Chapter 2:

Mabel

My hands trembled as I clutched that unfamiliar shirt, the crimson lipstick stain glaring back at me like an accusation I couldn't ignore.

I took a glance of it for some minutes before i had my thoughts,the floral perfume lingered in the fabric, cloying and foreign, twisting my stomach into knots.

Ethan's cologne mingled with it, a betrayal woven into every thread. I stood frozen in our bedroom, the weight of the discovery pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

The front door clicked open downstairs, and my heart lurched. Ethan was home early from whatever "late meeting" he'd claimed. I heard his footsteps on the stairs—casual, unhurried, as if nothing in the world was amiss.

Panic surged through me, but beneath it, a spark of anger ignited. "No more pretending. No more reaching for a man who was already gone."

I met him in the hallway, the shirt dangling from my fingers like evidence in a trial. "What's this?" I demanded, my voice steadier than I felt.

He stopped short, his eyes flicking to the shirt. For a split second, surprise flashed across his face, but it vanished quickly, replaced by a cool, detached smirk. "What are you doing going through my stuff?" he shot back, sidestepping the question.

"It's not yours," I said, my voice rising. "Whose lipstick is this? Whose perfume? You've been cheating on me, haven't you?"

He laughed—a short, bitter sound that cut through me like a knife. "Cheating? Come on, Mabel. Don't act like this is some big shock." He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall with infuriating nonchalance. "You've been freezing me out for months. Every time I touch you, it's like trying to light a fire with wet matches. What did you expect me to do? Sit around and play the saint?"

My cheeks burned, the memory of our failed intimacy from earlier that evening flooding back. "That's not fair. I've been trying—"

"Trying?" He scoffed, his eyes narrowing with mockery. "You're like some Mother Virgin, all pure and untouchable,such a buzzill;I repeat.

Praying for a miracle in bed while I'm left hanging. Newsflash, Mabel: not everyone's built for celibacy. I need a real woman, not a frigid statue."

The words hit me like a slap. "Mother Virgin"? It was cruel, twisting my insecurities into a weapon. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to let him see me break. "So that's it? You cheat because I... because we have problems? Instead of talking to me, you go behind my back?"

Ethan shrugged, his expression hardening. "Problems? This isn't a problem; it's a dead end. I'm done pretending. We're over." He grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door, slinging it over his shoulder. "You can keep the apartment. I don't care. Just don't call me."

"Do not ever try this with me again,ask me for permission before you get into my stuff young lady."

He said and turned to the door slamming behind him with finality. The sound echoed through the empty space, leaving me standing there, the shirt slipping from my numb fingers to the floor.

I sank onto the couch, my body shaking with sobs I could no longer hold back. Confused, insecure, humiliated—the emotions swirled in a toxic storm.

How had it come to this? I'd loved him, or thought I had. But now, staring at the ruins of our relationship, I wondered if I'd ever truly known him at all.

My phone buzzed insistently on the coffee table. Lydia again. I wiped my eyes and picked it up, scrolling through the messages.

"Hey, you okay? You went quiet."

"Seriously, Mabes, go see that doctor,Dr. Adrian Cole. He's new, but everyone's raving about him. Specializes in... well, stuff like this. Intimacy issues, whatever. Just talk to him."

"Trust me, he's different. And hot, if that helps. "

I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over the reply button. A doctor? For my "issues"? The idea had seemed ridiculous earlier, but now, with Ethan's words echoing in my head—"Mother Virgin"—it felt like a lifeline. What did I have to lose? My relationship was already in ashes.

I typed back: "Fine.... I'll go."

****

The next morning, the clinic waiting room was a sterile haven of white walls and potted plants, the faint scent of antiseptic hanging in the air.

I woke up early not to find Ethan in the house of which i did not really care this time around..

I did my normal routine for the morning and flaggered at a taxi after just 2minutes away from my gate..

The drive to the hospital was not long of which i felt i was just wasting my time with a man who does not value me.

"Dr.cole's place is just a stone throw and i have been here with no idea of who he was in this town."

i murmered to myself and fidgeted with my purse strap, my mind replaying the fight on an endless loop. Insecure didn't begin to cover it; I felt exposed, raw, like every glance from the receptionist was a judgment.

"Ms. Mabel Cole?" a nurse called, smiling warmly.

I stood, smoothing my skirt. "Yes, that's me."

"Dr. Cole will see you now. Room 3."

I froze. Dr. Cole? Same last name. A coincidence, surely. I followed the nurse down the hall, my pulse quickening for reasons I couldn't quite place.

The door opened to reveal a man in a white coat, his back turned as he reviewed a chart. When he pivoted to face me, my breath caught.

"ohhhh my God"..

i muttered and controlled myself......He was handsome—strikingly so—with a sharp jawline, warm hazel eyes, and dark hair that fell just slightly tousled, as if he'd run a hand through it moments ago.

A kind smile softened his features, making the clinical room feel a little less intimidating.

"Ms. Cole," he said, extending a hand. "I'm Dr. Adrian Cole. Please, have a seat."