(024 - Therapy Session)
Song for the chapter: Therapy Session by NF
TIMELINE EXPLANATION
Hey guys. I realized that some of you are not following the timeline of the book and were confused when Hilary said she was still grieving Henry one month ago (Chapter 26, after she found out Jidenna cheated on her). It's alright to be confused, but now, I want y'all to pay attention because I want to explain the timeline to you.
The accident happened on the 16th of August which is approximately one month from the day Hilary resumed school. Between Hilary's resumption and now, it has just been two weeks. This means so far, the events of this book, from Henry's Death to the Party, have just been within one month and two weeks.
So Hilary saying she was still grieving Henry one month ago in chapter 26, is pretty accurate because Henry's Death wasn't announced till two days after the accident, the burial happened a week after - which was when the grieving period began - and that was the same time she was trying to get in touch with Jidenna (who was cheating on her at that point).
I don't know if you get the gist, but I have explained it to the best of my knowledge. Just know that our babies are just about to enter the month of October, so don't think they are in November like the rest of us 🌚.
•
Rihanna_Adedeji decided to use juju to force me to update. I've sha updated. Ku'se o, Riri🙄.
(Disclaimer: There will be several images in the chapter to depict some things. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it. If you are having any problems commenting on the picture because of Wattpad's "update", try updating, or drag the comment session up my the tip; I don't know if you get me)
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𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘
(Hilary Idara Eghosa)
"Hurry up, Hilary." I heard Mum call from behind my closed door. "You'll be late for your first appointment and that will leave a bad impression on you." She said. I sighed, not moving from my position on the stool, seated in front of the vanity table and staring at my reflection in the mirror.
"Can you give me a few minutes?" I called back at her, knowing that she was still standing behind the door, waiting for me to answer her.
There was a bit of silence after my request. I knew Mum was contemplating badging into the room to see if I was fine, but she didn't want to seem too overbearing at the same time. She has been trying to give me space, but then at the same time, she'd still hover.
Not that I mind. I didn't mind it at all.
"Hilary, are you okay?" She asked, deciding not to leave me to myself this time. I saw the doorknob quirk a bit and I knew she was contemplating entering the room. But then it stopped moving and I knew she changed her mind.
"I'm fine," I answered, taking a deep, shaky breath. "I just need a little time. I'll be down in a bit." I told her. I waited and listened for a moment before hearing her mutter a quiet okay and her retreating footsteps right after. I drew in another shaky breath before going back to stare at my reflection in the mirror.
I was ready to go. I have been ready for the past thirty minutes, dressed in a black and white off-shoulder stretch top, blue jeans, and white kicks, my hair plaited in cornrows. There was nothing else left for me to do except to take my bag, go downstairs to have breakfast, and be on my way to the hospital.
It all sounded like something so easy, except it really wasn't. I was back to my nervous self.
By the time I woke up the morning, I was eager, ready to go for the therapy. My parents were even surprised at how early I had gotten home from Semeeha's place, just to get ready for my therapy session. Mum wouldn't stop humming as she made breakfast, clearly excited at my own excitement.
But by the time I was in the bathroom, with the cold water from the shower running down my shower cap clad head to my toe, it dawned on me that I'd still have to divulge most things that are going on with me to a complete stranger. Things I still haven't been able to tell my parents.
And just like clockwork, I was plunged back into another depth of nervousness. It was like everything Dawn had told me before The Paragon started yesterday had vanished in thin air. But still, I knew I had to go. I had no choice but to go. It was the right thing to do.
Taking in another deep breath to calm myself, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and muttered calming words to myself.
"You can do this. It's just therapy." I repeated those words more than ten times. I consoled myself with the fact that the therapist won't force me to tell her things I don't want to tell her. She'd take it one step at a time with me and that was all I wanted.
Trust the process. Dawn's voice reminded me and I exhaled, nodding back at my reflection.
With my mind partially settled, I finally stood up from the stool, using my hand to pat down on the neat cornrows my mum had made for me this morning. I picked up my black cross bag from the bed, made my way out of the room, and descended the stairs to the kitchen where mum was.
