The Marriage Counselor

Chapter 2

Jennie groaned in pain when she felt her head aching.

She couldn't even remember what happened last night or hell where she was.

She quickly stood up that made her head aches even more, although she neglected it as her phone alarm, reminding her it's time to prepped up for work.

She scanned the entirety of the bedroom and sighed in relief when she realized it was the hotel room.

Before completely getting out of bed she notices the 'hangover cure' Lisa left for her and she reads the note.

A small smile crept to her luscious lips, because never in her entire marriage Shaun prepared things or foods for her, especially when she came home drunk after a victory party or team dinner that will lead to drinking alcoholic beverages.

She quickly went to the bathroom and took a bath, wearing her usual office attire. before going to the hotel room's kitchen and reheating what Lisa made.

Jennie could help but smile as she tastes the soup, it was spicy—that jennie wasn't a fan of. But she came to realize just now that a hangover cure is a spicy soup, a tea and a capsule of medicine.

At work, everything seems to be normal for Jennie. She smiles at her office mates  that greet her and greet them back. Not even a sign that the fine head of the public relations department was on the verge of divorce with her goody-two-shoes husband.

"Ma'am attached in the folders were the reports and the budget allotment from the finance department about the up and coming advertisement that we are working on." Her associate handed her a sleek black folder right after settling herself at her table which made her smile and started her office day like usual.

And her day went by like that, leaving her colleagues unaware about her failing marriage not that it would be required for her colleagues to know something personal and irrelevant in a professional setting.

"Yah Jennie come on, join us. We'll be having dinner and proceed to ktv tonight." Her best friend, Rosé, whispered not wanting anyone to hear it.

Rosé was one of the few people who knew her life, and she stuck with her more than ever.

Jennie on the other hand was busy fixing her things and redoing her light make up before spraying her perfume.

"Why and who are we with?" Jennie said after getting her purse done.

"Just to blow the steam off. It's saturday tomorrow anyway. No work. We are with Irene. Just the three of us, like college days." Rosé said reminiscing about their college days with Irene.

They're that group of friends whom highschool or college boys gawk at.

Well cannot blame them, Jennie, Rosé and Irene have it. Beauty, brain, wealth and everything.

"Wait lemme guess, you have prior plans with your stingy husband?" Rosé said failing to keep her mouth shut.

Jennie rolled her eyes secretly at the word 'husband' It cringed her to think that she kept the man for years.

"I'm going. I'll need to talk to both of you." Jennie said as they were joined by Irene outside the office building.

"What is it?" Irene said as she turned her phone off, maybe talking to the person she's been dating for a while now.

"Later. Should we walk or let's—" Jennie couldn't finish her statement as the two groaned not wanting to walk.

"So, what is it again Jen?" Irene asked the moment they sat at the leather couch of the ktv room that they rented.

"Can you wait until our orders arrive?" Jennie said that made Rosé chuckle and Irene rolled her eyes and roamed the menu.

"She's been asking you that since dinner Jen feed her curiosity now." Rosé supported Irene, teaming up against Jennie.

"Her curiosity, you mean both of your curiosity." Jennie rolled her eyes as she finished ordering beers and buffalo chicken wings.

"I'm getting unmarried." Jennie said blankly that they made Rosé and Irene stop on their tracks.

"W-wait! Did I hear you right? UNmarried?" Rosé closed the songbook and scooted closer to Jennie as she emphasized the prefix of marry.

"Am I hearing things? Tell me you're renewing your vows and not breaking the marriage." Irene said after confirming her orders at the tablet that is connected to the servers of the ktv bar.

"I won't tell you then, Irene. and yes you heard it right Rosie." Jennie said while playing with her fingers.

"How? I mean, why?" Irene asked, although she wasn't close with Shaun, damn they didn't even have interaction except when they got married.

Truth be told, Irene and Rosé didn't really want Shaun for their best friend but since Jennie seemed to love Shaun, they supported them.

"Well, hmm." Jennie took a long pause trying to compose words that would best explain her situation but ended up with a sigh as she didn't know where to start.

Rosé and Irene understand Jennie's dilemma that they chose to just wait until their friend had decided when to start.

Rosé continued browsing for music in the songbook while Irene opened the door when she heard a knock when their orders arrived.

Rosé entered a music video of a not so mellow music adjusting the sound.

"We're supposed to be the one singing you know" Irene said after opening a bottle of beers for the three of them.

"Later we can, after hearing Jennie's story." Rosé said as she sat beside Jennie.

Irene nodded and sat beside jennie before handing the bottle of beer.

"Cheers to getting... Unmarried I guess." Irene contemplated but ended up having a toast of getting unmarried that the two just went with it.

Jennie releases a heavy sigh after drinking the beer.

"You both know that Shaun and I barely have time with each other." Jennie started after the music finished so it was silent inside the room.

"Well, as you both know our past arguments, I just got so full of it. I don't need a man who was too consumed feeding his ego. Heck I don't need a man to live in a house with. I don't need a roommate. I need a partner who feels like home that I can snuggle with not just someone who can occupy the empty space of a king sized bed."

"I, I marry him because I want him, and I can see myself building a family with him. But after months of getting married, I can't see us building a family of our own, I only see him stacking up money and his greed for money to prove himself."

"I love him but... Every argument feels like I'm loving him less. And I don't feel his love at all. It's like he's there, not changing the things we always argue about and waiting for me to give him up. And I did."

The two ladies beside her listened carefully and occasionally rubbed their friend's back, while Jennie continued explaining and telling them how and why she wanted to cut the knot.

Jennie didn't cry, though there was a single tear that left her eyes.

She's broken, she wants to yell but didn't have the voice and the right place to do so, she wants to cry yet she's too tired of crying and sobbing. She wants the pain to stop, but the more she tries to stop the pain, the more it hurts her.