GiGi

Hi Sheens263, The abuse definitely escalated to ana* penetration and I believe that occurred quite quickly. Everyone has been speculating that when Gideon was examined by the pediatricians there was no physical proof (due to hand jobs), but I surmise by what I have read and how Gideon explained that situation, that due to the ana* *ex there absolutely would have been physical evidence; an** fissures, rectal tears, scarring, bleeding, enlarged rectal opening, swelling, tenderness, possible partial damage to the sphincter muscle, etc. AT the very least, Gideon would have had blood in his underwear, would have had trouble walking and or sitting for a long time after and then after each subsequent rape.

Hi Sharonm745, Other than a little mud slinging, I can't see how the tape would really affect Eva. It would be super crappy for a while and then another scandal would come out and Eva's sex tape would become yesterday's news. Overall other than embarrassment, I can't see what else could happen.Â

Hi Sheens263, I don’t think that Monica and Elizabeth will join forces either. It is just a terrible thought. Yuck!

  Hi Sscrph, I think Gideon had the ring for a long time. If that ring represented a positive memory for Gideon, then I think he would have held it close to his heart as the saying goes.   Â

Hi Sharonm745, It would be nice if Eva got to use her Krav Maga skills on a real dirt bag! What remains to be seen for me is if Brett knew that they were being videotaped during their s** acts. I really want the answer to that question.Â

Hi Sscrph, Every time I think about how Anne went about seducing (or at least trying to seduce) Cary I just want to vomit! I don’t even know if diabolic even begins to cover it. Thank goodness Cary didn’t actually have s** with her, but still as MicheleWV put it; she had to hike up her skirt to get some action!! It just boggles the mind!!!   Please someone tell me that she gets jail time in one the next two books….PLEASE!!!!

Hi Sscrph, You make some good points. It will be interesting to find out who found Corinne when she attempted suicide. I definitely don’t think that she locked herself in the bathroom and someone broke down the down. I think she tried (swallowed the pills), maybe thought better of her actions and tried to call for help, or she passed out and was found by someone. That someone remains to be named. What do you think? What does everyone think?

Hi Sscrph, You make a good point. Unless Elizabeth Vidal, I think Monica would put one of her Louboutin’s up the other mother-in-law’s behind before she’d let her treat Eva badly. I don’t think that they would join forces though. Monica is over the moon thrilled that her daughter is getting together with such a “catchâ€, whereas Elizabeth is absolutely horrified because Eva rammed the truth down Lizzard’s face and she didn’t like that a whole heck of a lot!

Hi Sheens263, Goodness forbid if you husband ever did something that horrible; make sure you cut the crotch out of his pants and undies before you send him packing! I think that he would be able to read a message like that loud and clear!Â

Hi Sscrph, I agree with you. The only people that should have been at the hospital with Corinne were her parents and her husband. No one else (not unless Corinne’s parents specifically requested the presence of someone else).  One of the other ladies in the forum also mentioned that Corinne was still a married woman. Good point. Why on earth would someone want to invite that man that Corinne had left her husband for to the hospital? Bourgeois indeed!

Hi Sharonm745, I think that Victor went home and began his investigations from there. He would have had all of the resources at his disposal. He also would have been able to call in a favour or two if he needed to from San Diego. I think that it would have been more difficult to get answers in New York. What do you think?

Hi Sscrph, How on earth did Gideon wind up being seen by Dr. Lucas? Don’t you find it all extremely coincidental that not only was Gideon seen by Hugh, assessed by Dr. Lucas and then seduced by Anne? I can understand one coincidence, two maybe but three? Something has to be going there. Someone knew what someone else was doing. Nothing else makes sense. What do you think?

Hi Julie, I agree. Gideon was absolutely repulsed by his mother’s hug. There is no doubt about that.  I think he let his mother hug him in front of everyone to save face for his mother’s sake and not because of love.  I think that by time Gideon saw Dr. Lucas there was evidence of his abuse. Gideon mentioned that Dr. Lucas separated him from his family (I am paraphrasing here, but it clear that damage was done as a result of Dr. Lucas’s actions). What is the only way that someone could separate a child from his family; they cover up the abuse that the child has been complaining about (and most likely the abuser as well).  I believe that the time between the grooming of Gideon (as an abuser does with his victim) was very short and as such, by the time he complained to his mother, there was actual physical evidence of said abuse. I think that Gideon was psychologically made to feel guilty by his abuser with initial hand contact but that things had escalated quickly after that.  Abusers by nature do not spend years grooming their victims. They use the grooming process to quickly assess whether said child can be coerced and abused with little relative protest on the child’s part. If we have any psychologists/psychiatrists on the panel, I am sure that they can attest to that.  An abuser doesn’t continue to repeat the same act over and over again with the child. Each time the abuser has contact with his victim, he/she escalates the contact, even if just a little, each time. The abuser has an objective in mind; (oral, vag****, ana* se*, etc.) and also usually has a limited amount of time with said victim. Yes in some cases, abusers have unlimited amounts of time with their victims (parents, grandparents, guardians, childcare minders, etc.) but for the most part, they seize their opportunities as they become available (like during a scheduled session).  This could very well be case for Gideon and his abuser. The abuser knew that he would only have x amount of time with Gideon (45 minutes or an hour at most) and he had to be careful because there may have been linger staff roaming about, so he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to spend ample amounts of time preparing Gideon again.  Let’s also remember that Gideon was abused for a short period of time (or so it is suggested) because a counselor came to counsel Elizabeth Vidal during her pregnancy. She was having a hard time with Gideon and Christopher Jr. No mention was made as to whether the counseling sessions continued after Elizabeth Vidal gave birth. I suspect no, but it is possible that Gideon was in his abusers’ hands for years.  There would have come a point where Gideon would have reached puberty, increased his body muscle mass and then could have finally reached a point where he snapped (while he was being raped) and attacked his abuser in self-defense. There isn’t anything written about that, so I will leave the door opens, but for me, by the time Gideon saw Dr. Lucas, there was actual physical evidence and that Dr. Lucas covered up the abuse.  One other quick point, if Hugh abused Gideon, then who’s to say that he didn’t have a trail of victims a mile wide? I would bet money on it! I don’t believe for one single, solitary, second that Gideon was Hugh’s first victim! It would lead me to question whether Hugh’s family knew that he was a pedophile. Had there been other complaints?  Did anyone in the family suspect him?  What does everyone else think?Â

