Page 92 of Miss Treated

“But I love you.”

How many times had I fallen for those four words over the years? I know I destroyed you, but I love you. I know I belittled you, but I love you. I know I treated you like absolute shit, but it’s okay because I love you. Rage settled over me in a red haze. I was no longer the woman I’d been in that relationship.

“That was never love. You’re a narcissist, a bully, and an all-around horrible human being. You might even be a psychopath considering you’re here with this delusional version of things. You didn’t love me. You tried to control me. To gaslight me. To make me feel as though my whole world began and ended with you. Well, newsflash, it doesn’t. Not anymore. Not ever again.”

I turned to my mother. “As for you. I’ve made excuses for you my whole life. But you’re every bit as much a narcissist as Joel.” You’d think I would be sad about losing my own mother from my life, but instead I felt free.

My mother’s beautifully Botoxed face turned red. “You need help. And we’ve spoken with a local doctor. He’s agreed to take you in as a patient. Ah, here he is.”

“Take me in?”

“Yes, you’ve been acting irrationally, and we’re worried about you. It’s time for you to get treatment,” Joel supplied.

They spoke as if they were about to have me committed. If this situation wasn’t so serious, I would’ve laughed in their faces. I’d never felt saner than in this moment. But a kernel of panic started to take hold when I spotted an older gentleman come through the hotel lobby doors with a large man in scrubs beside him. Holy shit. This couldn’t be real. They would take a grown woman from the lobby of a hotel and have her committed against her will?

The older man surveyed the lobby. Aside from the front desk clerk, who seemed to be more interested in his phone than anything else, there was no one else about. “I thought we were doing this in her room,” he inquired, looking at my mother.

“Plans changed.”

The idea of them ambushing me in my room caused a sick feeling in my stomach. There were four of them, and only one of me. Did I make a run for it? And if I did, wouldn’t I look crazy? Nope, I needed to reason with the doctor.

“We haven’t met, Dr—”

“Dr. Theodore Brooks.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kelsey Maxwell, and I’m afraid your time has been wasted. I’m estranged from both my EX-fiancé and my mother. They are hoping by involving you, that will change. But I can assure you I’m of sound mind.” If I could reach my phone in my purse, perhaps I could call 9-1-1.

The doctor flicked his gaze to Joel and my mother before settling back on me. “We’ll take you to my clinic and have a talk all about it.”

In other words, he’d already been paid and didn’t care if he’d be taking a woman against her will.

“I don’t think so. Nor do I think kidnapping would look good on your patient reviews.”

The doctor signaled to the large man beside him. The guy in scrubs took a step toward me with the clear intent to physically grab me.

“Call the police,” I yelled to the front desk clerk, hoping he’d do something quickly. My hand closed on the pepper spray in the side pocket of my purse. Mentally, I thanked my older brother for always being so protective and getting it for me. I emptied the contents into the unfortunate doctor’s assistant’s face. He yelled in agony.

Leave it to me to be tempted to stop and apologize. But I had to get out.

I rushed out the door, looking behind me to see Joel hot on my heels and— Jesus, did the doctor have a syringe in his hand? “Oof.” I ran right into a brick wall.

“What the hell?” came Leo’s gravelly voice as he braced me from falling. Gabe was standing beside him.

“Thank God.”

He scanned the lobby, taking in the scene. “Who the hell are these people?”

Joel sauntered up as though he owned the place, and my mother stepped up beside him. “I’m her fiancé, and this is her mother. We’re here with a doctor to ensure she gets the treatment she needs.”

“Ex-fiancé and estranged mother. They are trying to have me committed.”

My mother put on her best smile. “Gentlemen, you have to understand my daughter is very sick. Has been her whole life. We need to get her the help she needs.”

My gaze fixed on Gabe. “They’re lying. I’m not crazy.”

God, I barely knew these men, and I had no clue why they were here right now, but I needed them to believe me.

Gabe’s jaw clenched. “They’re the narcissists and assholes, aren’t they?”