"Ah, finally." She mused as soon as she saw me, smiling. "I was beginning to contemplate coming up there again to bundle you out of that room myself. You have thirty minutes before the time of your appointment and you've not even had breakfast."
Mum wasn't chiding me but I felt the need to apologize. My parents paid a lot of money for this, just to make me feel better. Not going or not showing any interest in it was likened to setting their money on fire. All they wanted was for me to be okay and they were doing that by any means necessary.
"I'm sorry," I muttered, settling down on the stool in front of the ceramic counter in the middle of the kitchen. She hummed, dropping a plate in front of me. The aroma of the content filled my nose before I even got to see the meal. Yam and fish sauce.
Yum. I picked up my fork and stabbed a piece before putting it in my mouth.
"Don't apologize," Mum said, and I looked up at her. She came closer to me and took my hand on hers, looking back at me. "I understand that you are nervous and it's completely normal that you are.
But the fact that you are up and ready to go just makes you strong, Hilary. And I'm proud of you for deciding to take this step to heal. Take it slow and at your own pace. No one is rushing you, okay?" I nodded slowly, taking in her words one at a time.
Her last statement was the exact same thing Simi had said to me in that restroom when he was talking to me.
...No one is rushing you to heal, Hilary...
The majority of his words were still very much fresh in my memory. Surprisingly, his words had so much effect on me, ingrained in my mind the very moment he spoke them. It was the first time I'd be having anything close to meaningful conversation with him, and I can bet my two legs that he spoke with more wisdom than I have ever heard anyone speak with.
It shocked me how someone... a person like Simisola Jordan could speak with so much knowledge... intelligence? It seemed rude but I was honestly curious.
Well, there is a difference between being book smart and all-round intelligent. Simi seems to be in the latter category. My subconscious reminded me as I took another piece of yam into my mouth.
The mere thought of that... fascinated me. A lot.
"How was the party?" Mum's voice jerked me out of my reverie and I looked up to meet her rather inquisitive gaze. It made me chuckle slightly. That look was all too familiar to me. It was the look she always gave me whenever she wanted gist.
If only you knew everything that happened at that party, Mum.
"It was eventful," Was the only answer I gave her, eating the last pieces of yam on my plate. She didn't fail to hide her disappointment, dropping everything she was doing to stand in front of me, her lips in a pout and her hands akimbo.
"Come on, you have to give me more than that." She was literally pleading. I laughed, standing up from the stool with my empty plate to put in the dishwasher. All through, I felt my Mum's eyes steadily on me.
"What else do you want me to tell you, mum?" I asked her after turning on the dishwasher.
"Well, everything." She answered without hesitation and I laughed again before I started shaking my head. There was no possible way I could tell her the events of last night, especially the things that happened during the Spin the Bottle game.
What Jide...
Don't think about him, Hilary. I chided myself immediately, pushing that nameless assho... person, to the deepest, darkest pit of my mind.
"Well," I drawled, picking my bag up from the ceramics countertop and throwing it over my shoulder. "If I start to tell you everything that happened at the party, I'll not catch the bus on time and then I'll be late for the therapy session, which you obviously don't want." I flashed her a grin as I made my way out of the kitchen.
I heard her scoff as she followed behind me.
"You think you are smart abi," She called after me and I laughed again, turning around to face her. She was smiling. I stayed on my spot as she came to meet me. She took my hands in hers again, a sigh escaping her lips. I waited for her to speak because I knew she wanted to.
"I'm still here if you want to talk," She reminded me and I exhaled as well, nodding. "Not just me. Your Dad is also ready to listen to you whenever you want to talk. We are both here for you." She said and I nodded again.
"I know, mummy," I answered, giving her a smile of reassurance that I won't forget. She smiled, letting my hands go.
"Hope you didn't forget your bus ticket?" She asked and I shook my head, patting my bag softly. "Call when you are done, let me know when you are coming home, okay?" She started. Her voice was calm but also very much instructive. I nodded again and she sighed before pulling me closer to hug me... tight.
