HAZEL’S POV: Leslie seems so anxious about something, but when I ask what it may be, he just forces a smile and reassures us that he’s alright. Almost every afternoon, Leslie would come and visit me, bringing flowers and treats with him. “These are for you. I thought these will make you feel better,” he’d say sheepishly. I appreciate the gesture, but I hate being pitied. And since he regularly comes back here, me and the staff have to always be alert and hide the children in their rooms. I know Leslie is trustworthy, but we can’t take the risk, not until Marius already gathers evidence to jail Mei Zhou too. Due to this, I feel so much more restricted than I already am. So I’m forced to be more expressive to Leslie. “Thank you for your concern, but please don’t visit me here every day,” I say, looking for a suitable lie. “Uhm… my psychiatric treatment… Part of it requires me to rest, and I can’t do that if you keep on coming over here.” Guilt gnaws at my insides when Leslie’s
Panic swamps me as the flashback of Marius and Mei Zhou’s kiss start haunting me again. Marius and I are doing better now compared to what we were when Mei Zhou first appeared in our lives. And these photos may ruin us again. I need someone to talk to, to release my pain about this! Not papa obviously. So I call my psychiatrist but she’s not picking up. She’s probably asleep by now since it’s already late. I also call Marius, but when he answers, I can’t find any words to say to him. Marius senses my discomfort and asks, -[“Are you okay, my love?”]- Even that question doesn’t get a response from me. Should I go to Marius’ office and confront him about this instead? But that’s humiliating. Perhaps I should wait for him to be back home. As I frantically pace my bedroom, my phone rings. I thought it’s Marius calling back out of concern, but it’s Leslie. -[“Hey. Thanks for picking up my call. Just called to check on you.”]- Without thinking much, I blurt out, “Can you drop by
More of Mei Zhou and Marius’ intimate photos keep being delivered to me. There are photos which show them in a jacuzzi, n.aked, while drinking wine. Other photos show that they’re having dinner in what looks like a fancy restaurant. When did Marius do all these? While I was breaking down? While pretending that he’s saving our sons? I confront Marius about this again, and all he can say is that those photos are fake, edited. But it’s hard to believe that. I open up to my psychiatrist about the matter, hoping she can give me some advice or medications to help me not fall into the same darkness I was in a week ago. She ends up asking me and Marius to have a sit down with her. As expected, Marius vehemently denies the photos. “I told you, Hazel. Those are fake. If you want, let's have a photo editor who can prove my innocence. I’d never cheat on you,” he says. I bit my lip, not sure how to respond to him. The psychiatrist asks for a private conversation with Marius for a moment. T
It’s hard to trust people anymore! Even the ones who have been very nice to you for a long time can quickly become an evil person in just a snap of a finger! I rush out of bed, and try to open the door, but it’s completely locked. When I try to scream for help, Leslie quickly clutches my mouth with his hand. “Don’t make things complicated, Hazel,” he says. “Let’s just be happy together.” The instant Leslie whirls me around and removes his hand off my mouth, I spit at his face. I then run towards the kitchen and luckily find a knife. I point the knife at Leslie, “If you come any closer, I’ll kill you!”He stops and raises his hands up. “Put the knife down. You may hurt yourself.”My hands tremble as I swing the knife to his direction.Fearfully, he steps back.“Unlock the door!” I demand.But Leslie lunges at me, trying to steal the knife from my grasp. I fight back, not letting go of the knife.Though Leslie is taller than I am, he’s flimsy, so I’m able to shove him down the floo
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Thorne. But you have to be put in a mental institution for the safety of others.” The police officers present a Mental Health Warrant against me. It’s not a warrant for arrest, but it’s a demand for an improvement of my mental health until I’m no longer considered a danger to anyone. “Marius, please… Don’t let them do this to me,” I beg, tears stinging my eyes. Marius and papa try their best to negotiate with the police, promising that they won’t let me get out of the house all by myself again. But when the police bring up the possibility of me harming my children too, neither Marius or papa is able to defend nor trust me anymore. My heart shatters into a million pieces.While I’m being carried away towards a van, Leslie’s discrete smirk mocks me.“Please! Don’t let them take me away! I’m not crazy!” a desperate scream tears at my throat.Marius and papa can only watch me with distraught expressions, but none of them take a step towards me.On the way to the men
MARIUS’ POV: My glare at Leslie softens. He may really be a victim of Hazel’s circumstances. But, a part of me screams that Hazel may also be telling the truth. If so, what’s Leslie’s purpose in doing this to her? Leslie taps my shoulder apologetically, and I shrug it off. “I understand that you’re upset with me. But Hazel being treated in a mental hospital is what’s best for her and your family,” he says. I’m quiet for a moment, teetering on how to word my thoughts. “To be honest, I prefer to believe that my wife is telling the truth coz it means she’s not what everybody thinks she is. But if it turns out that you’re telling the truth, I’ll be glad too coz that means you’re not a danger to us.” “I’ll never be a danger to anyone, especially to you,” he says confidently. I sigh, then ask with suspicion, “I can’t help but to wonder, why would you bring Hazel to a motel rather than to our home or to a hospital when she suddenly felt dizzy?” Leslie’s body stiffens a little, a bi
I have to get Hazel out of that mental institution as soon as I can. Just like her, I’m not confident that she’ll become better staying there. I hesitate to leave Hazel once again, thinking that once we’re away from each other, she’ll be hurt again by the other patients. But if I stay, I won’t be able to execute her way out. I press my lips on hers for a long kiss. “Remember, midnight,” I whisper. Hazel nods, her gaze brimming with hope and an undertone of fear. As soon as I leave, I go back home, search for an explosive through an online blackmarket using a dummy account. Anxiety ripples through my veins as I wait for anyone to respond to my demand. And then,... a notification pops up on my screen, saying: transaction is approved! My fingers flinch as I type in the location where to meet the seller. Then I order one of my bodyguards to meet the seller on my behalf, since I’m a public figure, and this kind of transaction may be used against me if I’m not careful enough. Toge
HAZEL’S POV: Boom! I’m shaken by the deafening sound that suddenly erupts at exactly midnight. “Midnight?” I echo as recognition strikes. That’s Marius’ doing! He doesn’t give me detailed instructions on what I should do next aside from “wait till midnight”, so I jump into the fray of panicking medical staff and patients. I follow the direction they’re heading into - the fire exit, until I get the opportunity to go to a different path - the backdoor. However,... The instant I step outside, men in masks are there, looking and… waiting? For what? Or for who? Then, one of them flickers his gaze at me. “There she is! Get her!” Instinctively, I rush back inside and lock the door. The men pound at the door at the same time. I don’t know who they are, but they’re definitely not Marius’ acquaintances! I gasp in fear when they successfully break the door open. Then, they chase after me as I dart as fast as I can away from them. One of them manages to grab me by the arm. “Wher