Edward blinked his eyes. Turning to the side, he found Chloe sitting and screaming hysterically. The aura of fear on her face was evident.
Quickly, Edward straightened his body and embraced Chloe, trying to calm her down and ease her fear. He knew exactly what had caused his wife to be like this.
“Hush now,” Edward whispered softly while gently stroking Chloe’s head and shoulders. “Don’t be afraid, I’m right here beside you. You’ll be safe with me,” he said, trying to reassure her.
Chloe moved restlessly. “That man touched me. I even let him enjoy my body,” she expressed her frustration. “I feel so disgusted, Ed!”
Edward tightened his embrace even more. He could feel Chloe’s trembling body, consumed by fear. “No,” Edward replied. “No one dares to touch you. I will always protect you.”
In Edward’s arms, Chloe shook her head and spoke softly, “Please… don’t leave me again. Don’t ask me to stay away from you. I’m really scared.”
Edward loosened the hug slightly to see Chloe’s face. He gently lifted her chin and planted a deep kiss on her lips. He did this solely to calm his frightened wife.
“I’m truly sorry for ignoring you the past few days. I promise, after this, I will never leave you again.”
Edward felt overwhelming guilt as well. If only he hadn’t unintentionally ignored his wife in the past, maybe all of this would never have happened. Chloe must be going through deep trauma now.
“Now, you better rest,” he said.
“I’m scared,” Chloe resisted, shaking her head. Her body was still trembling intensely. “I’m afraid that man will come back and kidnap me again.”
Edward tightened his embrace again and kissed the top of his wife’s head. “No… I swear Damian will never touch you again. I will also stay with you until you fall asleep.”
Finally, Chloe complied. Slowly, she laid her body back down, pulling the blanket over herself. Holding Edward’s hand, she tried her best to close her eyes and force herself back to sleep.
****
Early in the morning, Kenzi, Richard, and their wives were seen visiting Edward’s residence. They were worried about Chloe after hearing Hans’ story from the night before.
As friends, providing support is undoubtedly a way of showing their care for Edward and Chloe, especially after the unpleasant experience Chloe just went through. There must be a profound sense of trauma that Chloe is experiencing now.
“Ed, how is your wife doing?” Kimberly looked very concerned from her expression.
“Not doing well enough,” Edward sighed deeply. They were all in the living room now. “Chloe has woken up from sleep several times and cried hysterically. She has also pleaded with me for forgiveness.”
Kenzi raised both eyebrows. “Pleading for forgiveness? For what?”
“For asking for forgiveness for letting Damian touch her body. Even though I knew it was all purely because Chloe was under the influence of the stimulant drugs that Damian intentionally gave her.”
“Oh, my goodness!”
Everyone exclaimed in unison, quite shocked to hear what Edward was telling them.
“I can’t imagine what Chloe must be feeling right now. She probably feels extremely guilty towards you,” Alma said.
Edward nodded in agreement. “She keeps crying and thinks I’m disgusted with her. But I never had any problem with it.”
“You should call a doctor and a psychiatrist, Ed,” Richard suggested. He felt very sorry seeing what was happening to his friend. “Prolonged trauma can be dangerous for your wife’s health.”
Once again, Edward nodded softly. “I already did… I’ve asked a doctor and psychiatrist to come. They might arrive at my house later in the day. I also hope that all of this will pass quickly, and Chloe will return to her normal self.”
“Do your parents know about this issue?” Richard asked again.
Edward shook his head. “No, I deliberately kept this a secret. I just don’t want to worry them with what’s happening. I’ve also asked Hans to silence all media. I’m afraid they might get information and publish the news. It could affect the company’s credibility.”
Kenzi stood up from her seat, approached Edward, and gently patted his shoulder. “Be patient. I believe you can handle all of this. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask for help.”
Richard nodded in agreement. Despite often teasing Edward, deep down, he cared deeply for his friend. “Kenzi’s right. If you need anything, just let the two of us know.”
All compact, including Alma and Kimberly, stood together. They were all getting ready to bid farewell as they had to return to the office.
After their friends left, Edward received another guest. Samuel and two doctors visited the Scottish-blooded man.
Edward intentionally asked Samuel to come to his house, in case Chloe needed the presence of her faithful assistant.
“Sir, how is Mrs. Chloe’s condition?”
Edward shook his head weakly. “You’ll see for yourself when the doctors examine her later.”
They all then went upstairs to approach Chloe, who had already woken up and chosen to sit while lost in thought on the bed.
Her gaze was empty. She acted as if she lacked enthusiasm for life. Once again, Edward felt so sad seeing his wife’s current condition.
“Darling…” Edward called, making Chloe turn her head immediately. “There are doctors who want to check your health first.”
Chloe didn’t respond. She simply nodded. Meanwhile, the doctors promptly performed their duties, examining the condition of the beautiful woman’s body. After undergoing a brief examination, the psychiatrist took over to provide healing as part of the process to heal emotional wounds and address the anxiety she was experiencing. All of this was done to prevent her from being continuously stressed, let alone reaching a state of depression.
“I’ll go downstairs for a moment,” Edward said to Chloe, who ended up grabbing his wrist instead, looking as if she was frightened. “It’s okay, dear. The doctor will help you overcome all these fears. After the therapy, I’ll come back to accompany you.”
Edward spent a long time convincing her until Chloe finally agreed to be left alone. While waiting for his wife to receive treatment from the psychiatrist, on the first floor, Edward chose to listen to the results of another doctor’s examination of Chloe’s physical health.
“As for her physical health, there’s nothing to worry about, Sir. Your wife’s pregnancy is also perfectly fine.”
