The Therapist

The soft hum of Marcus’s air conditioner filled the room as Claire Adebayo sat across from him, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. Today, she looked less composed than usual. Her typical aura of elegance was dimmed, her makeup lighter, her movements less deliberate.

For the first time since they’d started their sessions, Claire seemed genuinely vulnerable.

“Dr. Oladipo,” she began hesitantly, breaking the silence. “I don’t know who else I can talk to about this.”

Marcus put on his most reassuring expression, leaning forward slightly. “This is a safe space, Claire. Whatever you share stays between us.”

She hesitated, glancing toward the window as if searching for an escape. Finally, she exhaled deeply and met his gaze. “There’s someone I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Someone from my past.”

Marcus’s pen hovered over his notepad. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to be about Victor. “Go on,” he said gently.

“His name is Daniel,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “We were… everything to each other once. Back in university.”

Her words were laced with a wistful sadness, a longing that Marcus couldn’t ignore.

“We had plans,” she continued, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “We were going to get married, start a life together. But my father…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “He had other plans for me. He said Daniel wasn’t good enough, that he didn’t have the ambition to give me the life I deserved.”

Marcus nodded slowly. He had heard variations of this story before, where love was sacrificed on the altar of social expectations.

“And now?” he prompted.

Claire hesitated again, her hands twisting the hem of her dress. “I saw him recently. By chance. At an art gallery.”

There it was. Marcus had suspected Claire wasn’t just desperate to escape Victor’s control—she had someone she was running toward.

“Did you talk?” he asked.

She nodded, her face lighting up briefly. “We did. It was like no time had passed. He’s… different now, older, more confident. But he still has the same heart, the same kindness that made me fall in love with him.”

“And how do you feel about seeing him again?”

Claire looked down, her voice trembling. “It’s like a door I thought was locked forever has been opened again. But…”

“But?”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. I mean, Victor is… Victor. He’s controlling, yes, but he’s powerful. Leaving him isn’t just about walking away—it’s about what comes next. What if Daniel can’t give me the stability I need?”

As Claire spoke, Marcus carefully kept his expression neutral, though internally, his mind was spinning. He had spent years reading people, learning to separate surface emotions from the truths buried beneath. And something about Claire’s blind faith in Daniel felt off.

“Have you considered talking to Daniel about your concerns?” Marcus asked.

“I don’t want to scare him off,” Claire admitted. “He already knows I’m unhappy with Victor, but I haven’t told him everything. I don’t want to burden him.”

Marcus nodded, jotting down a few notes. “Sometimes, being honest about your fears can help you gain clarity. But Claire, it’s important to be sure Daniel’s vision for the future aligns with yours.”

Claire tilted her head, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Marcus said carefully, “that sometimes the people we remember from our past are frozen in time. They represent what we needed then, but people change. You need to be sure Daniel is the person you want to move forward with, not just the person you left behind.”

Claire’s lips parted as if to respond, but she stopped herself. For the first time, Marcus saw hesitation in her eyes, a crack in the certainty she seemed to cling to.

That evening, as Claire left the office, Marcus lingered in his chair, his mind replaying the session. Claire’s story about Daniel had been drenched in nostalgia, but nostalgia could be deceptive.

It wasn’t long before Marcus decided to dig deeper. He wasn’t proud of his methods, but he couldn’t afford to let any aspect of the Adebayo case spiral out of control.

He made a call to an old acquaintance in the private investigations field. “I need some information on someone,” Marcus said. “Discreetly.”

Within 24 hours, Marcus had his answer, and it wasn’t what Claire would have wanted to hear.

Daniel Olukoya was drowning.

The investigative report painted a stark picture. While Daniel had once been a promising entrepreneur, bad investments and a string of failed ventures had left him in significant debt. Worse, he had borrowed heavily from questionable sources to stay afloat, including low-tier loan sharks who made Baba Jide look like a saint.

To Marcus, the picture was clear. Daniel wasn’t reaching out to Claire out of love—he was looking for a lifeline.

The next time Claire came for a session, Marcus chose his words carefully. “Claire, have you thought more about what we discussed last time?”

She nodded, her expression thoughtful. “I have. I even talked to Daniel about some of my concerns. He assured me everything would work out.”

Marcus leaned forward slightly, studying her face. “And do you believe him?”

Claire hesitated. “I want to,” she admitted. “But… I don’t know. I feel like I’m caught between two impossible choices.”

Marcus let her words hang in the air for a moment before responding. “Claire, I’m not here to tell you what to do, but I think it’s important to look at every aspect of the decisions you’re making. People can surprise us—for better or worse.”

Claire frowned, clearly unsettled. “You think I’m making a mistake?”

“I think,” Marcus said carefully, “that you need to be sure Daniel’s intentions are as pure as you believe they are. If he’s truly the right person for you, he’ll be able to support you emotionally—and practically.”

Claire said nothing, but the doubt in her eyes deepened.

That night, Marcus sat alone in his apartment, staring at the investigation report on his desk. He had no intention of telling Claire about Daniel’s financial troubles directly. Not yet, at least.

For now, he would let her come to the realization herself. After all, doubt was a powerful tool, and Marcus had learned to wield it well.

As he poured himself a drink, a bitter smile tugged at his lips. He was manipulating Claire and Victor in ways that made his skin crawl. But survival was survival.

And in Lagos, survival was everything.