Shayne's handling of the under-age 'relationship' is one of the things I really like about this story. As he and Onaleia have said, this
is illegal: under US law, Clark was under the age of consent. It was therefore statutory rape. Sexual abuse of a child by an adult.
I'd be interested to know how many readers saw Clark's 'relationship' with Lilah in terms of abuse when they first realised it was happening.
Shayne's absolutely right that people's attitudes are very different depending on whether it's an older man and a teenage girl, or the circumstances we have here. Too often, if it's a teenage boy and older woman, it's regarded as a 'Mrs Robinson' kind of relationship and the boy's considered lucky and something of a stud.
Clark doesn't see it yet in terms of abuse, even though his foster-brother made it clear that Lilah was a serial abuser of her husband's pupils. I wonder how Lois will see it? Will she just see Clark as a bastard who led on one woman (Rachel) while secretly having an affair with another? Or will she see Lilah as the abuser she was?
Fascinating twist, Shayne, and very well handled - but then, no more than I'd expect.
Wendy