Be careful, Hilary. Please, be careful. Was what her hug was indirectly saying.
"I'll be careful mum, I promise," I promised, answering her unasked request. She sighed again, hugging me even tighter.
"I know you will." She said before releasing me. Mum saw me off to the gate and I waved her goodbye as I began to walk down the road of the estate, staying on the sidewalk.
The Bus stop of the estate was just down the road and it would take me about two minutes to get there. Knowing I didn't have the luxury of two minutes because I was way behind schedule, I plugged in my earpiece to my phone, began to play some music, and quickened my pace.
I got to the stop about the same time the bus did, so I made my way in, scanned my bus ticket, and found a seat just by the window. When the bus started moving, I brought out my phone from my pocket and began to scan through social media. Instagram was my first pick because I haven't opened the app since August.
The first post I saw from Semeeha. It was obvious that she was currently on the set of her photoshoot. Someone had taken a picture of her seated in front of the white male hairdresser, wearing a pink robe, and her face completely made up to suit her melanin complexion. Semeeha was a naturally beautiful girl with envious dark skin but makeup gives her an entirely different glow.
Her face in this picture was no exception.
I clicked on her username and was taken to her own page.
Semeeha Malik is a household name. Everyone knew her everywhere. When she started modeling in JSS 3, it took nothing less than two months for the entire continent, and the world at large to know her name. In the twinkling of an eye, she became extremely popular... it somewhat seemed like a mystery.
Her followers on Instagram had skyrocketed and now, she had a whopping seven point five million followers on Instagram and was has been verified since we were in SS 1. She was honestly living the dream life of every Nigerian Teenager.
After her rather unfriendly outburst early this morning, I didn't see her. Dawn was still asleep when I woke up to leave, courtesy of being on the phone with Sochima almost all night. I wanted to apologize to Semeeha for prying on her sketch pad before leaving but Mama Marie had told me that she was working out in the gym and didn't want to be disturbed. So instead, I left a note for her, telling her to message me on Whatsapp.
Till now, I've gotten nothing from her. I gave her a benefit of the doubt that she didn't see the note, or maybe she was just too busy, given that she was having a photoshoot.
My phone buzzed and a WhatsApp message from Dawn appeared on my notification board. I tapped on it and it took me straight to her DM.
I sighed.
Dawn didn't have to say more before I understood what she meant. I knew I won't be able to keep it from him for long. It was pretty much inevitable for him not to find out.
But then, it won't be such a bad idea if Kizito actually kills him. I cringed at my own evil thought.
I'm not a wicked person.
At that moment, the archived class group chat came back up as messages began to fly in. I was still very much scared of the things I'd see there so I had archived the group chat a long time ago. But I couldn't keep archiving it as the messages trooping in would bring it back up.
So, I swallowed my fear and opened the group chat, bracing myself for what I'd see.
I couldn't stop the scoff that escaped my lips when I read that. It was a girl that had sent that message. So much for women supporting women.
I kept reading.
I knew the class would come after Lase as soon as she sent that message, and they didn't disappoint.
"Thank you, Gigi," I said to myself, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I didn't even have the luxury of time to continue breathing because my phone started buzzing again.
This time, the messages were from Kizito.
Bloody hell. I cussed, hissing as I opened his chat.
"Just what I wanted to avoid," I mused to myself, sighing right after. I began to type back, trying to pacify him and tell him not to do anything drastic, for his own sake. But before I could even form the message, the bell in the bus rang, alerting my attention.
"Atlantic Cove Hospital." He called out and people began to drop. I stood up as well and dropped, getting down by the large parking lot that was situated in front of the hospital. All thoughts of trying to pacify Kizito went as I looked at the white building in front of me.
This is it.
Securing my phone back into my bag, I made my way towards the entrance of the building, slowly. When I entered the building, the cold air from the air conditioning machine hit me and I involuntarily shivered.
