1 was the time after the cliff phone convo and her showing up at his apartment.

granted this is all under the assumption that she didnt use clear break up terminology when she left for college, and only works from readers point of view for MC. is there anywhere anyone can recall that is specifically contrary to my assumption? as ive said in other posts, i tend to remember just parts of certain aspects and dont have the wherewithal to go back and replay

 

[Diosvincenccio]

Until she starts ghosting, lying and gaslighting him at the start of the tennis dates (which coincide with Mia's first lesson)...

Was there a convo that said Mia wanted Lacey to come clean about her past on her own and thats why the pimp gave her 3 months by forcing MC with the promise that he would not talk about the lessons, or im missremembering things?

Because it would be "funny" if Mia was the cause of the Lacey fall and subsecuent damage to Mc...AGAIN. You know. Mia talks to Lacey about telling the truth to MC, Lacey refuses, both have a small fallout, Lacey seeks validation on the tennis dates, Mia starts with the lessons since it feels Lacey is not gonna do it on her own, everything snowballs from there.

 

[Maviarab]

Was there a convo that said Mia wanted Lacey to come clean about her past on her own and thats why the pimp gave her 3 months by forcing MC with the promise that he would not talk about the lessons, or im missremembering things?

Mmmmm...not that I recall....but I do actually like that theory that Mia was forcing her to come clean and she wouldn't...

 

[DeviantFun]

was just thinking about his. when lacey took off for college i dont remember her breaking up with MC, i only remember her telling him why she is going to another college. a lil backup to MC believing they were still in the same kind of relationship as befor she left is to the fact that when he realized that she actually abandoned him is around the time he started his cliff jump prep. if that holds true then technically speaking from MC's point of view, and the readers, most of if not all up to the cliff phone call, laceys college antics were in fact ntr. her tennis dates, dressing up and long nights were ntr as she was very well aware of what she was doing and jared intentions, the job offer even if real doesnt change everyone including lacey understood he was trying to fuck her and she allowed his advances and groping as well as wore clothes for him lied to MC. really, the only thing not ntr about act 1 was the time after the cliff phone convo and her showing up at his apartment.

granted this is all under the assumption that she didnt use clear break up terminology when she left for college, and only works from readers point of view for MC. is there anywhere anyone can recall that is specifically contrary to my assumption? as ive said in other posts, i tend to remember just parts of certain aspects and dont have the wherewithal to go back and replay

This is a bit of a contentious argument.

Lacey admits that they were "together" multiple times, yet once , to Jamie she says they were not bf and gf.
This is obviously to communicate they couldn't have intimacy, but people can interpret how they like.
I mean, she also states they were making future plans to live together.

Even if she didn't use break up terminology, leaving and ghosting could be grounds to understand that the relationship is over. (It wasn't emotionally but you get what I mean).

That said, seeing the person you loved for all those years act like that is gonna give you some damage...the person you cared for, the person you almost lost your life over, even if you are not in a relationship...

 

[AL.d]

It's never explicitly stated (as usual) but the impression from the writing (often wrong as I've discovered) is that it is from the promise. A lot of time goes by in a few sentences but basically:

Has the call. Please concentrate on your studies...will come back
He works and studies hard to finish the year and his lost semester
At some point, Lacey comes back for job (I still believe this date is inaccurate from the MC)
MC finally graduates, gets apartment, week later Lacey turns up.

However, a lot of time passes here (as I show in my timeline, one whole year to be precise)....but it does seem that it is her promise alone to come back to and be with him that is the catalyst for his change and then drive and determination.

However, there is then a considerable time skip where they are happy and do the general honeymoon period stuff without issues and/or problems (other than Barty's secret visits and assault) before we get fully into the story when everything goes to shit. So for all this period, without and with Lacey, he is a stable, well adjusted individual (even being married to her)....this period imo, to fit real world stuff is approx 8 months. It is then we get the 'something nagging me/is not right' discussion and 2 days later Lacey is off to play tennis and 'lesson 1' starts.

First intentional confirmed gaslighting here (though we know later on, Lacey has kept Barty's visits to herself so the lies/witholding information started earlier, unfortunately we have no specific date for these visits but it has to be during those 'blissful months' as it's only a week later Barty arrives expecting her to be there)....

...then it all goes sideways....until that point, the MC is perfectly fine....no issues, no self-worth issues, no arguments (that we are informed of), no jealousy....he an everyday, normal guy happy with his life.

It was the promise.

Dude is written as extremely co-dependent. The only reason he didn't follow her like an abandoned puppy to her college, was because she told him not to. And for someone who would do everything to satisfy even her implicit wishes, her explicitly telling him that, was divine mandate. But his obsession was still there, which is why he was calling her 100 times a day like a crazy stalker. Just to re-establish a semblance of contact even if it wasn't physical.

So the moment someone managed to re-establish that contact for him, he immediately got better. The puppy was told the owner would come back at some point. It was the only reason he became functional again.

I'll just add that MC admits he was feeling "differences" about her that he couldn't really place, even during their reconnecting friends phase. That were not due to being older, it was something that felt off. And all that became more intrusive and overbearing after their wedding night sex, but he still couldn't exactly place it. So he never really had proper happy honeymoon phase, something was eating him but couldn't figure it out yet. Also he mentions there were quite a few "mommying" instances, where she had to calm him down and reassure him, so he probably wasn't 100% stable.