Finn was at a loss for words for a moment. Aoife was not always like this. She used to be timid, obedient, but always found topics to talk about when facing him. Her face always carried a smile, and she exhibited normal emotions – joy, anger, sorrow, laughter – her eyes resembling those of a rabbit when she cried.
But now, she seemed to have forgotten how to express her emotions, devoid of joy or sadness, unable to speak or laugh, just staring blankly at a spot. In less than two months, she had completely transformed into a different person.
Arriving at the psychiatric hospital, the doctors tried their best to console Aoife, but no matter what they asked, she remained silent, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face, like a child lost in despair, bewildered and fearful.
As expected, she was diagnosed with depression.
Depression is equivalent to slow suicide, and in severe cases, self-harm. But in Aoife’s situation, her silence, refusal to face reality, was no different from self-harm.
“Stay in the hospital and cooperate with the examinations.”
Finn knew that depression could not be neglected. He sighed deeply, looking at Aoife with a hint of tender pity in his eyes, though it was scarce, almost imperceptible.
He couldn’t understand why a seemingly well person could fall ill.
“I thought you were naturally aloof. Who knew you really got depression.”
When they were in China, the family doctor had warned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.
Finn knew better than anyone why Aoife had turned into this. She loathed being in a foreign land, longing to return home or more accurately, to a place without him, Finn. It’s just… how could he allow that?
Finn hired a caregiver, and he stayed by Aoife’s side in the hospital.
Aoife still spoke very little, her mouth shut tight like a clamshell, her vacant eyes fixed on the window.
Both Finn and the doctors here advised her to communicate more, be more open, and find joy. But how could she be happy when even breathing seemed painful to her every moment?
As August 30 drew near, with their engagement scheduled four days later, Finn’s ticket was booked for September 1. He could only accompany Aoife for one more day.
Undergoing treatment recently, Aoife quickly grew tired, spending her days in a daze, sleeping during the day and lying in bed at night. Her circadian rhythm was disrupted, and insomnia had become a norm. The hospital was so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat.
Thump-thump-thump… like the ticking of a clock’s second hand.
In the dead of night, she lay awake, counting her heartbeats, reaching six thousand nine hundred and fifty-three.
Suddenly, the phone rang, startling Aoife like a frightened rabbit, causing her leg to twitch.
Groggily, Finn answered the phone. The caller’s words were indistinct, but he only said, “I’m on a business trip, and I’ve already booked my ticket… I’ll be back the day after tomorrow, rest assured, I’ll accompany you for makeup trials… Wait patiently for me…”
These words, this tone, it didn’t take much to figure out that Lily was on the other end.
Ending the call, Finn felt thirsty. He turned on the light, threw his phone aside, and stood up to pour a glass of water, his gaze lingering on Aoife’s face as he couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her.
At dawn, the assistant brought breakfast, which Finn stayed to eat with Aoife before taking her for a walk.
There was a large courtyard downstairs at the hospital, and amid the chill, Aoife, unable to withstand it due to her weak body, had Finn’s coat draped over her.
Halfway through, Aoife suddenly gestured towards the direction of the bathroom.
Finn understood instantly. “Go ahead, I’ll wait outside.”
While Aoife was reluctant to communicate verbally, there were no issues with her daily routines.
Once in the restroom, due to the delayed reaction from her illness, she often felt disconnected from her surroundings.
“Elisa?”
Aoife turned to see a woman standing at her side, unsure when she had appeared. Taking in the woman’s appearance, Aoife’s gaze fell on her work badge, which displayed her name: Hattie.
Hattie, the doctor here.
Looking young with a doll-like face, her eyes held a mix of surprise and undeniable concern.
However, this concern wasn’t directed at Aoife, but at the name she had mistakenly called her – Elisa.
“I’m sorry, I mistook you for someone else… You look so much like someone I used to know…” Hattie gave an apologetic smile, blaming her fatigue from staying up late the night before. In her foggy mind, she had momentarily confused the woman before her with Elisa from the past.
Thinking about it, that was impossible. After all, Elisa was no longer alive, and the person in front of her merely resembled her in appearance. It couldn’t be her.
Aoife shook her head in silence.
“Are you here for treatment?” Hattie gestured to the hospital gown she was wearing.
Aoife nodded, still not speaking. The two shared a brief awkward silence.
This being their first encounter, Hattie didn’t press her with questions. Standing behind her, she watched her retreating figure, suddenly reminded of Elisa’s battle with depression and autism years ago.
Hattie discreetly followed her, a considerable part of why she was interested in this woman was due to the fact that she hadn’t been able to ‘save’ Elisa back then.
All of Hattie’s focus was on her work, spending years at the hospital, she knew very little about the wealthy circles back home. However, names like Burns Group and White family – she recognized them.
So when she saw Finn, she immediately identified him as a member of the Burns Group, Hamish’s half-brother.
Hattie’s knowledge of Finn was limited to his name and pedigree. As for his character and temperament, she was biased, intuitively believing he was not a good person like Hamish.
Hattie checked her phone, swiftly looking up Finn’s name, only to find news of his engagement to Lily scheduled for September 3, complete with photos of the couple.
Indeed, a scoundrel – engaged to be married yet still keeping another woman, playing both sides like he had nothing to lose.
While Hattie scorned women who became the ‘other woman,’ she understood that human nature was complex and couldn’t be easily categorized.
Hattie watched from a distance as Finn took the woman to the psychiatric ward, hesitated for a moment, then made a call.
“Mr. Thompson, could you do me a favor? I need you to help me check a patient’s hospital records…”
By the time she received the information, it was already noon. With her work done, Hattie sat in her office, opened her computer, and quickly read through the one-page report.
From this document, Hattie learned the woman’s name was Aoife, less than 20 years old, diagnosed with moderate depression, under the care of Dr. Samuel.
Initially, Hattie had no intention of getting involved. But whenever she closed her eyes, she couldn’t shake the memory of Elisa. They were so alike, not just in appearance but also in their experiences.
If she stood by and did nothing this time, what if she missed another chance to save someone?
With a determined resolve, Hattie bit her lip and finally decided to seek out Dr. Samuel.
When she arrived, she coincidentally found Dr. Samuel conducting a psychological therapy session with Aoife.