So it occurred to me that I really don't expect much in the way of hateful emails on behalf of my Dad anymore. Our primary form of communication is via email. We live 2500 miles apart and don't have physical contact. Aside from not being much of a "phone person", I avoid speaking with him like the plague unless I want to hear him pontificate about politics for two hours.
Since the tone of my emails has changed, he probably has a pretty good clue that I'm onto him and as everything is in writing, he's going to be exercising caution. I'm fairly certain that he doesn't perceive my boyfriend as a threat. D (my boyfriend) has remained very, very neutral and has voiced very few opinions about anything regarding my relationship with my Dad, even from the reestablishment of my relationship with him during the "honeymoon period" early last year. He's super diplomatic. My Dad doesn't know much about him other than very casual information and I have given him no information about any of the opinions D has expressed one way or another. D is a peace-lover who is very averse to conflict and my Dad does know that. My overall impression is that my Dad knows that where D and I are concerned is that I have a mind of my own and he is correct. So D does not pose a threat to him. The last time my Dad and I any meaningful communication he knew that I was having a hard time securing regular therapy sessions. So he doesn't know if there is a therapist waiting in the wings.
I am considering all of this in anticipation of his next move.
On a scale of 1-10, I place the chance of verbal threats/abuse around 3. If he's going to stop communicating there will be no more warnings - he'll just stop. I've already stated my position to him regarding his threats of severing communications. He will also not threaten me with violence. So if there are any threats it will be in the form of verbal abuse which I place around 3. There is a chance that he might though, as he knows how sensitive I am. It was one of these written attacks that precipitated the comment by the therapist who told me he was a sociopath. So I'll bump that up to a 5.
Let's see what else is in his arsenal. Well, he already knows I don't want his money, so that tactic places around 2 on the scale unless he's sitting on a half-billion dollars I don't know about. He'll pull my ho card on that one.
Emotional manipulation. Ding ding ding ding ding! 8!
I love it. Tell me how wonderful you are, Daddio. One false move, and. . . .checkmate!
Where's my scepter?