Chapter 29
Her fingers curled tightly, numb with tension, as a wave of
unease gripped her.
Roderick stormed toward them, his presence commanding and
fierce.
Before Madeleine could find her voice, Nanette stepped
forward, her tone placating. “Mr. Livingston, please don’t be
upset. Mrs. Livingston was only…”
“Dr. Clark,” Roderick cut her off, his voice sharp and unyielding.
“Today’s session is over. You’re free to go.”
Nanette’s words died in her throat.
She blinked, stunned, thinking she’d misheard him.
Her eyes darted to Roderick, searching for an explanation, but
his gaze never left Madeleine.
“Was I not clear?” he said, his tone colder now. “Kirsten, show
her out.”
Chapter 29
Kirsten, quick to respond, emerged from the kitchen and
gestured for Nanette to follow. “This way, Dr. Clark.”
Nanette’s jaw tightened. She wasn’t ready to leave–not without clearing the air.
“Mr. Livingston, if there’s been some misunderstanding, I’m happy to apologize to you and Mrs. Livingston.”
“You do owe my wife an apology,” Roderick snapped, his eyes flashing as he turned to her.
“You’re Kevin’s therapist, not her interrogator. You don’t get to
question her.”
Nanette bit her lip, a surge of indignation rising within her.
She’d worked with Roderick and Kevin for over two years,
earning Kevin’s trust and confidence.
She’d always believed Madeleine didn’t love Roderick–that their
marriage was a hollow shell.
She couldn’t understand why Roderick was defending her so
fiercely.
Her chest heaved with resentment, but after a glance at
Chap 29
Roderick, then at Madeleine, she forced herself to calm down.
“I’ve been too hasty,” she thought.
“Their marriage might lack passion, but they’d maintained a
fragile peace for years.
“Breaking that would take time and finesse.”
Swallowing her pride, Nanette turned to Madeleine with a practiced smile. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Livingston. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just worried about Kevin, that’s all.”
She dipped her head, her apology dripping with sincerity.
Madeleine didn’t respond.
She still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
He’d been furious, yet not at her. Instead, he’d demanded Nanette apologize to her.
She couldn’t understand why he would do that. What was driving him to protect her like this?
After apologizing, Nanette said no more. She picked up her
things and left in haste.
Chapter 29
The room felt suffocating now.
Madeleine stole a glance at Roderick. His face was still
clouded, his jaw tight with lingering anger.
She understood why he’d be upset–Kevin’s struggles stemmed
from her past mistakes, after all.
Any parent would be furious. If she were in Roderick’s shoes,
she’d be livid too.
But one thing gnawed at her. Why, after everything, hadn’t he walked away? Why hadn’t he divorced her?
“Um,” Madeleine ventured, stepping closer.
She rubbed her nose nervously, her voice soft. “I don’t
remember much about… before. Was I really that awful to
Kevin?”
Roderick’s brow furrowed, his expression unreadable.
After a long pause, he said, “That’s a question you should ask
him.”
His words stung, and Madeleine’s heart ached.
She toyed with the hem of her shirt, her voice barely above a
whisper.
“I don’t know what happened back then. But Ricki, you knew me
before all this. I wasn’t that bad, right? I wasn’t cold or cruel,
was 1?”
Roderick stayed silent, his eyes distant.
Of course he knew what she had been like.
She used to be kind and simple, sometimes a little careless, but
always warm–hearted.
The changes in her over the past years had nearly broken him.
More than once he had wondered if her transformation had
been his fault, the result of forcing her into this marriage.
Madeleine pressed on, her voice trembling but hopeful. “I’ve
lost my memories, and maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. It
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