Escaped My Ex, Got Snatched by His Rival - Chapter 443

Chapter 443: Altered Memories (2)
Three hours passed by in a blur and Ariana found herself sitting in Doctor Stoll’s cabin.

“A very good afternoon, Doctor Harlow,” Doctor Stoll greeted her with a smile on his face, while he studied her. Though he was not in the hospital last evening, it seemed like Cole had already relayed to him that she was looking for him last evening.

And as if to confirm her suspicions, Doctor Stoll casually remarked, “I heard that you were looking for me last evening?”

Ari watched the man sit down on the stool next to her as he picked up his notepad and pen. “Forgive this old man for being a tad bit slow,” he joked as Doctor Stoll turned and looked at her. “Now can you tell me what happened last evening?”

It was only with Doctor Stoll that Ari felt safe in relaying her fears and thoughts. Because she knew that Doctor Stoll would never judge her or abandon her in between their sessions. He had promised to help her and he had seen enough madness to not take flight upon seeing hers.

Something she could not be sure about with others. Would they still want to see her if they were to know what kind of fucked up head she was carrying on her shoulders?

Last night she had shown a bit of her darkness to Nicolai and had found him staring at her with the wretched pity that she hated the most.

This was why she did not want to tell him the truth. After knowing Nicolai for so long, Ariana knew and understood that he was not the kind of man who would abandon a woman.

Nor would he hurt the vulnerable and innocent.

To make matters worse, if he was to know that she was sick in the head —he would want to stay with her as he would connect with her much more deeply because of what happened with his mother.

Ari did not want to bind Nicolai to her out of his obligation and kindness which he felt toward her.

“I …had a kind of hallucination,” Ari told Doctor Stoll. She relayed what she had seen in the evening and with a sigh added, “I have no idea why I saw that man, Doctor Stoll. I don’t remember seeing him ever — can you tell me what’s happening to me? Because my mind is scaring me.”

“I am scared that I am going mad.”

Doctor Stoll processed the information that she had given him. His lips were thinly pursed as he leaned back in his chair. For two minutes he did not speak and neither did he make any sound, other than the sound of the air conditioner, no other sound could be heard.

It was after a long, dreading pause did Doctor Stoll parted his lips and started speaking, “There can be many causes of this. But from what I have learned about you, Doctor Harlow.. there can mainly be two causes.”

“First — your mind is playing tricks on you. Maybe you caught sight of this masked man when you were a child and it settled deep in your unconscious mind. It could be a painful memory —associated with fear, grief or anger… negative emotions if I am being very clear here.”

He paused and then added, “The second reason might be a bit far-fetched but not impossible.”

“What do you mean by far-fetched, Doctor Stoll?” Ari asked with a frown.

“From what you are telling me, Doctor Harlow… you were terrified at the sight of the mask —you never saw it before so how could a thing that you never saw evoke such a strong reaction from you?”

He paused and added in a subtle voice, “It can only mean that you do know and have seen it but you do not remember.”

“How can that be possible?” Ariana laughed lightly. “I don’t think that I can forget that ugly mask ever in my life if I had seen it.”

“Definitely, definitely… The essence of your memories is your own after all. But Doctor Harlow, do you remember when and how your mother gave you those one-on-one sessions?” Doctor Stoll suddenly asked causing Ari to feel a bit bewildered but she nodded and replied,

“I do—I remember them word by word.”

“No, not the words. The setting, who was with her— where she was standing and where you were?” Doctor Stoll questioned one after another. “Do you remember everything? Try to remember… I mean tell me what can you see other than your mother.”

“I…” Ari opened her mouth feeling confident but a second later she faltered. She remembered sitting on a chair in the basement, she remembered her mother standing in front of her but the rest—

Where was the rest?

“You can’t remember?” When Ari opened her mouth and closed it many times without saying anything, Doctor Stoll wisely questioned.

“I—it’s a blur,” Ari replied, she kept her tone even and pleasant even though she could feel panic rising in her heart again. Why didn’t she pay attention to such a simple and obvious thing?

It was only now that Doctor Stoll pointed out did she felt that there was something wrong with her memory.

“Naturally. Now this can happen in two cases,” Doctor Stoll brought a glass of water to his lips and sipped it, his eyes studying Ari with a curious look in them. “Firstly, it could be because you were a child and forgot what happened to you. It is normal in most scenarios but, weirdly, you forgot when such horrors lie in your memories.”

“Secondly,” he paused again and sipped a few gulps of water before setting the glass down. “The memory has been suppressed or modified through hypnotism. It has been altered to suit the person who wanted you to forget that particular part.”

“It can also create false memories, Doctor Harlow,” he added swiftly, he gave his thoughts a little more time before relaying them to Ariana, “And I believe that it’s the latter in your case, Doctor Harlow.”

“That mask you are terrified of…it was once a part of your life— but now you don’t remember it because your memories are not what they were supposed to be.”