Edward breathed a sigh of relief. He almost forgot that his wife was now pregnant with their child. Thank God, the future little angel was reported to be in good condition.
“Thank you very much, Doc, for the information. If something happens again, I will contact you immediately.”
Samuel, who had been listening all along, assisted Edward in escorting the doctor to the exit. Then afterward, he approached Edward again.
“I am deeply concerned about what happened to your family, Mister. But, I am also confident that Mrs. Chloe will recover soon and return to normal as before.”
“I hope so too, Sam. I really feel guilty for deliberately ignoring her and even contemplating leaving her. Truly, it was all just a game.”
Edward took a deep breath. The traces of regret still hadn’t left his face. In his heart, he kept cursing his foolishness for thinking of giving Chloe a little lesson, which led to his wife being abducted by her cousin.
“I understand your position, Mister. You did all that just because you wanted to teach Mrs. Chloe a lesson. You’re not wrong. At that time, Mrs. Chloe was a little careless. I am also to blame for letting her go alone without supervision.”
Edward tried to smile. “God, I miss the Chloe who used to get angry rather than one who’s always crying out of fear like this.”
“I always pray that Mrs. Chloe will recover soon as before. And if Mister needs any help, I am ready to assist.”
“I have a plan to invite you to work at my office, Sam. It happens that I need an assistant to take over Nicholas’s tasks.”
Samuel responded with a smile. What normal person would refuse to work at a company as prestigious as AlphaBeta? It would certainly be a significant achievement.
“If you think I can do it, I will try to do my best. But, at least, I need to get permission from your wife first.”
Edward chuckled softly. What Samuel said was true. He had to get permission from his wife, considering Samuel was his wife’s favorite assistant. However, Edward truly needed an assistant’s help to handle the overwhelming workload left behind by Nicholas.
“It seems Chloe will agree with this decision. Just prepare yourself. I really need your help in the near future.”
Samuel nodded. Before he could respond further, the psychiatrist who examined Chloe finally came down to approach Edward and provide the examination results.
“Mr. Edward… I’d like to share the results of Mrs. Chloe’s examination.”
“So, how is my wife’s condition, Doc?” Edward asked anxiously. They were all sitting on the living room sofa now.
“Your wife is experiencing a moderate level of trauma, where she constantly blames herself for the recent events. If left untreated, it could have fatal consequences. Your wife could experience severe stress and endanger the health of the fetus she’s carrying.”
Edward closed his eyes. He couldn’t bear to hear what was happening to his wife.
“So, what should I do then?”
“Support your wife in her self-healing process. Encourage her to make peace with the situation and ask her to forgive herself. Let her know that you don’t hold any grudges about what happened. Help her turn the regret she’s feeling into strength to overcome her fears.”
Edward nodded, understanding the doctor’s advice.
“And besides that, what else should I do, doc?”
“Schedule regular check-ups at least once a week. And don’t forget to create a comfortable environment for her. Take your wife out for walks or do anything she enjoys. This will serve as a form of stimulation to help her slowly forget the recent traumatic experience.”
“Alright…” said Edward. “I understand what I need to do.”
****
“How’s it going, Hans? Have you taken care of all the issues involving Damian?”
At exactly eight in the evening, Hans visited Edward’s house. He came intentionally to provide information regarding the problem that had just occurred with his client.
“Don’t worry. I’ve taken care of Damian. Your cousin will face multiple charges for his unpleasant actions – sexual harassment, sabotage, and certainly attempted murder. He might be looking at a lifetime in prison.”
Edward smiled contentedly. He even wished his cousin would die rather than continue to trouble others.
“Make sure Damian can’t get out of prison. Or I’ll be the one to kill him with my own hands.”
A hearty laughter came from Hans’ lips. He fully understood if Edward’s emotions got the better of him. Damian’s actions were unforgivable.
“Don’t worry. Everything is taken care of. That man will rot in prison, just as you wish.”
As they engaged in conversation, without Edward realizing, Chloe suddenly approached. She came crying and embraced her husband, who was sitting there.
“Hey… what’s wrong?” Edward was puzzled by Chloe’s behavior.
“I’m scared…” she replied tearfully. “Please don’t leave me alone.”
Hans, understanding the situation, excused himself, giving Edward space to comfort his frightened wife.
“Let’s go back to the bedroom,” Edward suggested. The next moment, he carefully carried Chloe and headed towards the bedroom, gently laying her down on the bed.
Just as he was about to get up, Chloe sat up again, pulling Edward close to her.
“Don’t leave,” she repeated. Those were the words she kept saying.
“I’ll stay right here, my love. I promise I won’t leave you,” said Edward.
Chloe shook her head. “You must not go anywhere,” she pleaded. “I’m afraid that man will come back for me.”
“No one will dare to take you away as long as I’m here,” replied Edward. He reached for Chloe’s face, asking her to look into his eyes. “I’ll protect you from anything. So, now, please go to sleep. Tomorrow, I want to show you something.”
“What are you going to show me?” Chloe responded to what Edward had just said.
“A – se – cret,” Edward spelled playfully. He intentionally teased his wife. “That’s why you should go to sleep quickly. So tomorrow, you’ll find out what I’m going to show you.”
Chloe nodded repeatedly. “But, I want you to hold me until I fall asleep.”
Edward smiled. “Of course. Not just holding you, I’ll do anything else you ask for. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Amongst all the fear and tears, for the first time, Chloe smiled. For some reason, her heart suddenly warmed after hearing her husband’s words.
“Then please hold me. Don’t let go until I fall asleep.”