For Better, For Worse: The Serpent's Contract Wife

Chapter 142: The Woman From The Rumors

[Music: Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die By Nessa Barrett]

"Mrs. Salvero?"

I moved my eyes from the cup of coffee on the desk to Dr. Keller.

He smiled softly. "It’s okay if you’re not ready for this."

I shook my head, reaching for the coffee. "I came here, didn’t I?"

"I’m surprised you did, but I’m also glad. I’ve been hoping we’d have this conversation. But it had to happen on your terms."

I sipped the coffee, wincing from the taste because it wasn’t as sweet as I wanted. "Why? Were you expecting me or something?"

Did Zade call him? Did he know I was gonna see Dr. Keller?

"Not anytime soon," he replied, killing any suspicion I had.

"Did Zade call you or anything?" I asked, just to be sure.

"No, he didn’t. But I think it’s safe to assume he knows you’re here."

"I see... So you were waiting for my call."

"As a matter of fact. Yes."

I set the cup down. "I came here because I needed to confirm something. It was you, wasn’t it? You were the doctor from the hospital two years ago."

"Yes, I was. I’m still your doctor."

No wonder he looked familiar. It also explained how he acted toward me, too, as if we had known each other.

"I was the doctor who treated you after your accident. I’ve been overseeing your care ever since."

"Ever since?"

"Naturally, I couldn’t remain involved in your care because you spent the last two years with your father."

I nodded slowly. "So you weren’t just a random pick by the hospital, were you?"

"No," he replied honestly. "Mr. Salvero specifically requested that I oversee your treatment."

I rested my elbows on the desk and buried my face in my hands.

"I understand this is too much for you. We’ll start slow."

"Too much?" I scoffed. "I just found out a part of my life has been missing. I feel like a walking shell with echoes. This is far from much. It’s a fucking bomb. I-I thought I was going crazy and that the moment I told anyone about this I’d be sent to a psych ward."

I ran a hand through my hair, sniffling.

Understanding became his gaze, before he rested his arms on the desk, and clasped his hands together.

"I’m sorry you had to go through this. I only wish I’d been involved in your care sooner. Perhaps I could have helped you through this."

"No, no. I’d have thought you were an evil doctor sent by my husband to mess with my head."

He chuckled. "I’m glad I don’t have that label on me. But I think you’re right, the timing wouldn’t have worked, especially if you didn’t get the proof about everything happening to you."

"Yeah," I mumbled. "I guess this is then. There are proofs. I just want answers so that I don’t feel like I’m losing my mind anymore."

"Let’s start from somewhere, shall we?"

"I don’t know how..." I admitted. "I’m the one who came here, but all I wanna do is get away."

A peculiar trait of mine. Always running away from things because it was easier. It’d always been difficult, and being in that position was far worse for me.

Even now, I regret ever asking Zade. I wish I could turn back time so that I would be back in that bubble... that moment where we showered together like a normal couple.

But that was just me being stupid. There was so much in front me, and I know pretending it wasn’t there wasn’t gonna cut it.

The only reason I ripped the bubble in the first place. I can’t keep running forever.

"There’s always a starting point."

Dr. Keller’s warm voice pulled me out of it.

"Tell me what your husband has shared with you so far, and we’ll take it from there."

Slowly, my mind drifted to two days ago, when Zade showed me the room filled with paintings of me. My heart raced so fast just at the mere recollection.

~☆~

Two Days Ago

My eyes locked with every painting, and the more I did, the more my head spun. There were so many of them. And I knew this wasn’t done in a short period of time. It may have taken days, weeks... years.

Oh my god. Is this why he brought me here?

"The answer’s yes."

I gasped, whipping my head to Zade.

"We knew each other two years ago." He traced his fingertips over the worktable before rubbing them together in thought. "This is my way of showing you that it was more than that."

I swallowed thickly, my stomach twisting. "More than that?"

"The rumors weren’t about your sister."

"They were about me," I murmured, trying to wrap my head around everything.

T-Then we had a relationship? Zade and I had a relationship two years ago.

Everything about it must have altered after my sister’s death. The undercity must have assumed many things, which provoked all those vile rumors.

A shaky breath fled me. "The pictures Shane showed me then... they are..."

"Fake. Elliot did some digging," he replied.

I shakily rubbed my temples. "H-How..."

It should make sense now. I mean, all that time I spent tormenting myself about the fact that my sister had something with Zade was all for naught.

It was me all along. I was the woman.

Suddenly, in some way, those pictures Shane showed me weren’t of Annabeth and Zade but of him and me.

Everything just got a lot more complicated than I imagined.

Zade stepped closer, hands sliding to my waist and pulling me close. "What do you remember about the accident?"

I narrowed my eyes. "A-Accident?"

Wait... is he talking about the one from two years ago? When my father was away from the city and...!

I pulled myself away from him. My eyebrows furrowed as my mind wandered to that day, but all I could vividly remember was waking up in the hospital, and that was it.