“I was just worried about you, so I came to see you,” Nelson said. “This villa is too remote. It’s not convenient for you to go to work if you live here. You’d better live somewhere near the company. It can save you a lot of time.”
Cristofer nodded and said, “I’ve been looking for a house near the company, but I haven’t found any suitable one.”
“By the way, how well are you prepared for your wedding with Miss Wilson?”
With an uneasy look, Cristofer said, “The wedding… is canceled.”
“Why?”
“Because she is not right for me.”
Nelson inquired, “Did you mention that she was a good person when we spoke two days ago? Why the sudden change in your perspective?”
Cristofer replied, “She desires too much. I can’t provide what she’s looking for.”
“Is it related to money?”
“No, it’s about love,” Cristofer replied, lifting his glass and gazing at the red wine within. “I’ve sworn off love for the rest of my life.”
Nelson chuckled and remarked, “Well, that’s one way to look at it. You should feel better taking that decision.”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s getting late. You’ve had a busy day and must be tired. Go to bed early.”
Cristofer drank up the wine in his glass and asked, “Uncle Nelson, will you stay here tonight?”
“Geoffrey will pick me up later,” Nelson stated.
Cristofer briefly mentioned Geoffrey before voicing his concerns, “Uncle Nelson, I have this uneasy feeling about Geoffrey. There’s something off about him. He seemed normal when he was physically fit, but ever since he broke his leg, I’ve sensed a certain malice in his eyes whenever I’ve seen him.”
Nelson chuckled reassuringly, “Don’t worry. As long as I’m alive, I won’t let him pose any threat to me.”
As they conversed, the sound of an engine could be heard from outside. Geoffrey stepped out of the car, using his cane for support. He cautiously approached the villa’s entrance and knocked on the door before announcing, “Uncle Nelson, I’ve arrived.”
“Please come in, Geoffrey,” Nelson replied calmly.
Geoffrey then gently pushed the door open and entered the villa. Perhaps due to the rainy weather or discomfort in his leg, he walked in a somewhat strange manner.
Upon spotting Cristofer, he greeted him with a strained smile, “Ah, Mr. Hans, you’re back. Hm? Where’s Miss Hudson? Weren’t you two embracing and talking by the gate just now? I assumed she’d be staying with you here.”
Nelson’s expression shifted drastically upon hearing Geoffrey’s words.
Cristofer cast a sidelong glance at Geoffrey and chuckled, “Geoffrey, I knew about your physical condition, but I didn’t realize your eyesight was also an issue. Estelle was indeed outside earlier, but I didn’t hug her. I only embraced my daughter today. As for the man you saw close to Estelle, it’s Tim.”
“Tim?” Nelson asked suspiciously. “What did he come here for?”
“I don’t know. He has always been very attentive to Estelle. Maybe Estelle asked him to come here to pick her up,” Cristofer declared casually.
Noticing Cristofer’s seemingly detached attitude regarding Estelle, Nelson smiled contentedly and remarked, “The sky was cloudy, and dusk was approaching, which led to Geoffrey’s misunderstanding. Cristofer, I’ll take my leave now. Join me for dinner at my place when you have some free time another day.”
Geoffrey waved his hand, and two bodyguards standing outside the door came in and helped Nelson push his wheelchair. Then the four of them left the villa.
In the quiet living room, Cristofer poured himself another drink, leaned against the French window, and looked outside.
Once the two cars outside had driven away, he could no longer suppress his anger and angrily smashed the glass on the ground.
In an instant, the glass collided with the marble floor and was broken into pieces, and the fragments of the glass flew in different directions.
‘Estelle, why can you accept any other man except me?’
‘You would rather be with the unidentified Mr. Mysterious, Tim, or the lawyer called Eric than be with me, right?!’
With a bitter smile, Cristofer took out his phone and dialed a number.
An hour later, the person he had called arrived, and he went to open the door.
Outside the door stood a middle-aged woman dressed in a suit and wearing a pair of glasses.
“Hello, Mr. Hans. My name is Sonya Stewart,” she greeted Cristofer with a gentle and kind smile.
“Dr. Stewart, come in, please.”
Dr. Stewart then walked into the villa. After she looked around the living room, her gaze fell on the medicine bottles on the tea table.
She picked the bottles up and glanced through them. Then the smile on her face disappeared, and she said with a serious look, “Mr. Hans, who prescribed these medicines for you?”
“My former psychiatrist. Unfortunately, these medicines are ineffective for me. Recently, I’ve been still in a bad mental state. I can’t sleep every night, and I’m in a bad mood every day. I don’t know how I can get better, so I called you here.”
Hearing this, Dr. Stewart nodded and said, “Mr. Hans, let’s start with a simple talk. I need to find out what’s troubling you first and then find a way to help you solve it.”
“Okay.”
“Now I’ll ask you some questions, and you’ll answer them. I will give you two options for every question. Don’t think about the questions. Instead, blurt out the answer in your subconscious,” Dr. Stewart instructed.
“Got it.”
“An apple or a banana?”
“Apple.”
“Red wine or liquor?”
“Red wine.”
Dr. Stewart paused and said with a smile, “Mr. Hans, I’ve read your case report. You have serious stomach problems, so you shouldn’t drink.”
Cristofer was a little stunned and then smiled helplessly. “Only when I was too upset would I drink a little?”
“You’d better quit drinking.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s continue. Coffee table or sofa?”
“Sofa.”
“Photos or portraits?”
“Photos.”
“Day or night?”
“Night.”
“Black or white?”
“Black.”
“Beautiful or ugly?”
“Beautiful.”
“Big tree or grass?”
“Big tree.”
“Flowers or leaves?”
“Flowers.”
“Alone or accompany?”
“Accompany.”
“Happiness or sadness?”
“Happiness.”
“Love or not?”
“Love.”
He was stunned when he blurted out the word “love.” Then he frowned slightly and looked at Dr. Stewart.
Still, with a gentle smile, Dr. Stewart said, “Mr. Hans, I think what’s troubling you is not what you described before.”
With mixed feelings, Cristofer swallowed and didn’t say anything.
“In your email, you told me that you suffer from bipolar disorder because of the grief caused by your parents, who were killed in an accident. And according to my observation just now, your condition couldn’t be worse. If you don’t get treatment in time, you will likely suffer other mental problems, such as auditory hallucination, fantasy, and even schizophrenia.”
“You mean I will become a … psycho?” Cristofer asked, frowning tightly.
“The clinical manifestations of every mental disease are various. Bipolar disorder is more complicated. And I can see the deaths of your parents did have an impact on your mental state.”