"BETROTHED" ✔️

Bonus Chapter #2

(Just another bonus chapter I forgot to publish years ago lol. This book will be needing more editing if I ever find time.)

***

Shayenne's life after marriage and three kids with Shane was very much perfect. He was a great husband and a good father. Their lives and love for one another never changed after all those years spent together.

However, the only thing stopping Shayenne from being completely happy were the memories of Josh that came back to haunt her as nightmares. They would give her panic attacks at the simple though of them. She'd decided to go to therapy and Shane agreed that it was a good idea. He therefore supported her by finding her the best therapist to him she could go to and discuss her problems with the past. She needed closure.

*

"Welcome, Shayenne," therapist Sophia greeted Shayenne who'd just gotten comfortable on her couch.

"Thank you very much,"

"Is there in anything particular you'd like to talk to me about?" the therapist proceeded to ask.

"Yes. My whole life and its past that is coming back to haunt me,"

"Alright. I'm all ears. You have my attention for the next one hour. I want you to let everything go. Talk about everything that bothers you. Do not be embarrassed of anything. I am here to help you,"

"Okay. Thank you very much," Shayenne breathed and looked at the white ceiling above her.

"Good. Now I'm listening to you,"

"From the moment I was born, I was betrothed to the son of a family very close to mine. His parents and mine were as closed as the five fingers of a hand. Of course, it's definitely no longer the same,"

"Mmhm,"

"He was their only child just like I am the only child of my parents. Some would think that we were already perfect for each other given how our families were closed and we seemed to have things in common,"

"Mhm,"

"We were basically forced to get along and hand out with each other. I wasn't allowed to talk with other boys. Not even the boys of every class I'd passed through. And this wasn't even imposed to me by my parents but by Josh himself who was a lot of years older than me. However, I did not really see a problem with it because I believed that because he was my husband to be, I had to respect him and do everything he would ask me to do,"

"I see," the therapist said and noted a few things down.

"I was a very naïve, innocent and sweet girl. I had such strict parents that sent me into Josh's world without any protection. I never grew up like the other young people of my age. I was almost dumb, if I may say. By fifteen I had basically already been groomed by that asshole of Josh who was already in his twenties. Though I lived with my parents, he came to pick me up every day so we would go hang out. When I think of it, it is almost like he raised me instead of my parents. Raised me into a perfectly submissive person he could maltreat. He treated me like I was his property and maid. He would have me cook, clean and do his laundry whenever he took me back to his place. He'd never even taken me on dates," Shayenne explained, feeling the tears behind her eyes but she quickly blinked them away.

Dr. Sophia took a few important notes as she listened to Shayenne.

"Take your time, Shayenne. You can stop whenever you feel overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and relax until you are ready to continue," she told her patient.

"Thank you. I'm fine,"

"Alright. I'm ready when you are,"

"When I turned sixteen, I spent my birthday with Josh. Our parents had given us the permission. Well, my parents had given me the permission given that I was the minor here."