him to his core, but he loved his wife, eventually forgave her, and told her that he would do anything to heal their marriage.
Rachel had categorized the affair as a, “stupid mistake” and the two of them entered couples’ therapy with Dr. Stahl. That was over six months ago, six months of sessions that revealed Rachel’s neediness and Parker’s bent toward autonomy.
Rachel worked as a nurse, an RN, and did the food shopping, but that was the extent of her contribution to the household, and while he knew every detail about her job and the people she worked with, he never spoke of anything work related and relaxed by taking long runs or woodworking in the basement.
Rachel complained that Parker never opened up to her about his feelings while Parker revealed that he sometimes felt more like Rachel’s father than her husband, because he handled everything in their marriage, from finances to planning vacations, everything fell on his shoulders.
Those revelations and insights came hard, and now Dr. Stahl wanted them to sit in a room of strangers and speak about private pain. Parker would do it. If it meant saving his marriage he would do it, because he knew one thing above all others, he loved his wife.
Parker stared into Rachel’s eyes.
“Easy or hard, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, you know?”
Rachel smiled. “I know.”
The room they sat in was rectangular with the wallboard painted a soothing blue, but there was a glass door that led to the hallway, and when Parker looked through it and saw who was walking their way, his eyes turned to slits.
“What the hell is he doing here?”
Rachel followed his gaze and gasped. “Oh no,”
Walking towards the therapy room was the man Rachel had her affair with, Timothy Hearn. At twenty-eight, Hearn was even younger than Rachel and his beach boy good looks and brilliant blue eyes attracted more women than Parker’s handsome, but stony, face ever would.
Hearn’s income also dwarfed Parker’s as his family had deep roots in the area and owned several businesses.
Walking beside Hearn was his wife, Emily; it was Emily who had made Parker aware of his wife’s infidelity, and he knew that she hated Rachel.
Hearn opened the door, stepped in behind his wife, and then looked shocked as he spotted Rachel.
Emily Hearn pointed at Rachel. She was a dark-haired beauty with a slim, but shapely figure.
“What is your whore doing here?”
Hearn looked flabbergasted, and Parker was relieved to see that Rachel did as well; apparently, neither knew that the other would be present.
Dr. Stahl shot up from his chair and went to Emily.
“Mrs. Hearn, Emily, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? I come here to save my marriage and I find my husband’s whore staring at me, that’s what’s wrong .”
Parker winced at Emily’s use of the word, whore, but understood the bitterness behind it. He had thought of Hearn in far less flattering terms and was currently fighting the impulse to punch the man in the face, as he had when he found out about the affair.
Dr. Stahl’s head was swiveling back and forth between Rachel and Timothy Hearn as a sickening realization came upon him.
“Oh God, are you telling me that Rachel is the woman your husband had the affair with?”
“Affair? It wasn’t an affair. They fucked, doctor, they snuck off whenever they could and they fucked. Why the hell is that bitch here?”
The doctor looked as if he wanted to cry as he answered.
“I apologize deeply. This is a terrible twist of fate and nothing more, you see, I’ve been treating both you and your husband and the Parkers over the last few months, but because you’ve only used first names I—oh no, there’s no excuse for this and all four of you have my sincere apology.”
“You scheduled us in the same group?” Rachel said.
“Yes.” Stahl nodded. “As I said, it’s all just a terrible twist of fate, but I’ll rectify it. There are other groups that I can
Rachel had categorized the affair as a, “stupid mistake” and the two of them entered couples’ therapy with Dr. Stahl. That was over six months ago, six months of sessions that revealed Rachel’s neediness and Parker’s bent toward autonomy.
Rachel worked as a nurse, an RN, and did the food shopping, but that was the extent of her contribution to the household, and while he knew every detail about her job and the people she worked with, he never spoke of anything work related and relaxed by taking long runs or woodworking in the basement.
Rachel complained that Parker never opened up to her about his feelings while Parker revealed that he sometimes felt more like Rachel’s father than her husband, because he handled everything in their marriage, from finances to planning vacations, everything fell on his shoulders.
Those revelations and insights came hard, and now Dr. Stahl wanted them to sit in a room of strangers and speak about private pain. Parker would do it. If it meant saving his marriage he would do it, because he knew one thing above all others, he loved his wife.
Parker stared into Rachel’s eyes.
“Easy or hard, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, you know?”
Rachel smiled. “I know.”
The room they sat in was rectangular with the wallboard painted a soothing blue, but there was a glass door that led to the hallway, and when Parker looked through it and saw who was walking their way, his eyes turned to slits.
“What the hell is he doing here?”
Rachel followed his gaze and gasped. “Oh no,”
Walking towards the therapy room was the man Rachel had her affair with, Timothy Hearn. At twenty-eight, Hearn was even younger than Rachel and his beach boy good looks and brilliant blue eyes attracted more women than Parker’s handsome, but stony, face ever would.
Hearn’s income also dwarfed Parker’s as his family had deep roots in the area and owned several businesses.
Walking beside Hearn was his wife, Emily; it was Emily who had made Parker aware of his wife’s infidelity, and he knew that she hated Rachel.
Hearn opened the door, stepped in behind his wife, and then looked shocked as he spotted Rachel.
Emily Hearn pointed at Rachel. She was a dark-haired beauty with a slim, but shapely figure.
“What is your whore doing here?”
Hearn looked flabbergasted, and Parker was relieved to see that Rachel did as well; apparently, neither knew that the other would be present.
Dr. Stahl shot up from his chair and went to Emily.
“Mrs. Hearn, Emily, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? I come here to save my marriage and I find my husband’s whore staring at me, that’s what’s wrong .”
Parker winced at Emily’s use of the word, whore, but understood the bitterness behind it. He had thought of Hearn in far less flattering terms and was currently fighting the impulse to punch the man in the face, as he had when he found out about the affair.
Dr. Stahl’s head was swiveling back and forth between Rachel and Timothy Hearn as a sickening realization came upon him.
“Oh God, are you telling me that Rachel is the woman your husband had the affair with?”
“Affair? It wasn’t an affair. They fucked, doctor, they snuck off whenever they could and they fucked. Why the hell is that bitch here?”
The doctor looked as if he wanted to cry as he answered.
“I apologize deeply. This is a terrible twist of fate and nothing more, you see, I’ve been treating both you and your husband and the Parkers over the last few months, but because you’ve only used first names I—oh no, there’s no excuse for this and all four of you have my sincere apology.”
“You scheduled us in the same group?” Rachel said.
“Yes.” Stahl nodded. “As I said, it’s all just a terrible twist of fate, but I’ll rectify it. There are other groups that I can
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