Chapter 3

Ava had seen this type of behavior before. In many of her patients. They would be obsessed with their partner, due to trauma that had happened in the past, and in the end, the relationship would be ruined if the person did not get the correct therapy to help themselves.

After she had popped the question they both got quiet and then Klaire demanded that Casey answer her, but he didn't say anything. She told Klaire that it was ok for him to be hesitant because he would want to spare her feelings if it were something serious like that but she continued to flip out.

It was not her first time dealing with people like Klaire. She was someone who had little regard for others but made her partner a huge priority. She was extremely jealous and obsessive and it seemed like when she saw Ava, she became defensive. It took her only a couple of minutes to determine that she would be an extremely difficult person to deal with.

Since the session seemed to take a turn Ava tried her best to ask other questions and de-escalate the situation but Klaire was too far gone so she decided that it was best to end it. They were supposed to come in three times a week for an hour but since it was the first session she would be lenient. Once she said that it would be best if they tried to talk it out at home, Casey basically booked it out of the room with Klaire hot on his tail.

Once she was alone she sighed sliding down the couch. They were her last appointment of the day so she lay on the couch, mentally strained from the past half hour.

"Well, I choose this profession. So I can't get mad about that. Besides, I've dealt with people way worse than Klaire so it should be fine."

In the past, she had a patient who was extremely destructive and so she had to have sessions in one of her rooms where the things she had in there would not be able to harm her patient or herself. Aside from couple therapy, she did individual. Although it was what she was most known for, it was important that she knew how to conduct individual therapy so that if that person was in therapy with their partner, it could benefit both.

"She definitely needs individual therapy."

But she was unsure if she could get her to do that with her. It was not obvious that Klaire did not like her. Ava could also recommend another therapist to them for individual therapy so she would not have to deal with her more than necessary. Preferably male.

It was obvious that Klaire carried most of the problems in the relationship and was also the one that caused them. Casey seemed to just want to get through it but his finance was making it difficult for him. The relationship was definitely not a healthy one and she suspected that if they got married, they would not last too long. Casey would get fed up with her antics and dump her. She was surprised that didn't already happen.

Klaire Owen was known for being crazy and having bad relationships. All of her exes would describe her as suffocating and controlling. It made her wonder why Casey decided to be with her. Did he think that he could change her? Be the one different relationship. He could have been blind in the beginning but after coming to terms that she was like how people said, he didn't leave because he was too afraid of what she might do.

Ava let out another deep sigh as she turned onto her stomach and looked over for her phone that was resting on the coffee table. At that moment there was a knock on the door and when she looked over, both of her receptionists came in.

"They left in such a hurry with that banshee screaming the entire time. What happened?" May asked as they walked up to her with eager faces.

"A lot," she said and sat up.

"Do you think they will last?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you guys anything about my couples you know that."

"Yeah but the internet is blowing up. All it took was half an hour and people are coming up with a lot of crazy theories as to why they were here."

Emily, her other receptionist, handed her her phone. She had Twitter open and Ava started to read the tweets. There were pictures of them driving into the parking lot and some of them walking towards the main doors. A lot of the tweets were saying that their relationship was finally falling apart and that Casey was getting tired of Klaire's bullshit but still wanted to be with her so they went a drastic way. Others were saying that Casey was probably forced to propose to her and that this was his way of asking for help.

"Everyone is saying that they are going to break up and that Klaire is toxic and is holding back Casey and preventing his happiness. Which I mean, is true." Emily said.

"Yeah, and they're saying that this will be the relationship that you won't be able to save."

"There are even bets being placed about how long it will take for them to break up. I personally think that they will get to marriage but then they will fall apart and it will be all messy because Klaire will go all psycho ex-wife and make his life hell."

"Can you two please gossip elsewhere? I get what you were trying to tell me, now go."

May and Emily gave her a pout but and left her alone in the end. After a couple more minutes of silence, she got up. Aside from the famous couple, she was also dealing with two more. One of them was a couple who have been married for twenty years and their relationship has become boring and they want to enjoy their lives but don't want splitting up to be an option. The other one is a couple that is in university and they had an accidental kid. The father had no interest in the child but the mother is trying to get him to stay. Ava had no clue where that couple was able to obtain the money to pay for her services but she refrained from asking.

After collecting her things, she took them and exited the building. She said bye to her receptionists who were responsible for locking up the building and to her security guards. They were very reliable. When people had gotten too angry a lot of them tried to take it out on her and make it her fault. But her security guards were always quick to act and they helped her out a lot.

Dumping all of her things in the passenger seat of her car, she sat in the driver's seat, taking a deep breath and rubbing her temples. She had a white A6 Audi and the car was her baby. Ava was so proud when she was able to buy it. It had been her dream car for a while. The pride she felt when she was able to buy the car with her own money was a feeling she would never forget.

As she sat and thought, she kind of wished she denied Casey and Klaire. She had a feeling that things would only get worse in the future.

While she was driving her phone rang. She looked over in the passenger seat and saw that it was her mother. Her mother was the biggest gossip she knew. So it was obvious why she was calling her. Ava answered the phone and put it on speaker.

"Hi, mom."

"It's true isn't it." she basically shouted.

Ava sighed. "Yes, mom."

"Oh my goodness. That must have been stressful for you wasn't it."

"Well we didn't even finish the sessions and accordion to the girls, Klaire was shrieking like a banshee when they left."

"Oh, I just knew that that girl would bring you trouble. You know I bet on this thing online. Fifty bucks they'll break up before the wedding."

Ava rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."

"But aside from that how are you? Surviving the big life?"

"I'm not living the big life and yes I am surviving."

"Oh please girl, you were interviewed by Vogue." she heard another voice on the line.

"Hi Jewel." she greeted her in amusement.

Jewel was her mother's neighbor, they had tea almost every day and so she was in the loop about most things. She was actually the daughter of the person who lived there and was closer to her age but she and her mother got along perfectly. They could chat and gossip for hours. She never understood how people could do that.

Ava approached her apartment and when she did she whined once she saw the scene ahead. The paparazzi. They were waiting to hound her. The reason why she lived in an apartment was because she felt safer than having a house. They would not able to get to her floor and so it made her feel better.

Before when she lived in a house, they would block her gate and prevent her from leaving and not getting in. In the apartment, there was an underground parking lot but they always got themselves past security with their large numbers and bothered her until she got to the door safely.