Atlantic Cove was one of the best hospitals in all of Lekki, and one of the biggest as well. You could get lost looking for an office there, or a ward. Unlike most hospitals, Atlantic Cove didn't have the stereotypical smell of antiseptics and drugs. If anything, it looked and felt like a big-time company.
I watched for a moment how doctors and nurses clad in lab coats and scrubs walked the length and breadth of the large hallway before making my way towards one of the nurses sitting behind the counter.
"Good afternoon," I called and she looked up, wearing a rather radiant smile.
"Good afternoon dear," She answered, the contagious smile unwavering from her thick glossed lips. "How may I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm here to see Dr. Chidera Chukwu. She's expecting me." I told her, and immediately her eyes widened slightly as if she recognized me from somewhere.
"You must be Hilary Eghosa," Her smile widened even more.
Oh, she knows my name. I thought to myself as I nodded, wearing a smile of my own.
"Dr. Chidera has been expecting you." She told me and I nodded. She whispered something to the second nurse before she walked out from behind the counter to stand in front of me.
"Please follow me," She said, leading the way, and I followed. Another plus for the Hospital. Unlike the tales of stereotypical mean nurses that sat behind the counters in other hospitals, Atlantic Cove's customer service was top-notch.
The nurse, Nurse Kamsi, as I read on her name tag earlier, led me through the hallways of the building, turning at some corners till we got to a large glass door. Above that door was a plaque that read CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT. I needed no one to tell me that we were here.
Nurse Kamsi pushed the door opened and we entered into a less busy hallway, compared to the ones we have come through. There were doors on either side of the hallway and one at the end. And like the entire hospital, everywhere was pure white.
"Dr. Chidera's door is the second to the last by your right. She's waiting for you." Nurse Kamsi told me. I exhaled and flashed her a small smile of gratitude.
"Got it. Thank you." I said. She smiled back at me and retreated, leaving me to do the rest on my own.
I exhaled again and began to make my way down to the said office as per the directions of Nurse Kamsi. It was easy not to miss the office because there were name tags on every door and just as the nurse had directed, the office was the second to the last by my right.
Chidera . K . Chukwu. The plaque on the door read and I puffed out air from my mouth.
"Here goes nothing," I whispered to myself before lifting my fist to knock against the door.
As soon as the calm and soothing voice told me to come in, I turned the doorknob and did, walking into the big office.
Wow.
My eyes immediately rested on the walls of the office. Unlike everywhere in this hospital, this particular office was not pure white. It was colorful in a calm and homely way. A splash of white, sky blue, and lilac. I never knew such a combination could be so beautiful. My eyes couldn't capture every single detail because there was so much to take in.
The glass case of plaques and awards rested on the right wall of the room, not to mention the set of sofas and couches at another side of the office. There was a small glass table in-between the seats and a mini-fridge just by the corner. Everything about this place made me feel at ease. I physically calmed down.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The same calm and soothing voice that had called me in jerked me out of my reverie. I looked in the direction it had come from, and just right in front of me stood a woman.
A very, very beautiful woman.
All through my sightseeing, I had not even noticed her. leaning against her desk. But now, she was standing upright, both of her hands raised as she looked around her own office.
"I told my interior designer to do something that would make my clients feel comfortable," She stopped looking around and looked back at me, a bright smile stretching across her lips. "From your expression, I can tell she did exactly that."
I was utterly speechless.
She let out a soft breath, that bright smile still intact, and walked towards me in slow, audacious strides. She was walking like a freaking model on a runway, stopping when she finally got to me.
"It's so wonderful to finally meet you, Hilary." She whispered.
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What is this goddess?
That was the only thing I could think of as I stared back at the beaming woman in front of me. I was in a mild shock. She clearly wasn't the kind of person I wasn't expecting.
I was expecting an older woman. Probably someone with grey low-cut hair, thick-rimmed glasses, giving off an old wise woman vibe. I know I spoke to her over the phone once, but I wasn't paying attention to how young she sounded. Because the person standing in front of me wouldn't be anything more than twenty-five years old.
Or was it because of the way she looked?
