*** Counselling scene - You may read this chapter as a quick recap or skip to the next chapter ***
The counselling room was designed to be minimal. Neutral walls, soft lighting, and a faint scent of lavender that made it feel less like a clinic and more like a retreat.
Aveline's heels clicked against the wooden floor as she entered, her poise unbroken, masking every turmoil. "Hello, Mr. Williams." Her voice was measured.
Psychologist Hugo Williams, a man in his late thirties, was standing by the water dispenser when he turned around and flashed a faint smile. "Please take a seat."
She walked towards the armchair by the window, sat down with elegance, and crossed her legs with quiet ease, keeping her bag at her side.
Hugo observed her as he set two glasses of water on the side table before taking his own seat. A notebook lay open on the chair arm, a pen resting between his fingers.
"I presume," he began, "you saw your ex-husband again..."
"Yes." Aveline's response was short.
