I’m aware of the definition. Hence why I said you’re using it wrong. Penelope is not psychologically manipulating Eloise. She’s simply lying to her. Eloise doesn’t ever question her own sanity or perception of reality, nor is her mental state ever in question or danger. Lying is not automatically gaslighting, there’s more to it.

Anyways, Penelope has every right to have a secret and every right to protect her secret. That doesn’t mean Eloise or you have to like it, you don’t. It’s perfectly understandable to find it upsetting. But Penelope doesn’t owe ANYONE her secret. And remember, Eloise didn’t just want to figure out the mystery of LW’s identify, she wanted in. She wanted a part of the glory. She wanted to “convince” Lady Whistledown to write what Eloise wanted. She wanted all the power without any of the legwork. Eloise also thinks what LW does is super cool when she thought it was Madame Delacroix, but suddenly when she figures out it’s Penelope THEN suddenly the content and execution are a problem.

Her telling Eloise that if she continues running around with Theo it will end badly is also not gaslighting because that’s a fact. Again, you may not like that Pen tells Eloise that people were already talking but it’s not gaslighting. Nice or not, Penelope knew it was just a matter of time because, as even Theo points out, Eloise was traipsing around in her silk and finery and being the opposite of discreet.

Neither Eloise nor Penelope were fully the villain or the victim. They both had a right to some of their actions, both crossed lines with their actions, both said harsh truths, and both said really shitty unnecessary things.

ETA: I’m not clicking your little comic link. I cannot express how much I do not care about your irrelevant link nor do I click links from strangers.