She was gorgeous, very gorgeous, arguably one of the most beautiful women I've seen in my life, and that was saying a lot because I have seen beautiful women in my time, including my mum. But this woman right here was a different kind of beauty entirely. A calm, yet alluring, captivating... unearthly beauty.
This woman looked like someone that had just walked out of a fashion magazine. Dark skinned with a model-like figure that filled her simple red dress so perfectly. Her eyes color was a light shade of brown, and I knew they weren't contact lenses. The deep brown weave on her head was obviously human hair, flowing down her shoulder in layers. She didn't even need to have make-up on because her skin glowed.
This wasn't some cool Aphrodite kind of beauty.
It was all Persephone.
I'm pretty sure what I just said makes absolutely no sense.
Even with the enchanting beauty, she looked calm, gentle, the smile on her lightly glossed lips genuine and unwavering... making me feel relaxed and at ease. That was a good thing, right?
"H-Hi," I choked out when I finally found my voice, cringing immediately after at how weird I had sounded like I had a frog in my throat. Dr. Chidera chuckled, stretched out her hands to take mine.
"You look nervous," She stated, bobbing her head to the side as she peered at me. It was then I noticed the slight, almost unnoticeable accent in her voice.
British? French? I couldn't pinpoint it, but it made her sound so sophisticated and posh.
"I'm n-nervous," I stuttered out an answer, confirming her statement. She chuckled slightly, nodding.
"It's completely okay for you to be nervous," She told me, not shifting her gaze from mine, rubbing her thumb soothingly over the back of my calm. I exhaled, swallowing.
"I am here to help you, but I won't rush you to tell me everything at once." She said, "We are doing this at your pace, okay?" I nodded, visibly relaxing. That was what I wanted. She led me to where the sofas were, to seat on one while she was still on her feet.
"Feel free with me," she told me as she walked to where the mini-fridge was, glancing at me for a bit. "Would you like to take anything? Water? Orange juice? Tea?"
"I'm fine," I answered, thankful that my voice was now clearer and I had better control of myself. "Thank you, Dr. Chidera."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes comically, "Please call me Chidera, or better still, call me Dera. That's what all my friends call me." She flashed me another contagious megawatt smile. I couldn't stop the smile from stretching across my lips too.
This woman will be chill. I thought to myself.
"And I'm not taking no for an answer," She continued, shaking her head as she brought out a glass jug of orange juice from the fridge and picked a glass cup from the tray beside it.
"You can't come to my office for the first time and not take something." She said, pouring the juice into the cup and handing it over to me. I muttered a thank you and collected it. She poured herself a cup as well and went to take the sofa opposite me so she could see me clearly.
There was silence for a moment, with her peering right at me. Her look wasn't intimidating at all. Rather, she looked like she was trying to read me. I guess that's what therapists do. Still, I couldn't meet her eyes.
"Tell me about yourself, Hilary." Her question finally broke the silence and I looked at her, wondering why she had asked that question. She knew about me. She had an entire file about me so I wasn't sure why she was asking that question.
"You already know about me," I said. She shook her head, taking a sip of her juice before setting it down on the table stool beside her seat.
"No, I only know basic things about you," She corrected. "I know your name is Hilary Idara Eghosa. I know you clocked seventeen in July and I know you attend Crestview International Academy." She expatiated. I muttered a quiet oh, finally understanding what she meant.
"I want to know who you are, Hilary." She said and I nodded. "So tell me about yourself, Hilary. Indulge me." She urged on and I exhaled, trying to relax on the soft sofa I was sitting on.
Where do I start from?
"I think it will help if you ask me questions," I answered, nervously playing with my fingers. Chidera hummed and nodded, leaning back against her chair to relax, her legs crossing over each other.
"Alright. Let's talk about your friends." She said and unconsciously, my lips quirked in a small smile, which she noticed. "Now that's it. Come on, talk to me." She urged me on, looking completely interested. I couldn't stop the light chuckle that escaped my lips.
"Well, I have three best friends," I told her, and she hummed, nodding her head as a way of telling me to go on. "First, there's Semeeha Malik..."
