Page 19 of Someone Like You

“Are we seriously back on that conversation again? You view this marriage as a dumping ground for your problems. You think that I’m supposed to be your servant and baby-maker. I have a life outside of the home, but you don’t seem to respect it.”

“Mrs. Perez, do you honestly believe that your husband only sees you as a homemaker?”

“I know that he does. He doesn’t respect my career. He believes that the work I do for my father’s campaign is just because I’m his daughter.”

“That’s not true, Beth. You know that I respect your intellect, the work that you do, and the name and reputation you’ve built for yourself. I just want you to put that same energy into creating a home for the two of us.”

“Why should I have to cook and clean when we have a house staff to manage those things?”

“It would be nice to have a homecooked meal from my wife every now and then. And it would also be nice to have children that my wife and I created. And I’m not talking about one created in a lab or one that another woman would carry.”

Bethany scoffed and shook her head at me.

“Casimir, this is not the place for these discussions. This is the ridiculous behavior that I refuse to entertain, Dr. Champagne.”

“Let’s back up for one moment, Mrs. Perez. Do you recall how important it was for him to respect your career?”

“I do.”

“Then let’s try to give him the same consideration as it relates to the things that he wants. Now, that’s not to say that your concerns aren’t valid,” Giselle stated as she held up a finger to Bethany, who was ready to cut her off based on the way she was turning red. “Mr. Perez, Bethany’s decision to procreate or not should be decided between the two of you, but you also must respect her feelings about her choice when it comes to her body. That is her choice.”

“And she’s my wife,” I growled.

“That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that she lays down all of her rights when it comes to you.”

Beth shot me a smirk and crossed her arms. “Thank goodness someone has some sense.”

“Although, I do want you to consider your husband’s feelings. Think about how he might feel about another woman experiencing what he wants to experience with you. He wants a child, and you’re not opposed to it. But he wants to be there every step of the way, seeing his child grow in your womb, feeling her move for the first time, seeing every change that happens to your body as this occurs.”

“And that’s what I don’t want!” Beth shouted.

“Calm down, Mrs. Perez. No one is taking away your rights. I simply asked you to consider—”

“You know, Dr. Champagne, I’m sure you mean well, but these sessions are not really helping my husband and myself. I expected a therapeutic experience and some healing and growth when this was all over with. But I honestly believe that thesecounseling sessions of yours have made our marriage worse. My husband has these delusions that I am supposed to change when he is the one that’s changing. I have been the same woman that he met until this day. Prior to these sessions, he was a content man, but now he’s dissatisfied, as though he wants something more. Something about my husband has changed, Dr. Champagne, and I believe it is connected to these sessions. Especially after speaking with Mother, she thought maybe I—”

“Your mother?” I asked, leaning back and mugging the shit out of Beth. “I thought we signed an agreement stating that everything in these sessions would remain between you, me, and Dr. Champagne. What was the use of all of that if you weren’t going to follow through? As a matter of fact, have you followed through on any of your promises? Maybe that’s why we can’t get this thing to work.”

“This thing? This thing, Casimir? This thing is our marriage! Or does it not mean anything to you anymore?”

“It means everything to me. But obviously not to you, seeing how you were the one that bailed on these sessions. I wasn’t the one who wanted to start coming here in the first place, Bethany. Or did you forget that too? It was you who dragged me here. Just so Ms. Champagne could become another member of your audience you enjoy bashing me in front of.”

Beth stood from the couch, crossed her arms, and looked down at me. “You know, you people are all just alike, aren’t you?”

I wanted to knock the fuck out of her. She’d said things like that before. I knew that my wife was prejudiced, although she didn’t believe that about herself. But I never in a million years thought she would embarrass me or herself by saying shit like that so publicly. What happened behind closed doors was one thing, but having a witness to her ignorant behavior was another thing.

Anger rose within me, and I closed my hands into tight fists. My jaw clenched because I was seconds off calling her a bitch. I didn’t want to disrespect my wife that way, but I was sick of her disrespect.

Dr. Champagne stood from her chair and moved between the two of us.

“Mrs. Perez, tensions can run high, and things can become volatile in times of pressure and strain in a marriage. The two of you are under a lot of pressure right now, having differing opinions on the way you want to live your life and the way you want to be viewed by others. When cultural differences come into play—”

I didn’t want her trying to smooth shit over, not after she had been insulted. Dr. Giselle Champagne was a queen and deserved to be treated as such. Even in the face of my wife’s insolence, she still held her poise. She was to be commended, and I wouldn’t allow her to be insulted further. I knew that was the path that Beth was on.

“Dr. Champagne, while I appreciate your magnanimous attempt to soften the impact of my wife’s deplorable words and insolent behavior throughout this session, I think it’s time that my wife and I leave. We have greater problems than we realized,” I stated in a quiet voice.

Beth rolled her eyes and then said to Giselle, “We will not be returning for your services. Please send the final invoice, and we will pay it. Perhaps our time slot will be more useful to some poor couple who believes they need your services.”

I stood and grabbed Beth by her wrist, and she jerked away from me. To keep from smacking the shit out of her, because I wasn’t that man, but she was pushing my limits, I placed my hand on her lower back and ushered her toward the door. Bethany reached back and removed my hand as she scowled at me.

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