bChapter /bb368 /b

    “Mental rules?” Brian murmured.

    Wesley nodded. “Yeah. It was a woman too. She’d been in an abusive rtionship for a long time, and to escape the pain of reality, she’d set herself up bto /bbelieve she was deeply in love with her husband.

    “That way, she could make all the hurt she went through seem okay in her mind. But the truth was, her husband didn’t love her at all.”

    Wesley ran a finger along the cup’s edge as he spoke. “Then one night, her husband got drunk, ran a red light, and died in an ident. bBy /bher own rules, she should’ve been heartbroken.

    “But the truth? She couldn’t feel sad at all. She thought she was cold–hearted and came to ask me if she was a psycho.”

    Wesley let out a smallugh. “She wasn’t a psycho. She was just stuck with the story she’d made up for herself.”

    Brian looked thoughtful. “Stuck with the story she made up?”

    Wesley nodded. “Honestly, when I see Ms. Granttely, I keep thinking of that first patient. They really have a lot inmon.”

    He didn’t say more but figured he’d hinted enough without breaking his ethics. If Brian still didn’t get it, there was nothing more he could do.

    “Common? So you mean Jessi made herself think she likes–no, wait–doesn’t like me?” Luckily, Brian wasn’t stupid. He caught on fast and pressed.

    From Wesley’s story, that patient had pretended to love her husband to escape reality.

    Brian thought, ‘Jessi divorced me and went out of her way to cut ties, so she must have set herself up to not like me. Or rather, she made herself believe

    she no longer does.‘

    For a split second, Brian felt like he’d glimpsed into Jessica’s heart.

    Wesley smiled, took a sip of coffee, and put the cup down. “I didn’t say that. All I can tell you is my first patient was dead set on loving her husband. She thought that was what would make her happy.

    “But after he died, her life got better, and that messed with her head. It shook her sense of what’s real. She was torn, you know.”

    Brian automatically put himself and Jessica into that scenario.

    Jessica had set herself up to not like him, so no matter how he apologized or dered his feelings, she couldn’t ept it and wouldn’t believe it. She had made herself believe that she no longer cared about him.

    But at the same time, he had always been showing up and doing all sorts to prove he cared about her. That had managed to shake her resolve.

    The sh between reality and her self–made belief left her torn, making her mood swing more and more and even making her condition worse.

    The more Brian thought, the heavier the air around him felt.

    “Did I do something wrong?” Brian mumbled, confused, not sure who he was asking.

    “Not exactly,” Wesley said after thinking it through

    Brian snapped back, fixing him with a hard stare “Dr. Finch, tell me, what do I have to do to make her better?”

    Wesley shook his head. “It’s not just about what you do. A heart’s trouble needs its own cure. It mostly depends on her.”

    “So I can’t do anything?” Brian clearly hated that answer.

    “Of course, you can. It’s mostly on herb, /bbut the environment matters too. With my first patient, I gave her two bchoices/b–either bfully /bbept /bbeverything /b

    b1/3 /b

    about her husband, or cut him outpletely.

    “Given how things were, she had to pick the second. After some counseling, she sold her house and moved to a whole new city, starting over-

    Brian’s hands clenched tightly. “You mean I should disappear entirely from Jessi’s life?”

    Wesley smiled, “I didn’t say that. Besides, your situation with Ms. Grant isn’t exactly the same as my patient’s. No need to copy it.

    “But whichever path you take, you can’t keep muddling along like this. It’ll only make her condition worse.**

    Wesley really hoped Jessica would make a choice soon to pull herself out of this emotional mess.

    Brian thought over his words. “So, for Jessi’s sake, it’s either get her to ept my care or stay away for good?”

    Wesley nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, he couldn’t help adding, “You don’t have much time left, Mr. Atkinson.”

    Jessica’s condition really couldn’t wait any longer.

    Brian didn’t hesitate. “If I want Jessi to ept me, what should I do? She’s really pushing me away right now.”

    “You’ll just have to keep trying,” Wesley said right away. “As long as what you does from the heart, Ms. Grant will feel it.”

    Wesley checked his watch after speaking. “It’s gettingte. Let’s wrap this up for tonight.”

    He’d said all he needed to. The rest was up to Brian.

    Brian stood up, pulled out his phone, and said, “Thanks. Can we swap contacts?“/

    Wesley had ino /iproblem with that, so they exchanged numbers.

    Brian paid the bill, and after saying goodbye to Wesley, he called Jackson right away. He’d sent Jackson to see Jessica home. “Has Jessi gotten back? How’s she feeling?” Brian asked.

    Jackson thought Brian was making things tough for him. He’d been told not to get too close but still had to keep an eye on Jessica’s mood. It’s not like I have super eyes,‘ he thought.

    Jackson grumbled to himself but answered in a serious voice, “She got back 10 minutes ago. Seemed in a good mood. She even said hi to Mr. Jacob Atkinson when he was heading out as she went in.”

    “That’s good.” Brian let out a breath and told Jackson to go home. He himself drove back as fast as he could.

    But by the time he got there, Jessica’s door was already shut tight.

    “Is your mom asleep?” Brian had to ask Jacob for news.

    “Yeah, Dad, Mom looked really pretty today, and she smelled nice too. Did she go to that party with you?” Jacob asked, all excited.

    Brian gave a bitter smile. “You’re giving me too much credit there.”

    ‘If only Jessi were actually willing to go to the party with me,‘ he thought wistfully.

    Jacob’s face fell when he heard that, but he perked up again right away to cheer Brian on. “Don’t get downb, /bDad, bIf /bbyou /bbkeep /bbtrying/bb, /bbMom’ll /bbsay /bbyes /bsooner orter.”

    Brianughed a little, reached out to ruffle his hair, and then shooed him off. “Little know–it–all. Come, on, boff /bbto /bbed. bYou /bbdon’t /bbneed /bbto /bbworry /bbabout /bbthis/b. stuff.”

    Once Jacob was gone, Brian grabbed his Japtop, opened it up, and started making a spreadsheet.

    He wrote down everything, including Jessica’s daily scheduletely, what she liked to eat, and her little hobbies. He even noted down when she took

    Pancake for walks.

    It was just supposed to be a reminder so he wouldn’t forget things, but during a

    meeting, he identally opened it up, and everyone in thepany call olliit. /li/ol

    With everyone staring at him in all sorts of ways, Brian calmly closed the wrong file and said

    d in a cold voice, “Let’s get back to the meeting.”

    T

    iAD /i

    iComment /i