"The Teen Model, Semeeha Malik?" She asked to confirm and my eyes furrowed as I wondered how she knew Semeeha.
"You know her?" I questioned and Chidera laughed lightly, shaking her head.
"Who doesn't? She's an international teen sensation and a prodigy. Anyone that doesn't know her is probably living under a rock." She stated in one breath and I laughed, feeling even more at ease with this woman.
She was funny.
"So, tell me about your friendship with Semeeha Malik." Chidera urged. I cleared my throat and continued.
"Semeeha has been my friend since she came in JSS2, which was way before she became a model. She has always been the audacious, outspoken one amongst all of us, with a flair for the dramatic." I chuckled at the memories of brazen JSS2 Semeeha was.
Chidera kept listening.
"When she became a model, we were not too surprised. She had it in her to be someone great." I said and Chidera nodded, focused on everything I was saying. "She has some flaws, though. She can be outspoken at the wrong times. Most of the time, she doesn't have a filter and is very blunt, so her words tend to be insultive. She can also come off as arrogant.
But who doesn't have flaws? We all do. And I won't for anything hold her flaws against her because I knew her before she became the international sensation she is now. And even with all this, she will always have her friends' back, though sometimes in the oddest ways," I chuckled again as I concluded.
"She sounds..." Chidera paused as if to find the right words to describe Semeeha, "Relatively nice," She finally found the words. I laughed, nodding.
"That's exactly Semeeha," I confirmed.
"So, who is next?" She asked.
"Dawn," My smile automatically widened as I thought about that girl. "She's actually one of the reasons I gathered the courage to come here," I told Chidera. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Are you serious?" I nodded and she sighed, smiling. "She must be a gem then,"
"Dawn is amazing," I affirmed, the smile on my lips widening into a grin. "She is very selfless, very accommodating, such a lovable person. Let me not even get started on how beautiful and talented she is. I'd always say Dawn is Art in human form."
"It's very obvious you adore her," Chidera chipped and I giggled, nodding.
"I do. I really do." I stated and she hummed. "Dawn had it pretty rough towards the ending of our SS2 but she came back strong and fierce. She's a major motivation to me. If she can bounce back, I can too." I concluded, looking at Chidera who was nodding slowly, clearly fascinated at my determination to get better.
"That's the spirit." She hailed me and I smiled, looking down shyly. She took another sip of orange juice before she asked, "Tell me about your last best friend." I looked up immediately, a chuckle escaping my lips as I thought about Kizito.
"Kizito Alade-Martins," I spelled out his name. Chidera sat up, a look of interest spreading across her face.
"A guy, uhn?" She asked while she wiggled her well-drawn brows at me, causing me to throw my head back and laugh. "This is going to be interesting," She added and I shook my head.
"Contrary to what you might be thinking," I began, still shaking my head, "Kizito is like the big brother of the group with no form of romantic attachments of any kind to either of us." I clarified while Chidera smirked, peering at me as if she wanted to know if I was hiding something or not.
"Chidera, I'm serious." I laughed. "Our relationship with Kizito and his relationship with us is platonic. Besides, I think he just snagged himself a girlfriend early this morning." I beamed and she hummed, still smirking.
"Okay, if you say so" She drawled, relaxing back on her seat.
"So, tell me about your friendship with Kizito." She continued, picking her cup of orange juice again. 'I am especially interested in what you have to say about him." She added, sipping her drink again while she looked at me over the rim of the cup.
I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but then I began to speak about Kizito.
"Kizito is, like I said, the big brother of the group, especially to me," I paused, digesting my words as they meant more than I had expected. Still, I continued, delving into a more cheerful description of Kizito.
"He's the hunk of our school according to popular opinion, which is true because he's actually a hunk," I chuckled, watching Chidera listen with more kin attention than before. "He looks like a grown-ass man for his age, and that's saying a lot because he's the youngest of all of us. He also majors in American Football."
"An Athlete," Chidera chipped and I nodded.
"The Sports Prefect, even," I added and she smiled, urging me to go on.
