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

Claudia POV

[Song Recommendation: Lana Del Rey – Salvatore]

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

He still had the same objectively handsome face that would make all women drool in his presence, and he still wore that same 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 me of a serpent that liked to stalk its prey for a long time 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 meticulously.

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 met 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 judgement. But he saw them as items... or animals that bore no weight in his heart.

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

Because on that placard, his name was boldly displayed:

Dr. Ray Gatlin

Psychiatry

Ray Gatlin.

That name etched itself deep into my mind as memories of my time with him resurfaced.

We dated for about a year when we were still freshmen in university. We studied in the same medical 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 me who had gone to a big city and met such a dreamy man. He made me 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 metal. 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 seemed 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 me 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. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The thought of being completely trapped made me shudder.

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

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

"I’m talking to you, Mrs. Hoffman."

Ray’s voice snapped me 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 me was unmistakable, because it was the same rage I had seen when I broke up with him more than a decade ago.

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

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

"Did you, though?"

"Of course not!" I snapped uncontrollably. My chest tightened whenever someone accused me 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 me to assess your mental health before sending you to court."

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

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

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

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

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

He never minced his words.

And it hurt, especially when he compared me 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 me assess you properly."

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

"You’re mistaking me 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 met, I wasn’t sure whether I preferred his eyes filled with rage, or with this terrifying indifference he showed me.

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

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