I respect your posting, I really do. I wish my experiences in life would lead me to your thoughts on this subject. For the longest I was able to give benefit of the doubt to people. After many decades and witnessing so much of what humans are capable of, I finally cannot do it anymore. IMO, Cindy is most definitely narcissistic and with that personality type, EVERYTHING they feel, think or do is all about them. Even when it doesn't seem so, it is. If they do a good deed it is not so much because they want to help, but because they will receive recognition. Cindy's type of denial is not like what normal people experience.What normal people experience is not being able to wrap their minds around something because they just didn't think other people could act that way. Cindy's denial stems from not wanting others to believe that HER actions are in any way responsible for how messed up her family is. It is not the kind of denial that just happens. It is denial with a purpose. It is deliberate and meant to manipulate. IMO.
Wow. I think you just nailed it.