"He can be temperamental," I continued. "When he is angry, he is like an unstoppable bull. But a majority of the time, his anger is very much justified and no one holds it against him. Kizito angrily does things for all his friends. If you hurt anyone in his circle, you are done for." I concluded.
I remembered how badly he had fucked Jidenna up when that rumor began two weeks ago, as well as the message he had sent me before I got down from the bus this morning. Kizito angrily does things for his friends, damning all consequences.
This time won't be an exception, even if I try to pacify him.
"Sounds like what a real man will do," Chidera commented and I nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Exactly," I simply said, sighing right after. There was a comfortable silence after that. I looked at Chidera and saw that she was deep in thought. I didn't know what else to say so I just waited for her to speak.
"You said something," She finally spoke, and I turned my attention to her. "You said Kizito angrily does things for his friends, so he must have angrily done something for you too." She stated and I nodded, not grasping the hidden message behind her.
"Like what?" She urged on.
"Like beating up my ex to stupor two weeks ago. Funny how he might likely do it again by Monday." I rapped out in one breath.
When I realized I had just divulged what we can call the beginning of everything Chidera and I will ever discuss, my eyes widened and I paused my mouth shut. But Chidera already grasped everything I said. The gentle smile on her lips told me that.
"And why did Kizito beat up your ex?" She asked, but I didn't answer. I kept my mouth glued shut.
Chidera nodded, that gentle smile still playing on her lips. She stood up from her seat opposite mine and walked to the closest sofa to me. My eyes followed every bit of her step till she was seated and was now looking at me.
"Listen to me Hilary," She began and I looked on, "There was a tone you used when you said Kizito angrily does things for his friends. Immediately, I knew it was something personal and that was why I asked you what he had done for you.
From the looks of things, whatever your ex did to you must have been very drastic and it most likely has something to do with why you are here in the first place." She paused. I opened my mouth to speak but then nothing came out.
I was speechless.
Chidera chuckled softly.
"I don't need you to confirm or deny my claim Hilary," She stated calmly, "It's written all over your face." She added and I sighed.
One of the numerous downsides of being an open book.
"Jidenna is a sour subject," I told Chidera and she hummed, bobbing her head to the side.
"Half of the things we would be talking about in this office will be a sour subject, Hilary." She reminded me, and I licked my suddenly dry lips. "I want to know why Jidenna in particular is a sour subject." She said.
Her voice was calm, soothing, yet precise in a way that made me want to divulge everything to her at once. But I know I couldn't. I couldn't just dump it on her at once. I didn't want to. One step at a time.
"We are doing this at your pace, Hilary." She stated as I looked at her. "If you are not ready to speak, it's completely al..."
"Jidenna is kinda at the center of what happened the night Henry died," I said in one breath, cutting Chidera off.
Surprisingly, the dark-skinned, gorgeous woman that was my therapist didn't seem too shocked by that revelation, not like I had expected. Instead, she looked... intrigued. Like she wanted to know more. I exhaled, bracing myself because I knew this was the beginning of my outpouring.
And I knew deep down, that If I don't do this now, I might not have to courage to do it again.
So much for not divulging everything at once. I thought to myself as I finally picked up my glass of orange juice and downed the content in one gulp.
𝐀/𝐍
Hilary has said it before. She's an open book. It is easy to read the emotions behind her every action, be it anger, sadness, hurt, even love. So, it wasn't even difficult for Chidera to read her from the very moment she walked into the office. Everything, every question Chidera asked her was just to lead to her opening up. Psychologists are like that.
Don't forget that name o (Chidera Chukwu). Apart from the fact that she'd be appearing occasionally in the course of this book as Hilary's therapist, she'd have an entirely different and even more major role to play in another book entirely 🌚.
The next chapter will begin in Simi's POV 😌. Like I said, two chapters ago, Simi and Hilary are beginning to have their own share of screen time. They are the major anchors after all.
I don't know when next I'll update, but before I do, don't forget to always VOTE! COMMENT!! SHARE!!!
See you when I see you ❤️.