Chapter 290 - Counselling

16 April, Women's Refuge, City K

Rachael stood outside waiting for Lexi to arrive. Hopefully, she would not find any excuse to pull out at the last minute.

Before she realised, there was a tap on he left shoulder that scared her and she turned around and say Lexi. "You sneak!"

"Well, you were too focused on your phone, not on looking around. I have to get some revenge, somehow from the other day"

Rachael sighed and said, "Are you ready for this."

After looking around Lexi quietly said, "As ready as I can be, and if I am realistic more prepared that our girl's day out."

"Well girlfriend you needed to relax, and we all had fun doing that."

"Getting me drunk. Unlike the rest of you I have a child…"

"That does not mean that you cannot have fun. Anyway, Dominic spent the night with Chester, and you know he was happy and safe there."

"Not the point."

"But it was funny seeing Sally at the end of the day?"

"You know, Andrew wants to kill the rest of us for getting her so drunk, particularly me as he thinks his little sister should make sure his wife does not get into trouble or is hurt. The selfish pain in the neck."

"Lexi, he knew it was a possibility hence why he organised a private room at TJ's for us. He had the two of you surrounded so nothing would happen."

"There is that, but unlike you the hangover yesterday was not appreciated. I have a business to run and facing my staff still affected by alcohol and then having to explain to Matthew when I saw him…"

"He would forgive you…"

"Still not the point. I just had to hide myself in my office because the noise from everyone was too much, plus I got little done towards the finalisation work for my winter collection."

Hearing the underlying anger in Lexi's words Rachael calmly responded "Come on, the more we are out here the harder this is going to be for you. Plus, I want to call Steven and see what gossip I can get about Paul…"

Laughing Lexi said, "You are obsessed with gossip on that point!"

"But it is so juicy."

"OK, I get it. Come on, let me get this over with so you will at least leave me in some peace."

Sensing Lexi's impatience, Rachael rang the entry bell and a few seconds later the door was electronically opened from inside and she ushered Lexi in. Once the door latched behind them a voice said "Miss Rachael, this must be your friend."

"It is. I completed all the paperwork, and she has an appointment."

After a few seconds pause a door opened and out walked a woman, saying "Rachael, this must be your friend you asked me to talk to."

"It is Jane. I have already done the paperwork for this."

"Leave it with me." As Rachael stood up and headed out the door the woman called Jane turned to Lexi and said "Lexi, I am Jane one of the counsellors here. Your friend Rachael asked me to have a chat with you, so if you can come with me and we can talk over a tea."

Feeling trapped, Lexi simply stood up and quietly followed Jane through the door she had come into, and into a small lounge area where there was a tea pot and supplies waiting for them. Jane shut the door and said, "Feel free to pour yourself a drink."

With that she moved across and sat down before saying "Rachael left it to me to explain everything. In here we only use first names when speaking, and the only record of your actual name and contact details is kept in the form, that is under lock and key. The reason for that is it is about protecting the identity of every woman and child that comes here for our help. There are two occasions when that information or anything that is said to us is disclosed by staff. Firstly, to the police for criminal matters but only with a client's consent and secondly when we view that the client's mental health is so bad that they need immediate treatment. The law otherwise is absolute in that we cannot be forced to disclose information to anyone. It makes it clear that authorised services like this throughout the country can aid the people they are set up to aid. And before you ask, the first name only principal prevents any person, not staff that you might come into contact here being forced to disclose something the find out here. Can you respect that?"

Agreeing to call people by their first name was easy, and Lexi said "About the names, yes, but I heard what you said about non-disclosure of information. What about national security matters." That was her worry. If what she said could not be protected by Matthew using the spectre of national security, it would not help her at all.

Wondering about the reason Jane asked "I have never had that question asked before. What is the reason?"

Knowing she had to disclose some things about Matthew Lexi reluctantly said, "My husband is a senior officer stationed at the local military base."

While knowing the answer, Jane paused as if indicating that she was considering her answer. "Lexi, it does not matter. There are only two basis for me to disclose anything."

Feeling confident, Lexi poured herself a cup of tea, before resting back against the couch and saying, "I really do not know where to begin?"

"Just start with what feels the easiest to talk about and go from there. You control what we talk about."

Taking a sip of tea, Lexi closed her eyes briefly, before opening them and saying "Things are such a mess, and it goes back to when I fell pregnant with my son…"

Lexi, while somewhat self-censoring over the next hour or so started to tell her story. Eventually she paused and said, "I have taken too much of your time."

Shaking her head Jane said "You have not. You needed someone, not connected to you and your family where you were reassured what you said would go nowhere. Please do not take this the wrong way, but I can tell you have much more to talk about and that is not surprising with what you have told me. I would like you to come back say in a week, just to talk."

Feeling that some weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but reassured that no one would know what was said Lexi nodded and said, "Same time next week alright?"

"Absolutely, but if you need to talk in the meantime, please call me night or day."

With that Lexi stood up and was shown out of the building.

-------

If you are reading this novel anywhere other than at or its apps then you are reading work that has been stolen in breach of the authors rights and those rights assigned to others.

Please support this author and only access this novel through at /book/15095783406874805 and report the illegal posting of this work.