My mother worked for the town we lived in, and was held in high esteem. When my brother and I went through our teens. 5 years apart respectively, she played the part of victim when were troubled. The whole damn town knew our business… however when we were under her manipulative control when we were younger, we were threatened not to EVER speak about what went on in our house. , divorce, her nervous breakdowns, brother overdose, enmeshment, on and on. Even when she died last year… having been retired for 18 years; when I needed to go in the town hall to do business with her retirement and life insurance. Person after person told me how lovely my mother was, what a sweet lady. Always had a smile. And she was… always very nice to people in public… to acquaintances. She could be very different behind peoples backs and she was very different at home.