My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48

My Cheating Mate

Emma pov

Dr. Sarah Chen’s office was nothing like I’d expected. Instead of sterite and clinical, it was warm chairs, plants in every corner, and a diffuser releasing something that smelled like lavender and cedar.

It should have been calming. Instead, my stomach was in Ruots.

+25 Bonus

soft lighting.comfortable

Jeremy sat beside me on the couch, careful to leave space between us. He’d been discharged from the hospital two days ago, and while he was healing physically, he still moved slowly, still winced when he shifted wrong.

Dr. Chen settled into her chair across from us, a notepad in her lap but her attention fully on es. She was maybe fifty, with kind. eyes and silver streaking through her dark hair. She radiated a calm competence that should have been reassuring

Instead, I wanted to bolt.

“Thank you both for coming,” she said, her voice gentle. “I know starting therapy can be intimidating, especially for wolves. We’re taught to handle everything ourselves, to be strong, to not need help. But seeking help is actually the strongest thing you can do.”

Jeremy nodded, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. I could feel the tension radiating off him.

“I’d like to start by establishing some ground rules,” Dr. Chen continued. “This is a safe space. Whatever is said here stays here. You’re both allowed to feel whatever you feel without judgment. And most importantly-we’re here to heal, not to assign blame.

“But there is blame,” I said before I could stop myself. “This isn’t a situation where we’re both equally at fault. Jeremy had an affair. Jeremy planned to use me. Jeremy-”

“Emma.” Dr. Chen’s voice was still gentle but firm. “You’re absolutely right. Jeremy’s actions caused significant harm. But if we spend our sessions focused only on blame and punishment, we can’t move forward toward healing. That doesn’t mean minimizing what happened. It means acknowledging it fully/so we can work through it.”

I nodded, swallowing hard against the anger rising in my throat.

“Jeremy,” Dr. Chen turned to him. “Why don’t you tell me, in your own words, why you’re here?”

He took a deep breath. “Because I betrayed my mate in the worst way possible. I had an affair, I lied, I gaslit her into doubting her own instincts. And I-” His voice cracked. “I planned to use her to produce an heir and then reject her. Enima walked in on

୮ me with Vanessa and heard everything.”

Hearing him say it out loud, to a stranger, made it real in a way it hadn’t been even during the trial. I felt tears pricking my eyes.

“And how do you feel about those actions now?” Dr. Chen asked.

“Disgusted. Ashamed. Like I destroyed the best thing in my life through selfishness and cruelty.” Jeremy’s hands were shaking. “I hate who I was. Hate what I did to her. And I’m terrified I can’t fix it.”

“Emma, what’s it like hearing Jeremy say this?”

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