The Opportunist discussion

SPOILER

I don't think he's a good person. After reading the entire book and putting much of the blame on Olivia, I realized that Caleb cheated on her from the start. First, with his secretary, then with the amnesia. Why didn't he look for her when she went to Texas if he loved her so much? Why did he leave her again after winning the trial? And that final talk in Rome, what a disappointment! Basically he said he loved her (but not enough to leave Leah) making it clear that Olivia was never going to be able to forget him. He left it marked forever. This seemed to me much more sexist and manipulative than anything Olivia could have done. In a very twisted look I think that Oliva, even with her problems to keep away people, loved Caleb more than he loved her. Why start this amnesia game if I wasn't going to get it back? It bothers me a lot how she appeared and disappeared from Olivia's life without any remorse. I understand that the characters must have a little bit of evil and goodness but I don't understand Caleb's game. Still this book played with my head, it made me nervous and sad. I didn't like where it went at the end, but after everything that happened I'm glad that Olivia was able to "keep going on". Lastly, I would have liked Noah to be given more prominence in the story, because his way of thinking is totally different from the toxic relationship that Olivia had with Caleb and I think she deserved to heal and realize that this obsession was not going to lead on the right track. If only she had taken Caleb off that pedestal where she had him ...

I don't specifically think of Caleb as a bad person, yet I could see certain streaks of possessiveness and dominance in him too.
Remember he kind of demands Olivia to kiss him back in the pool, during their first kiss. And then the thing about 'he owns Olivia' in that campground. He just leaves her there and struts away. He knew how much power he had over her.
Another thing when Olivia stops seeing him after their first kiss in college and he moves on with Jessica- Jessica tells Olivia that Caleb told her about her 'inclinations'. How could he decide that, when he could sense she liked him too?

About the Amnesia part, wasn't that crooked for him to feign ignorance too? He basically wanted to get back with Olivia as much as she wanted to. Then why not admit it when she talks about you in the past tense, about the date, when they finally make love.

It also boggled me as to why he stopped searching for her? If Leah could find her, couldn't Caleb, who went to the same school as hers, who knows some of her friends (Cammie!) find her? And he is obviously able to find her when he needs a lawyer for Leah.

And doesn't he realize that when she admits she loves him before giving herself upto him, she must have left due to a reason? To get away from him? Does he suspect or know Leah is the root of it and still marries her?

The night when Olivia slept with that stranger, Caleb was to blame for that chain of events too. I haven't read the next two books so I don't know about his perspective as yet. I'm currently reading it again.

In a nutshell, I guess both of them did certain inexcusable things and hurt each other as well as the people around them. But if they were so much in love, why not try to make it upto each other. 3 years? And you move on. And when life offers a second chance, Olivia does try to admit the truth, but then Caleb isn't ready to listen. If he had and then confessed and apologized himself, they would have been together.

The ending made me feel crazy too. I mean, Caleb visited her the night before the verdict, he admits that he is in love with her. He knows Leah is manipulative and he doesn't love her (maybe never did). He confesses that he does love Olivia. Is it that he just doesn't want to end his marriage? What holds him back? He doesn't seem happy with Leah.

Noah was a pleasant addition to the story. I liked him too and the way he drilled sense into Olivia about selfless love showed how nice a person he is. Had he not been there, I'm sure Olivia would have gotten Caleb back. But then again, it would have been intriguing too.