  Hi Nrock, Once Gideon agreed to give Deanna the exclusive wedding photo rights, he got her right where he wants her. If she does anything to violate that contract he can absolutely destroy her. I don’t see Gideon entering into some standard contract with Deanna. I think that woman would have had to sign her first born away to get the exclusive rights and I think that Deanna was greedy and petty enough to sign whatever the cost.Â

Hi MicheleWV, It showed a lot of class on Arnoldo's part to both protect the reputaiton of his friend Gideon and his girlfriend Eva. I actually chuckled a little when I read that passage. That is straight up old school european! I am sure many people raised by european parents can relate.Â

Hi Sharonm745, I whole heartedly agree Sister!  Â

Hi Maria5197, Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy yourself.  In response to your question, I don't think that it was ever mentioned in any of the books.

Hi Fayeth, I found it very odd as well. I can't really find a reason for Elizabeth Vidal and Corinne's parents to be that close. I get the whole family friends thing, but the advent of their two children ending the engagement would be cause to have as much contact with one another. I have to wonder whether Elizabeth Vidal's presence was happenstance. I don't know that it was anything more than that.  Did anyone happen to find it more than a little odd the way that Elizabeth Vidal seemed to be orchestrating the entire situation at the hospital. It was beyond strange. Usually when a person comes to the hospital to visit someone in a crisis situation, it is the parent of the ill party that does the greeting. Why do I get the feeling that Corinne's parents had no idea that Gideon was on his way to the hospital. What do you think? What does everyone think?

I hope to crap that Monica and Elizabeth don't join forces! Yuck!Â

Hi MicheleWV, You bring up a good point that never occurred to me. You could very well be correct in thinking that Gideon wouldn't have been expecting everyone to be gathered in the waiting room.  I don't know if Elizabeth and Corinne joined forces but it could be possible that Elizabeth was still in close contact with Corinne's parents and that is why she was at the hospital.  A child attempting suicide is a very tragic and personal thing. I couldn't see a mother picking up the phone and calling her friends to let them know about something like this. I think this is the type of situation that someone would keep private and only tell the closest of people. I don't think that the parents would have wanted the outside world to know.  It could also be pure coinsidence that Elizabeth Vidal may have been somewhere with one or both of Corinne's parents (like at a lunch or dinner, etc.) when they got the news about their daughter and Elizabeth may have come with them. What do you think? What does everyone think?

Hi Asl48, Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy yourself.

Hi Julie, Maybe it was the hypocrisy of the entire situation. Why get all lovey dovey now? Was she trying to put on a show for the adoring crowd? Corinne’s parents and Jean Francois was there as well. Could she really let all of them know that she was a crap mother? I think not.  I think that Gideon had enough self composure within himself not to wrench his mother away from him in that moment (he was kind enough to let her save face), but he held onto Eva’s hand (thereby telling her how he really felt). He gripped her hand tighter which tells me that he was very uncomfortable and maybe even revolted. He just didn’t verbalize it. What does everyone else think?

Hi Sharonm745, I agree 100%. I think that Stanton knows that Monica still holds a torch for Victor too!Â

Hi everyone, There may be many reasons why Ireland likes Eva and found a connection with her. Ireland is now older and therefore might be looking to find a connection between herself and her brother. Gideon and Corinne would have dated many years ago and as such, Ireland may not have had as much of an interest in forming a relationship with Gideon or Corinne. Gideon may have been talked about around the “dinner table†and much of it may not have been so positive and as such Ireland may have shied away. Now that Ireland is older, she much more capable of finding ways to get in contact with her brother and his girlfriend/more (wink, wink) then a child would. Ireland may also have taken this time apart from her brother to assess the family situation and have intuitively realized that there is something askew in her family’s dynamics. Therefore she going to find the person (Gideon) tries to develop a relationship with him and find out for herself what the deal is. Ireland may also not necessarily have a great relationship with Christopher Jr. (her actual full blood relation) and may be seeking out a relationship with her half-brother in hopes that he may fulfill that “big brother†role. All I am saying is that if everyone else in the Vidal family clan is capable of being shrewd negotiators, then why couldn’t a little of that have rubbed off on Ireland as well? I personally don’t think that there is any one thing that is driving the desire for this relationship between Ireland and her brother.  I also don’t think that Corinne would have had any negative relations with Ireland either. I just think that it was a matter of different times and different head spaces between all parties. What does everyone think?

Hi Sscrph, Anne having extra-marital affairs is one thing, but how did she know who Cary was? Did she track him down? Look him up on the internet? If she was looking for a little nooky then why pick Cary? I think that woman was targeting Cary specifically. What I want to know at the end of the day is why? Did she hope to hurt Eva? Gideon? Cary? There has got to be something more there definitely.