Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"Sunny, honey, it's almost lunchtime! Aren't you going to get up? Doctor Allysa will surely get mad again." she get up as she heard the voice of her grandmother. She looked at the alarm clock beside her. Jeez, I'm late! I have an important thing to do! 

"Where are you going, anyway? Your boyfriend called and asked where you are and asked if you're ready. Here, eat your lunch before you go." her grandma gave her a knowing look. Here we go again. 

"Do you mean Klode? Abuela, it has been a long time since we broke up, okay? We have nothing special, as in nothing." she grabbed the sandwich and took a bite. It's not a meal though. 

"Then why did he ask if you're ready? I thought he asked you out on a date. So I got the wrong idea?" 

"You sure did, Abuela. I have a new patient that is connected in the case that he's currently handling. We need to see each other so we could talk about it." Abuela nodded and served her the food. 

Hopefully, this case would turns out well. 

After their meal, she took a bath and readied herself. She checked the clock once again. It's very unusual that Doctor Allysa hasn't called her yet. When she went out of the house, she was surprised upon seeing Klode waiting for her outside. She doesn't remember asking him to fetch her up. He's leaning on his car, forearms crossed, and looking at the trees. 

He was back from his reverie when he heard the gate opening. "What are you doing here?" she raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. He smiled and approach her. 

"Since we're going to the same place, I thought of fetching you. You'll get to save money for not taking public transportation." she rolled her eyes at him. He gave her a cheek kiss and guided her towards inside the car. 

On the way to their destination, Klode tried to ask random questions about her life for the past three years since they broke up which she answered timidly. Can't he read the air that I'm uncomfortable sharing bits of my life with him? I don't also think I'm required to answer his questions. It only took them 10 minutes to reach his office. It's bigger than what she expected. He's doing good and well, I'm happy for him. He dumped me for this so the bare minimum that he could do is to achieve his dream to be a known detective. 

She sat on the couch across his table. She looked around his office and saw a ton of papers on the shelf. Does he read all of these? 

"Is this really your office?" 

"Hmm," he nodded and gave her a teasing look. "Why? Do you think I'm not capable to have this big space of workplace?" 

She rolled her eyes. "I just asked it out of curiosity, I don't mean it negatively. That's just a simple, harmless question." 

"Relax, I was just kidding. Yes, this is really my office for one year now." 

A woman at their age entered the office. "Sir, do you want something? Tea, coffee?" 

"Tea for me. How about you, Sunny?" 

"Just water." 

The woman nodded and left them. 

Klode gave them some papers. "He will be your new patient. I'm considering getting a guy psychiatrist but I don't think it would work." 

"But, why me?" 

"You're one of the best psychiatrists that I know, Sunny." yes, her credentials speak loudly about it. She has been making a big name in the psychiatric industry for the past two years now. 

She flipped the paper and read her new patient's information. Havoc Benedict Montemayor. Havoc. Destruction. The total opposite of hers. He's 26 years old, and currently handling their family business. 

"What's the last diagnosis of her previous psychiatrist?" 

"Psychiatrists." 

"What do you mean?"

"He had more than 20 psychiatrists for the past 7 years." 

She nodded. Looks like this new patient of hers will be a challenging one. But no, I'm a psychiatrist, and no matter how hard it would be, I will never give up until he finds his voice again. 

"So, what's their diagnosis?" 

"They have kind of different diagnoses though. Others said that he was suffering from Total Mutism, others said that he was suffering from Selective Mutism, and even testified that they really heard him speak once or twice. Most of his psychiatrists were fired before they even get a chance to write a word on their paper." she nodded. 

She finds this case kind of odd. Selective and Total Mutism are very different from one another. Selective Mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child's inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as school. These children can speak and communicate in settings where they are comfortable, secure, and relaxed, while Total Mutism is when a person doesn't speak totally, under any circumstances. So how come these two things possibly coexist with their diagnoses? 

Havoc Montemayor, 26 years old. He's far from being a child anymore. It has been 7 years since the tragedy happened but they haven't heard his voice since then. He hasn't talked to anyone. Not to his friends, and family, and not even at his girlfriend's burial. 

She read the written testimony of his father. I haven't heard his voice for seven years now. But his previous psychiatrists said that they did hear his voice. 

"I want to hear his testimony, Sunny," Klode said, about Havoc. He really wants to solve this case because this will be one of his biggest breaks as a detective. "I'm sure that this isn't only a mere kidnapping. I think Mr. Montemayor knows the real motive of the kidnappers. We need to make him speak before the court decides to close this case. We need to have progress." 

"But based on all the test results that were conducted, there is no damage which can be the reason for him to lose his voice," Sunny said and sighed. She looked at Klode. Right there, she knows that both she and Klode have the same conclusion with this case. But she will not stop until she confirms it. 

"You can see that he doesn't want to cooperate with us. Sunny, I'm confident in your skills and talents. I know that you can make him speak again." 

"It is hard to fix people who are emotionally pained, Klode. They may have no problem physically but their mentality is actually greatly affected by their emotions. Not all people can understand what they're going through. That's the reason why most of them are afraid to open up; they can't just find anyone to trust thus it would be so hard for them to recover." she sighed and looked at the record again. "His mutism is not caused by anxiety. Rather, it is a trauma he built after his guilt. 7 years, Klode. He's keeping his guilt for 7 years now. He's punishing himself for what happened---" Klode cuts her off. 

"That's the thing that I don't understand. Why does he need to punish himself? Why does he need to feel guilty? He did nothing wrong!" he exclaimed. 

You won't understand what they feel unless you were in their shoes, she thought.

"Because he can only watch his first love's death. He felt guilty that he is still alive but couldn't save his girlfriend. But I don't understand why they chose to rescue him first when he was already outside the car. They should focus more on bringing Anna out of the car because Havoc is already outside. They just need to drag him away." she looked at him and he just sighed in response. This is the Sunny that he knows. She won't just stop until she finds an answer to her questions. 

"Because Mr. Montemayor... is the only heir of the Montemayor Corporation. For them, his life is way more important than Anna's. They need to secure his safety more than anyone else. That's their protocol. 

"Then it's not surprising to know that he won't cooperate with his previous psychiatrists," she said and drink some water. "They just let his girlfriend died."

"His family is really worried. His condition is limiting the way how he handles their company. We're not the only one who wants him to talk, so please, Sunny, get this case and let him out of his guilt." 

She looks outside. What a lonely man. They want him to be cured because of their intentions... not because they are sincerely worried for him. 

"So, will you help us?"

She nodded. "Sure. I'm also curious about this case." 

*--* 

Sunny Claire Mendoza. What a pretty name, and she has a pretty face, too. 

He throws the paper on the wall. He told his father not to meddle with his life anymore, but he just won't listen. 

"What time will my new psychiatrist arrives?" he texted her secretary. 

"10 o'clock in the morning, sir." 

He massaged his temple. Why won't anyone listen to what I want? I only want a peaceful life, why are they determined to destroy it? 

More than 20 psychiatrists tried to treat him but no one succeeds. Some of the female psychiatrists only tried to flirt with him, some males only asked him irrelevant questions about what happened before. I'm so sick of it. They should read the news or read some newspaper, assholes. 

Anna. He stands up and grabs the box that's filled with Anna's pictures. Some of the pictures are solo, and most of them are their pictures together.

Havoc then grabs the marker and paper then wrote on it. He gave the box and the paper to his secretary. "Burn these pictures! Make sure that there's no one remains!" his secretary nodded.