My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 50

Chapter 50

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Jeremy was quiet for a long magment, “I don’t know,” he admitted finally, and the honesty hurt worse than a lie would have. I think I wanted to want you Wanted to make the bond work because it was what I was supposed to do. But I never gave us a real chance. Never let myself see you as anything other than the obligation star ding between me and what I thought I wanted.”

“And now?” My voice was shaking. “What do you see now?”

“Now I see everything I threw away,” he said, tears streaming down his face. “I see a woman who’s strong, compassionate, brave. Who saved me even after I destroyed her. Who’s sitting here doing the hardest work imaginable because she’s willing to try. And I see that I’m the luckiest man alive if you give me even a fraction of another chance.”

“But how do I know that’s real?” I demanded. “How do I know you’re not just saying what I want to hear because you’re scared to be alone?”

“You don’t,” Dr. Chen interjected gently. “Not yet. That’s what rebuilding trust peans, Emma. It means Jeremy has to prove through consistent actions over time that his words match his behavior. And it means you have to be willing to observe those actions without immediately assuming the worst.”

“That sounds exhausting,” I said.

“It is,’

“Dr. Chen agreed. “Healing is exhausting. But it’s also necessary if you want to move forward–together or separately.”

The session continued for another thirty minutes-Dr. Chen asking probing questions, me crying through answers, Jeremy looking like each word I spoke physically hurt him.

By the end, we were both emotionally wrung out. Exhausted. Raw.

and another couples session in two

Dr. Chen scheduled us for individual sessions-me on Tuesdays, Jeremy on Thursda

weeks.

“This was hard,” she said as we prepared to leave. “But you both/showed That’s the foundation we build on.”

1. You

both engaged honestly even when it hurt.

In the car on the way home, Jeremy and I sat in silence. He’d offered to drive me since I was still shaking, my eyes swollen from crying.

“That was brutal,” he finally said.

“Yeah.”

“But necessary.”

“Yeah.”

More silence. Then: “Emma? Thank you. For being honest. For telling me how much I hurt you. I needed to hear it, even though it killed me.”

“I needed to say it,” I admitted. “I’ve been carrying it for so long. The anger, the hurt, the feeling of not mattering. Getting it out felt-“I paused. “It didn’t feel good. But it felt necessary.”

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

“No. But I think that’s normal.” I looked at him. “Are you?”

“No. But like you said-I think that’s normal.”

We pulled up to my father’s house where I’d been staying. Jeremy put the car in park but didn’t move to get out.

“I meant what I said in there,” he said. “About seeing what I threw away. About being lucky if you give me another chance. Emma, I-”

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“Don’t,” I stopped bim. “Don’t make promises right now. We’re boff150 raw. Just therapy. To the work. That’s all I need right now.”

“I can do that.”

$8

I paused. “Just keep showing up. To

“Good.” I opened the door, then paused. “Jeremy? This was hard. But I’m glad we did it.”

“Me too.”

I went inside, closed the door, and immediately collapsed on the couch. My father appeared from the kitchen, took one look at me, and pulled me into a hug.

“How was it?” he asked.

id into his shoulder. “Exhausting. Painful.”

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