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On Thursday, Humbert took a day off. In the afternoon, he found some time to schedule a mental health appointment at the Third Medical Center.
The Third Medical Center was a bit far from Sonisburg General Hospital. It was in a different district in the northern district of Sonisburg.
After all, Humbert was a doctor at the Sonisburg General Hospital, a standout among his peers, and with all the publicity surrounding him, his colleagues would recognize him.
While seeing a psychiatrist wasn’t something to be embarrassed about–most people these days dealt with some mental health issues–he still felt a bit uneasy.
When his appointment time came, he stood at the door and couldn’t help but chuckle at himself. Now he understood what it felt like to be a patient hesitant to talk about their problems.
He honestly didn’t want to share what was weighing on his mind with a stranger, but he needed some relief, so he pushed the door open and went inside.
The doctor was named Kate. After asking a few questions, she turned to him and said, “Do you have feelings for your first girlfriend?”
Humbert frowned slightly. He paused for a few seconds, not answering right away.
Kate took a look at him. Even with his mask on, his wealthy background and striking appearance were apparent. He wasn’t lacking for female attention.
“You didn’t really like her, did you? You just had to be with her for some reason,” Kate asked, her tone questioning. But Humbert instinctively shot back, “Let’s talk about something else.”
Kate looked at him and smiled. “You thought she was overweight, not pretty, and that she was not good enough for you, but you still had to be her boyfriend, which made you feel embarrassed. Is that right?”
Humbert furrowed his brow. “It wasn’t really like that.”
“Did you think breaking up with her was a relief?” asked Kate,
Humbert’s expression darkened. “Let’s change the topic.”
“Who initiated the breakup?” asked Kate.
Humbert took a deep breath and didn’t respond.
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Kate smiled and understood the situation. “Why don’t you tell me what she’s like and how you two got along?”
Humbert thought for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice. “She was kind of silly. She stayed with relatives and was starved for a week to rescue a stray cat with a broken leg, and she nearly passed out in school.”
Kate paused, surprised by his answer. “She sounds kind–hearted,” she said.
Humbert smirked softly but didn’t argue. He continued, “She was pretty quiet and rarely shared her life with me. We got together, though it wasn’t something I wanted at first.
“We were together for a long time, and her presence didn’t disrupt my life, so I accepted it.
“I never reached out to her, and she didn’t reach out to me. Being with her felt no different from being with anyone else.
“She wouldn’t cling to me, act cute, or disturb me. Aside from our physical relationship, it felt like we weren’t really a couple.
“She was the one who wanted to break up. Honestly, at that point, I didn’t care. I could’ve let it go either way.
“She wanted to adopt stray dogs she found outside, and she’d stop to watch ants carrying food on the sidewalk. She’d even pull out her phone to take pictures.
“Whatever I told her to do, she did. When I told her not to cry, even if she was wailing, she could stop it, and her expression was quite funny.
“I told her to keep our relationship private, and she seemed to take it really seriously. I got close to her in front of classmates, and she seemed even more afraid of being found out than
I was.
“I wasn’t as great as she thought I was. I never put on a facade in front of her.
“Sometimes she’d look at me with surprise and fear, yet then hug me as if she were comforting me. Wasn’t she silly?
“She never wore the gifts I got her, and she wouldn’t accept the expensive ones. Even if she did, she’d put them in her suitcase.
“I told her they were cheap, but she was smart enough not to believe me. After we broke up, she returned everything to me.
“She clearly didn’t have much money. Her jeans were faded, but she refused any money or gifts I offered.
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“She worked really hard. She might have been pretty slow, but she was more diligent than anyone I’ve seen. I saw her climb from the bottom of the class up to the middle. I’d never seen anyone as ambitious as her.
“You know that year’s SAT? The math and science sections were tough. Looking at her previous test scores, there was no way Sonisburg University would accept her.
“I have no idea how she managed to improve so much in just a week.”
In truth, when Humbert had pushed her to apply to Sonisburg University, he had wanted to make it tough on her, hoping she would back out.
Kate looked at him. Humbert was the kind of guy everyone envied, but when it came to relationships, he was a complete mess.
He said he didn’t like his girlfriend, yet he was upset that she returned his gifts. He claimed she was silly, but he also acknowledged how hardworking she was.
He didn’t have feelings for her, yet he was clearly haunted by many details from their time together.
One might be drawn to someone by their looks at first, but one really gets to know a person over time.
Humbert’s girlfriend might not have initially attracted him based on her appearance, but she had left a lasting impression on him.
“Why did you break up?” Kate asked.
“I had to go study abroad,” Humbert replied.
That was a choice he had to make. He could have stayed in Sonisburg, but he didn’t want to let Simon down, so he proactively gave up his position as the heir to the Pierce Group.
After that childhood kidnapping incident, he lost a brother and never truly escaped the shadow of his past.
He went from being a wild child to suddenly growing up overnight, becoming cold and distant.
“From your description, she sounds like a really sweet and genuine girl,” Kate said.
Humbert didn’t respond but nodded slightly.
“You frequently dream about her and also about another woman you’ve only recently met, feeling attracted to her. You think they’re similar, but they are different people.
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“Are you seeing the second girl as a substitute for your first love?” Kate asked.
