He smiles slightly. “It’s been a long time.”
I nod, cringing internally. Probably should’ve gotten a new therapist.
“So,” he says, folding his hands. “How’s life?”
I let out a slow breath running a hand through my hair, thinking about how insane the last few days have been. I made this appointment because I was scared Jess still hadn’t forgiven me.
And now…
“Alright,” I say, leaning back. “This is gonna come as a surprise. Hell, it was a surprise to me.”
Dr. Brett nods. “Take your time.”
So I do.
I tell him everything.
Halfway through, I have to stop and take a breath because I can feel my anger climbing again. But I push through it. I get it all out.
When I’m done, I just sit there staring at him through the screen, waiting.
Finally, he speaks.
“That must have been a lot for you.”
I blink.
“That’s it?” I say. “Of course it was a lot. She made me feel like an asshole for a year while she did something way worse.”
“I understand that,” he says calmly. “But right now I’d like to focus on you. How do you feel?”
“Pissed,” I snap. “I feel fucking pissed.”
He nods. “It would be concerning if you weren’t.”
That takes a little wind out of my sails.
I lean forward, elbows on my knees. “The thought of her pretending to be the victim all this time… it makes me even moreangry. All those nights we talked, all the times I apologized, all the times I was worried about her and trying to make things better…”
My jaw tightens.
“She just let me.”
Dr. Brett nods. “That must be hard for you.”
“That’s an understatement,” I mutter.
He leans forward slightly. “I’d like you to take a moment and tell me… how do you feel about the actual act of her infidelity?”
I let out a harsh laugh.
“How do I feel about it?” I repeat. “I’m not happy about it. My wife slept with someone else.”
Saying it out loud still feels surreal.
“She actually…” I trail off, shaking my head. “Even talking about it is enough to gut me. You can’t even comprehend the kind of things that have been running through my head.”
There’s a long silence.
