Jessica's POV
"He keeps haunting my dreams lately," I whispered, every trace of humor vanishing from my voice as that familiar crushing sensation settled across my ribs again. I didn't need to specify who - Jenny understood my entire history, every painful detail.
"Has anything significant shifted in your life recently?" she inquired, her tone clinical and precise. "Any alteration, however small, could be relevant."
I lifted my right hand, displaying my ring finger. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the wedding band, but I dismissed her unspoken questions with a gesture. "It's a business arrangement. Our fathers orchestrated this union. Neither of us had any say in the matter." I hesitated, my throat tightening. "However..."
My sentence dissolved into silence, the words too heavy to complete.
"However?" Jenny prompted, one eyebrow arching upward.
I swallowed hard, my fingers nervously picking at each other. Why was speaking this truth so impossibly difficult?