“No,” Humbert denied. He didn’t see Winifred as a stand–in for Claire.
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Though Winifred reminded him a lot of Claire, once he knew who she was, he found his previous thoughts a bit absurd and felt a bit ashamed of himself.
So, when he met Winifred occasionally, he acted like he didn’t know her.
“From your description of your first love, it sounds like deep down, you regret breaking up because of studying abroad, and you’re surprised that she really did end things.
“You remember her as quiet and obedient, so you probably think she would have waited for you,” Kate said.
“I…” he started, his voice hoarse.
“So, do you regret it now?” Kate asked.
Humbert instinctively tightened his grip. “Let’s change the subject.”
“She returned all your gifts. While you said they were trash and that you’d throw them in the bin, I bet you’re still keeping them,” Kate said.
Humbert rubbed his forehead and nodded.
Kate found Humbert intriguing. He seemed cold, but when he nodded, his ears flushed red.
‘Doesn’t he want to admit it? Or is he scared to?‘ Kate thought to herself.
“Have you tried contacting her?” she asked.
“I reached out, but…” Humbert felt a sense of helplessness. He shook his head and fell silent.
“So, you’ve focused your attention on the girl who somewhat resembles her, trying to find the feeling you had for your first love in her,” Kate continued.
“She’s not a substitute. I’m very clear on that,” Humbert said, biting down on his back teeth. “Besides, she’s married and has a daughter.”
He wouldn’t be so out of it as to have those kinds of feelings for a married woman with a
child.
“Ah, that’s a shame,” Kate remarked.
After two hours of conversation, Humbert stood up. He didn’t feel like he had received any therapy, but he just wanted to share what was on his mind with someone who wouldn’t expose
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Kate added, “Mr. Pierce, you’ve avoided many topics during this session. You wouldn’t admit that you had real feelings in that relationship.”
He had some feelings, more or less.
Humbert looked at Kate seriously and said, “I didn’t.”
“Oh, so you never liked her?” Kate pressed.
Humbert frowned, his tone sharp. “No.”
His words echoed in the quiet room. He turned to the door, intending to open it.
Kate’s voice came from behind him. “If you didn’t like her, then why are you here for counseling?” Her words cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Humbert paused, his face still expressionless, only tightening his grip on the doorknob.
Kate continued, “Mr. Pierce, after hearing your story, I want to share a few thoughts from a woman’s perspective.
“Perhaps your girlfriend wasn’t unwilling to share her life with you; she might feel insecure, sensitive, and fragile.
“From what you’ve described, she didn’t attract you with her looks. She was a chubby girl who used certain things to pressure you into being with her.
“She knew that your relationship wasn’t going anywhere long–term.
“She worked hard in school. She was kind, and she was like a little plant struggling to grow in the harsh sun.
“She could go a week without eating just to save a stray cat when money was tight. You thought she was silly, yet you couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
“Deep down, you also wanted to save that cat. You both are kind, just expressing it differently.
“She used certain things to pressure you into being her boyfriend, but Mr. Pierce, have you considered that by choosing to threaten you, she was also giving up something she truly cared
about?
“She’d been overlooked her whole life, unlike the shining star you are. Maybe the only light she saw was coming from you. You said your relationship was hidden, but for her, it was a rare joy,”
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Humbert paused, his expression growing serious. He recalled Claire asking him, “I’m not a thief. Do you believe me?”
“If she has moved on with her life, then wish her well,” Kate added.
On the drive back, Humbert sped through the streets. Kate’s words echoed in his ears.
He didn’t want to wish Claire well, and he didn’t want to keep digging for information about her.
It had been seven years since they parted ways. It’s not like she had to be the one.
All of this could actually trace back to meeting Winifred.
If it weren’t for the way she expressed herself and her tone, which reminded him so much of Claire, he might have buried these feelings deep inside and carried on with his life as a carefree rich guy.
In a couple of years, he could settle down, marry a woman from a respectable family, and Margaret wouldn’t have to worry so much.
Winifred’s appearance had unearthed things he’d been hiding.
While waiting at a red light, his phone rang with an unfamiliar number, and this was his private line.
Humbert answered, and a strange female voice came through. “Are you Leonard’s uncle?”
“Yeah, that’s me,” he said.
“I’m Leonard’s teacher. He got into a fight with a girl at school. Please come by,” said the
woman.
Humbert rubbed his forehead. After a couple of seconds, he heard Leonard’s voice on the phone. “Uncle, please help me, don’t tell Mom. Can you come?
“Please, Uncle. If Mom finds out, she’ll spank me.”
Humbert drove to Sonisburg Elementary School.
Leonard had just started first grade in September. He had a bowl cut hairstyle, which was designed by a private stylist that Jessica, who’s hopeless at art, knew.
And he was a bit chubby compared to other kids, definitely getting his looks from both the
Pierce and Garcia families.
Margaret liked him a lot.
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As soon as Humbert walked into the office, Leonard ran over and hugged Humbert’s leg, whispering, “Uncle, that’s Rosalind over there. She has a really bad temper. I pulled her braid, and she scratched my neck!”
Humbert looked into the office to see a small girl with her hair falling out and standing next to a tall, slender woman.
Suddenly, Humbert felt a surge of frustration. All that talk in the two–hour therapy session this morning seemed wasted.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
