Escaped My Ex, Got Snatched by His Rival - Chapter 444

Chapter 444: Lessons in her memories
“You—you are joking?” Ariana felt the ink bubble and froth under her feet and this time around it was much more intense than usual. Darker. Suffocating.

Doctor Stoll shook his head. With a sympathetic gaze, he looked at Ariana and stated, “I wish I could tell you that this was a joke, Miss Harlow. Unfortunately, from what I have seen and deduced —not only are your memories defective. I believe that there is a certain mind play added to it as well, I am certain that you must have realized it as well.”

Ari clenched her fists. Indeed, she was a doctor and had been reading a few psychology books after freeing herself from her supposed mother’s control. In the past, Mrs Harlow had never allowed her to meet any psychiatrist.

She had believed that it was because Mrs Harlow found it embarrassing, but now she knew why Mrs Harlow had done it.

“Brainwashing,” Ariana answered bitterly she had hoped that such a thing would not turn out to be true but after listening to Doctor Harlow, she knew that it was most likely the case.

“Indeed,” Doctor Stoll nodded. Seeing the look on Ariana’s face, he added, “There is no need to feel sorry or despaired, though what happened is unfortunate, but there is no point in grieving over something that has already passed.”

“Instead we must think of what we can do in the future to make up for the losses of the past,” Doctor Stoll calmly picked up the notepad and flipped the pages on which he had written the complicated thoughts of Ariana throughout their past sessions. “Now there are two ways to deal with this.”

“One,” he raised one of his fingers. “I help you completely forget this matter as if it never happened. I can certainly do that with my skills. You might not even remember that you once held sessions with me.”

“Or two,” he raised another one of his fingers. “We can dive deep into this problem. I can undo the hypnosis done on you— and the memories that you have partially forgotten will return to you.”

His expression turned a tad bit more stern as he added, “Remember once your memories return, you will see things that you do not like— things that will make you sick, scared and depressed.”

“There is also a chance that you might turn violent or crazy.”

“The fact that despite going through the trouble of brainwashing you, this person made you forget them—I believe there might be a turn which they might have taken wrong. Not a surprise as playing with a complex organ like the brain is definitely not without consequences.”

Doctor Stoll stared at her with an appraising look as if he were trying to see if she was courageous enough to face her fears or not. He said, “You might also go into shock, Doctor Harlow. Which is why I will suggest you be very sure, unless you are prepared, I will ask you to go with the first one.”

“No, let’s go with the second,” Ari shook her head and refused to falter. Last night she had promised Nicolai that she would try and Ari had no desire to break her promise. She would get better— enough to not feel scared or guilty.

And maybe if she could face the horrors of her past, she might be able to find the courage to tell others that she was with Nicolai as well as the courage to live her life without worrying about the criticism of others.

“Are you sure?” Doctor Stoll asked.

“Yes,” Ari nodded. She had to see and remember if not she would remain bound to the pole where Mrs Harlow tied her.

Doctor Stoll sighed as he stood up from his chair. He walked around his table before opening a drawer and taking out a crystal orb tied to a golden chain, as he let go of the orb, it dangled from its chain.

“Very well,” he remarked before turning to look at Ariana. He said to her, “Please lie down on the couch, we will do a trial run—if you can go through with it. Then we will proceed with the next step, if not, then we will wait until you are strong enough to face your horrors again.”

“Alright,” Ari nodded as she had nothing against Doctor Stoll’s suggestion. She stood up from the chair and went to lay down on the couch which had a slightly curved cushion at the end where she lay her head like a pillow.

Doctor Stoll walked over to her, the crystal was still dangling on the end of the chain before he said to her, “Now focus on the orb, keep your gaze right there and pay attention to my words. Don’t see or hear anything else, alright?”

“Okay,” Ari answered as she turned her attention to the shimmering orb, it was easy to tune everything out and look at it as if she had done this countless times.

“To the first time… go back to the first time you saw that masked man, Ariana. To the first day …”

***

‘You are back?’ Ariana found herself standing at the threshold of her house, the wallpaper inside the house was similar to the one when her mother had fallen in love with Mrs Neil’s decor.

She raised her head and met her gaze with Mrs Harlow before saying in a tentative sort of voice, ‘I am.’ Ari clutched the straps of her bag which she took with her to middle school.

‘It’s a good thing that you have returned,’ Mrs Harlow said to her with an excited voice. ‘Now follow me, there is someone whom I would like you to meet. He is a very important person and has come to see you, Ari. Now be very polite with him— if you dare to offend him, I will certainly have something to say.’

Her mother eyed her with distaste and threats causing Little Ari to nod.