Men are empathizing with Cassie's husband before they even empathize with Cassie. Men don't see human beings when they see women, and they remind us every fucking day. The poor owner of this woman is such a misogynistic reaction to a survivor reliving her trauma.
To love someone is to sign up to indulge in an interminable series of mundane—and even corny—rituals that keep the spark alive and the garden in gloom. It is like a courtship that never ends.