The Lies Behind Her Marriage novel Chapter 201

The Workshop.

The sun was already high in the sky, warm but gentle. Waves rolled steadily in the distance.

Under a white wooden gazebo near the shore, the Vanders and the Thornes had formed a circle, squatting. Plush cushions and oversized pillows were scattered across the wooden floor, allowing everyone to sit comfortably.

Dr. Harper Lin smiled at the group.

Nathaniel had invited her to guide a private workshop during their week by the sea. It was a chance for everyone to rest, breathe, and begin healing from the betrayals that had recently come to light.

“Have you ever felt really sad… or really angry… or really hurt… and your chest felt tight?” Dr. Harper Lin asked. Since the kids were present, she made an effort to simplify the workshop.

Sebastian was the first to react, nodding. “When Uncle Silas banned my dino.”

The young man was very serious about his heartache, but behind him, the adults hushed their giggles.

“It’s normal to feel bad about this. Thank you for sharing, Bastin,” Dr. Lin smiled at Sebastian. She then turned to his sister. “What about you, Ali?”

Alisa hesitated. She was seated on Nathaniel’s lap. He had to encourage her. “There’s no wrong answer, Ali. If something felt heavy inside, you can say it.”

Alisa thought for a moment and then answered, “When I have bad dreams.”

She paused again before adding, “If Daddy is not home at night.”

“Thank you for sharing, Alisa,” Dr. Lin said.

Then, briefly, Dr. Lin raised a brow at Nathaniel, "Mr. Thorne, you need to work harder."

Next, she caught Celine’s gaze. “What about you, Mrs. Vander?”

“Oh, I have a lot,” Celine sighed. She blinked a few times, trying to hold it in, but eventually, tears rolled down her face. “Losing Serena for more than twenty-four years was the most painful part of my life — our lives.”

Celine motioned to her husband and Silas.

“For me, recently, it was being betrayed by someone I trusted,” Sterling said, nodding.

When it was Silas’s turn, he said, “It’s seeing my family get hurt without being able to control it.”

Serena was seated next to Nathaniel. She pondered for a while and admitted, “For me, the greatest pain was knowing I should have had a better life, yet I was stripped of it at a very young age.”

Her words made Sterling and Celine emotional again, but thankfully, Serena smiled. “But I’m glad it’s all over now.”

Bianca shared about her misdiagnosis a few years back. She said, “I had feared leaving my son alone. He was — no, we both were not in a good place at that time.”

When it was Nathaniel’s turn, he glanced at Serena and held her hand. “I still hold regret and anger toward myself for hurting the person I loved the most.”

Dr. Lin let a quiet moment pass before speaking.

The wind moved softly through the gazebo.

“Thank you,” she said gently, looking at each of them. “What you just did is not easy.”

She turned slightly toward the children. “Kids, when we say what hurts out loud, it doesn’t make it bigger. It actually makes it smaller.”

Her gaze moved back to the adults. “Pain grows in silence, but it softens when it is seen. That’s why it helps to share our grief instead of carrying it alone.”

She placed her hands loosely in her lap. “And I want you all to notice something… every single one of you spoke about loss, fear, or anger, but you’re still here, together.”

A small smile curved on her lips. “That matters.”

She regarded Nathaniel. “Anger at yourself usually means you care deeply. But holding onto it forever doesn’t protect the person you love. It only punishes you.”

She looked at Serena. “And what I hear from you is grief for what was taken, but also gratitude for what you have now.”

Then she addressed the whole circle again.

“None of these feelings are wrong. They are human. But feelings are meant to move, not stay frozen, nor should they hold you back.”

She gestured toward the ocean. “That’s why we’re here.”

***

Their time on the island resort wasn’t confined to breathing exercises and reflection sessions. There were team-building activities too, meant to rebuild trust and strengthen their bond.

But Dr. Lin hadn’t come merely for workshops. She was there for Serena — to make sure the scars left by the kidnapping did not quietly take root.

On the third day of their one-on-one sessions, they spent it over coffee during breakfast. It was just the two of them on the balcony of Serena's resort villa.

"How was your sleep last night? Have you dreamt about Victor again?" Dr. Lin asked.

"My sleep has been better," Serena frowned.

"When is your sleep not better?" the doctor asked.

Serena thought about it seriously. She said, "It's when I sleep alone for three or more nights, I guess. When I'm at my parents' house, and I dream about that fall, I go to Ali's room and stay with her, but—"

She paused, admitting, "It doesn't quite give the same comfort as when I'm with Na—"

Serena blinked, and the doctor filled in for her.

"When you are with Nathan." Dr. Lin smiled.

"Serena, it's okay to admit that you find comfort in the same man who hurt you. I think you remember who he used to be, and you saw that man again when he saved you."

"I thought you both were working things out," the doctor clarified.

Serena nodded. "We are."

"Then, my only advice is… if you’re going to start over, don’t do it with one foot out the door." The doctor smiled, and Serena understood.

She smiled before sipping her coffee. "Thank you, Doctor. I truly appreciate the talks we have been having. It feels like the old days."

Dr. Lin shook her head. "You are much stronger now. You are not the same. You are just more guarded, and that's understandable."