Betrayed by My Trash Husband, Surrender Myself to the Devil Chapter 5: Dr. Ray Gatlin (I)

Claudia POV

[Song Recomndation: Lana Del Rey – Salvatore]

Once again, I was speechless by his presence. Just as he was sizing from head to toe, my eyes scanned him and realized that he hadn’t changed at all after ten years.

He still had the sa objectively handso face that would make all won drool in his presence, and he still wore that sa cold look, as if everyone else were beneath him. His rimless prescription glasses that accentuated his straight nose, thick brows, and angular face highlighted the deep green of his eyes.

Unlike Miles’ green eyes, which made him look refreshing, this man’s gaze sent chills down my spine—as if a real snake were slithering across my skin. His green eyes reminded of a serpent that liked to stalk its prey for a long ti before biting.

He was still neatly dressed to a terrifying degree of spruceness, with a form-fitting dark olive-green crewneck sweater over a white button-down shirt. His collar and cuffs were folded ticulously.

His navy tailored trousers accentuated his long legs, and to top it off, his sleek black leather shoes made him look even more professional.

If I didn’t know how cold and cruel he could be, I would’ve thought that I had t a true professional.

But he was not a professional psychiatrist—at least, not in my book.

Because a professional psychiatrist would be able to connect with their patients and deliver a correct judgent. But he saw them as items... or animals that bore no weight in his heart.

My eyes silently darted to the na placard on the desk behind him, and I cursed myself for not paying more attention earlier.

Because on that placard, his na was boldly displayed:

Dr. Ray Gatlin

Psychiatry

Ray Gatlin.

That na etched itself deep into my mind as mories of my ti with him resurfaced.

We dated for about a year when we were still freshn in university. We studied in the sa dical field, and as a girl who wasn’t blind, I was instantly enamored by his looks.

Unfortunately, I was a silly girl who judged a man by his looks back then, so I ignored the red flags and tried my best to get his attention before we finally went on our first date.

The first half of our relationship was beautiful, especially for a country girl like who had gone to a big city and t such a dreamy man. He made feel like the protagonist of a romcom movie with his money and looks.

But the second half of our relationship was filled with dread, because I realized I was dating a robot made of cold tal. Nothing about him felt real, except for the contemptuous gaze he cast on everyone else.

Besides, as superficial as it sounded, Ray was—and still is—hot.

In fact, he seed to grow better with age, shedding his youthful ignorance and becoming even harder to read, which gave him the charm of a mature and stable man.

He wore a smile, but it never reached his eyes. The way he stared at was like a man observing an object, trying to determine its use.

I knew Miles through him, though they weren’t particularly close back in university.

But what about now?

Were they still at odds?

I hoped they were, because if Ray sided with Miles, then my fate was sealed from the very beginning.

It wouldn’t be difficult for a psychiatrist to write a few fabricated diagnoses to ensure that I’d never be able to get close to my daughter again.

The thought of being completely trapped made shudder.

Ray was the judge who could either bring justice—or push straight into hell.

It made regret breaking up with him back then, even if it had been justified.

"I’m talking to you, Mrs. Hoffman."

Ray’s voice snapped out of my daze.

My gaze refocused on him, but I couldn’t help lowering my head when faced with his cold smirk.

The hatred in his eyes was too blatant.

I knew that he was a coldhearted bastard who rarely showed emotion, but his hatred toward was unmistakable, because it was the sa rage I had seen when I broke up with him more than a decade ago.

"Mrs. Hoffman," he called again, urging to speak.

"You can see it yourself, Ray," I replied weakly. "I’ve been frad by my own husband and half-sister. They claid that I pushed my daughter down the stairs."

"Did you, though?"

"Of course not!" I snapped uncontrollably. My chest tightened whenever soone accused of pushing Aurora and Lara down the stairs.

Besides, if I admitted it, then Clarissa would win and Aurora would be left in Miles’ and her custody.

I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen to my daughter if that happened.

So I would maintain my innocence until my last breath.

"I’ve read the police report," Ray said calmly. "They suspect that you may be suffering from paranoia. That’s why they want to assess your ntal health before sending you to court."

"I’m not suffering from anything!" I insisted. "It was all Miles’ and Clarissa’s plot to force into agreeing to their demands!"

"You have to believe , Ray. I would never hurt my own daughter!"

"It’s Dr. Gatlin," he corrected coldly. "We are not close enough for you to address by my first na."

"I—I’m sorry, Doctor," I lowered my tone quickly. "B-but I really didn’t do anything to my daughter. You know better than anyone..."

"But the report says otherwise," Ray replied. "You know your reaction only makes it more convincing, right? You’re acting erratically, like a madwoman desperately trying to convince others that she isn’t mad."

My breath hitched at Ray’s assessnt.

He hadn’t changed at all, still cold, composed, and ruthless when delivering judgnt.

He never minced his words.

And it hurt, especially when he compared to a madwoman.

Was I mad for refusing to back down when I knew I was innocent?

"Frankly, no one will believe you if you keep behaving like this, Mrs. Hoffman," Ray said flatly. "So calm down and let assess you properly."

"What’s there to assess?" I muttered in despair. "I know you’ll declare ntally ill. There’s no reason not to, especially after what happened between us back then."

"You’re mistaking for a petty man who clings to the past," Ray replied.

I lifted my head, a desperate spark of hope flickering in my eyes.

But when our eyes t, I wasn’t sure whether I preferred his eyes filled with rage, or with this terrifying indifference he showed .

"I never saw you as important, Claudia," Ray said coldly. "Even when we dated, you were nothing more than a pasti to . I was rely experinting with the effects of beta-endorphins released in the brain during romantic attachnt. Turns out, staying with you didn’t produce any endorphins for ."

"You were a useless test subject," Ray delivered his verdict. "So don’t think too highly of yourself."