Her voice trembled as she continued.
"And the strangest part is… there's something inside me. A voice. It keeps pushing me to open the door. I don't understand it. I really don't."
Tears blurred her vision.
"It makes me feel like I'm cheating on you," she whispered. "Even though I don't want him. Even though I hate this feeling."
Lucas fell silent.
Jules's emotions finally overflowed.
"I'm not a cheater," she cried. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel like I'm going crazy. I feel like I don't even deserve you."
Her chest tightened painfully.
"My past was so dark," she sobbed. "So empty."
As Lucas listened, his heart sank. Only now did he realize how serious Jules's situation was.
He had thought things were improving, that everything was finally moving in the right direction.
'I overlooked it,' he realized grimly. 'I overlooked too much.'
"Jules," he said softly, "don't cry."
