Hi Latte, the reason I came on this forum was because a friend of my late husband suddenly got in touch five years ago after shunning us for 24 years. No reason given, and she kept talking about the religion even though I said I didn't believe it any more. Like you I thought what's going on and thought maybe I'd find something on this forum to explain it.
For a while I kept replying to her letters talking about normal stuff, my daughter, our holidays, but the JW stuff was continually being slipped into her letters. Finally got really annoyed when she said surely I wanted to return, didn't I want to see my husband again. I got cross, I hate emotional blackmail. Playing on someone's grief is the worse kind. I told her about the ARC. Her reply was to send me that Return to Jehovah rag. I sent her a Christmas card. Result - peace at last.