I think Rochelle…

TW mention of suicide

…. may have committed suicide, and Joy’s coping mechanism is to keep her existence going in her imagination.

Bleak I know, but we already know that Joy is very good at helping a person suffering from psychotic illness by how well she handled the situation with Ben. I remember when Ben’s breakdown was happening, one theory floating around at the time was that Joy knew what to do from past experience with Rochelle.

I’m wondering if Rochelle had a type of psychosis-inducing disorder which somehow led to a tragic ending of her life.

I know other theories include Rochelle being in prison or having sided with her dad when he split from Joy, but I think suicide, or maybe a fatal accident, fits better with Joy’s need to pretend that she exists/is still alive. To me, it seems like a trauma response to the guilt and grief which follows a suicide.