Escaped My Ex, Got Snatched by His Rival - Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Panicked blabbering
“You were?” Ariana, for a moment her mind went blank. She noticed Doctor Stoll’s face was exceptionally serious and he said,

“Yes. I am a psychiatrist and I have seen all kinds of patients, but you, Doctor Harlow —I have to let you know that you are the first patient who has layers of complications toppled one over the other. Forgive me, if I am not making sense in your opinion,” he added with a gentle smile. “The matters of one’s mind can never be explained in simpler terms.”

Ariana nervously clenched her fingers in her lap, almost breaking the cookie in her hand. She asked nervously, “Do you mean to say that there is something wrong with me, Doctor Stoll?”

“Of course not!” Doctor Stoll waved his hand dismissively. He chuckled appreciatively and remarked, “Why does everyone jump to such conclusions? Just because your mind works differently than others, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything wrong with you.”

Ariana didn’t express the slight wave of comfort she felt after Doctor Stoll told her that she was alright, just a little different from others. As much as Ariana was willing to treat her condition, she hoped that she was not far from being normal as it spooked her.

It was terrifying. To be different.

Doctor Stoll noticed the look of relief on Ariana’s face, and he asked, “Doctor Harlow, can you tell me why you reacted so strongly? I mean — there, is nothing wrong with your reaction, but does it scare you? The prospect of being different from the rest?”

“Do you hate the idea of being the black sheep in the flock of white?”

“Don’t we all fear the same thing, Doctor Stoll?” Ariana answered with a soft chuckle. “Who would want to be different from others? Wouldn’t it be better to be like everyone else? At least that way no one has to worry about getting rejected?”

“Is acceptance that important?” Doctor Stoll asked, trying to gauge more about Ariana and her mental state through a normal conversation. “I mean, what’s the point in getting accepted by people who cannot accept your differences? You can always find people who can accept you.”

“What if I can’t?” Ariana asked as a worry appeared in her eyes. “I don’t believe that anyone would like to accept someone flawed.”

“Flawed? Dear lord, who told you those words?” Doctor Stoll asked with a frown.

Ariana went silent. She seemed to be tethering on the edge of answering, but then she closed her lips.

“There is no need to hide anything from me, Doctor Harlow. But if it’s too difficult, then we can have this conversation some other time.”

“Is it important, Doctor Stoll?” Ariana asked with a sigh.

“It is,” Doctor Stoll nodded. “If I were to treat you with half-baked knowledge, I am afraid that I will give you medicine for heart failure when it’s tension pneumothorax.”

Ariana raised her head and saw that the man had a sly smile on his face.

“It—It was my mother,” Ariana confessed, realizing that what Doctor Stoll said was indeed correct. “She was the one who taught me to follow the lead of others and to listen to what my elders told me. That I shouldn’t disappoint my parents by going against what was expected from me.”

“You mother eh?” Doctor Stoll mused, he leaned back on his chair and interlocked his fingers. He then asked, “Is that why the list of ten things that you like which you submitted has everything linked to others?”

“What do you mean, Doctor Stoll?”

The man sighed and picked up the piece of paper that Ariana had submitted to him.

“You listed down baking, waking up early, going on a walk and many other things, but each and everything is related to someone else in one way or another.”

“Doctor Harlow, there is not one thing that you mentioned which I can count that you do for yourself.”

The man raised his head and looked at Ariana before asking, “Do you understand what I am trying to say here, Doctor Harlow?”

Doctor Stoll’s gaze turned sympathetic. He said to Ariana, “I know that this will be a bit difficult for you, Doctor Harlow. But I hope that you will try to break free from the teachings that were given to you. Especially by your mother.”

***

Ariana did not know how she left Doctor Stoll’s office.

Though Ariana did know that her mother had no feelings for her, she still believed that somewhere her mother raised her the way, she did for a reason.

That she was trying to raise her into a proper lady.

However, now Ariana had a different perspective on everything. What if there was more to what her mother told her?

The thought took a long time to sink in, as Ariana found it challenging to digest. To think that there was something wrong about what her mother taught her throughout her childhood…

She heard someone speak from behind,

“My, My…it seems like someone had a wonderful time last night.”

Ariana raised her head and looked at Sawyer, who was grinning at her with a sly smirk on her face.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“What else? Did you not see the hickeys on your neck?” Sawyer asked and Ariana’s hands flew to her neck.

She touched the crook of her neck and was stunned to realize that the concealer which she had used to hide the marks left by Nicolai had washed off.

Maybe she had sweated too much.

Her complexion turned ashen all of a sudden. When did it wash off? How many people saw it? What were they thinking while looking at her marks?

“Hey? Why do you look like the world is coming to an end?” Sawyer asked Ariana. “There is nothing wrong with having a one-night stand.”

Ariana’s cheeks flushed red as she hurriedly explained, “I did not sleep with a man— this is just something that just happened, but I swear, I have done nothing with anyone—” she was panicking so much that Ariana started to blabber.

“Woah? Woah…woah… Calm down, will you?” Sawyer said to Ariana who was an inch away from jumping in a pit of fire to prove that she had not slept with another man. “Calm down girl, this is not the end of the world, here take a sip of this and chill out a bit alright?”