Middle Child Syndrome - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Ch 45: Welcome back, Rika
Rika noticed the look of confusion on Emily’s face at her words.

Even Rika would have felt stupid if she had seen anyone else make the same decision as hers in the past.

As Rika grappled with the weight of her decision, she began to understand the hesitations of those who had come before her. The prospect of seeking a cure for her condition was daunting, for it meant the potential for a fundamental shift in her very nature.

It was because it was terrifying to think that her nature could change.

Rika had spent her life being a beta; that was all she knew how to be. She had also finally found her spot where she wanted to belong.

But this single cure had the potential of uprooting her life and making her struggle once more.

There was no sane person who would agree to such a condition.

Rika could tell that Emily was confused, but Damian’s anger was a surprise. The older alpha angrily slammed his fist into the wall, and the shelves shook due to the impact.

“Get treated.”

Damian forced these words out from his clenched teeth, and Rika felt she was in danger. Something sinister about the way Damian spoke sent chills down her spine.

Even Emily looked surprised to hear Damian speak in such a manner. That was why she hissed at her partner and jabbed him in the stomach.

“Dami, be nice to Rika. She is a patient. She does not deserve your criticism and jabbing.”

Emily handled her boyfriend well before she turned to look at Rika with an apologetic expression on her face.

“You know how Dami is, Rika. Do not take his tone to your heart. But he does have a point. It would be best to consider getting yourself treated for your condition. It is unsafe for you to be in this unstable state for long.”

Emily looked worriedly at Rika’s face, but Rika’s expression was closed off.

She might look calm outside, but Rika’s inside was a mess. There was so much that she needed to consider.

“Just give me some time to think about it. Making such a decision is a challenging thing for me. Meanwhile, can you keep all this a secret from my family? I do not wish for them to know what is happening in my life.”

Rika needed time to consider her options and to come up with a backup plan in case things went wrong.

Most importantly, she did not want her family to know anything about her or what was happening. This was one thing Rika refused to relent on.

“Hey! I feel offended. Do you think we will leak your secret? I brought you to this public hospital to keep you out of your family’s eyes. Anyway, take it easy for now and relax. Tell us once you have made your decision.”

Emily dragged Damian out of the room, but it seemed she was struggling.

Rika felt nervous to have the older alpha looking at her with his intense eyes.

It felt like that mad dog would punch at her any second and bite her hard. Damian’s eyes looked at Rika’s neck, and she unconsciously rubbed at where those eyes were looking.

The slight smirk widened on Damian’s face, and Emily finally dragged him out, leaving Rika alone.

She felt nerved and tilted. She just wanted to head home and curl up in her bed.

Thankfully, Rika was discharged in an hour with a warning notice to return if she needed follow-up treatment, along with many other vouchers.

…

It was morning by the time Rika arrived at her dorms.

Emily drove Rika as close to her dorm as she comfortably could before Rika sent her back. She did not want Emily to know where her dorms were officially situated. (Even though Rika was sure that Emily already knew)

Damian’s eyes continued to dig deeper into Rika during this whole ride, but she never got used to his state.

Rika was hyper-aware of the two alphas in the car with her like she had never been before. She was awake when they made the slightest movements and felt like she was on edge.

The sight of relief only came once Rika got out of the car and turned the corner.

It still felt as if someone was looking at her and keeping an eye on her, but Rika knew that it was just her instincts acting up.

*Ding*

Rika’s phone went off as soon as she took it out.

The kidnapper had broken her original phone, but Damian had someone manage to retrieve her sim and all the data in it. {Rika blamed Emily and her crafty nature. She was not above bugging Rika’s. It would not be the first time either.)

Rika opened her phone, only to see it spammed by calls and messages.

Emily and Damian had initially been the ones to spam her phone, but they had stopped at a point.

‘That must be when they found my location and came for me.’

Rika was surprised to receive a few calls and messages from her mother, but she was most surprised by Mark’s single call.

The time for that call was also only an hour ago.

But two people called Rika more than her family did – the dorm lady and Charon.

One was Charon, which surprised Rika. Charon had a call every half an hour until ten minutes ago.

‘Ah, to think a stranger is more worried about me than my family. This is such a weird feeling. I did not realise I could make such a strong friendship this late in life.’

Rika sighed as she prepared to enter the dorm room.

Rika feared the dorm lady and her threats as much as she wanted to see Charon again. They felt too personal, and they made Rika shiver and frightened.

She just stood in front of the dorm with an awkward expression. Rika was still debating whether to enter when the dorm door opened, and the dorm lady stood in the middle of the entrance foyer.

“Welcome back, Rika. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”